Didn’t they tell you domestic violence was funny?

taype · #1 1st-May-2007

I had an idea the other day. Basically, it was a concept for a new stress relief toy. I though I’d call it the “Anger Management Wife Choker©”. Surely a comical yet descriptive name like that would have loads of people queuing up to get their grubby mitts on one.
I spent hours going over the design, and basically I came up with a small doll that would respond in humorous ways to a rather firm grasp of the hand around the neck. “Her” eyes would pop out in comical fashion, her head would look like it was about to explode, and her arms would wave all over the place!

I even had the voiceover for a potential commercial in my head:

“Fed up with your wife constantly nagging? Wish you could just tell her to shut the f@k up? Then get yourself the Anger Management Wife Choker©! Let off some steam with this hardy 11” lifelike doll! Choke her neck, chuck her against the wall, and smash her face in! And all without any hassle from the boys in blue! Remember, before things get out of hand, let your frustration out on The Anger Management Wife Choker©. Colours may vary.”

And then I though about it for a bit. I remembered that people don’t actually find domestic violence that funny, do they? I dug out an old article I had read in the Daily Mail entitled “Hitting Back: The Brutal Face of Domestic Violence” and came across some quotes that somewhat dashed my hopes of ever getting my product marketed, such as:

“No one, absolutely no one, deserves to feel frightened in their own home.”

People obviously weren’t going to take this seriously were they? Infact, they’d likely hound me for even suggesting such a hateful concept, for even having the audacity to put this idea forward. Well, that was that I thought.

Until the other day that is. See, I actually found out that domestic violence is comical after all! Infact, I found that somebody was indeed marketing a “domestic violence doll”! Yes, its true. But, how can this be I thought. Surely if someone can sell a stupid little doll, a play thing, a comical toy based on the idea of domestic violence, then domestic violence must be acceptable? And then it struck me. Aah. The doll is in the likeness of a man.

Folks......

“Hey Ladies, do you get upset sometimes when your man says something stupid. Don't you wish you could choke the life right out of him, maybe just for a minute without being brought up on legal charges.”

“Now you can choke a Husband all you want with the Anger Management Husband Choker Doll.This Husband Doll will provide two types of relief, you can choke him and he'll make your husband look like a saint.”
“The Anger Management Husband Choker Doll eyes will bulge, his cheeks will redden, his tongue sticks out, his limbs flail...see, you feel better already!”
“A remote is attached to his hand just like all the other couch potato husbands.”

What a treat!! The above is actual advertising.
Not only do the media insist on deliberately lying about domestic violence by playing down, or actually hiding the fact that a significant proportion (between 35-50%) of domestic violence is committed by women, but you can now buy a doll that sells itself on the premise that domestic violence against men is absolutely fine! Nay, downright funny!
Inevitably, someone will shout: “Oh come on, it’s just a joke” Maybe so, but then, where the hell is the Anger Management Wife Choker©? Pray tell! Surely, that’s just as funny?
Or you might get someone laugh and say “Well, surely its better to let off some steam and get angry at the doll, so you don’t end up actually smacking your husband in the chops, or lamping him in the face with a frying pan!”. Well, if that’s the case, then why isn’t the Anger Management Wife Choker© being issued immediately to every single household in the western world? Because, as the media keeps telling us, men are very, very dangerous creatures that pose a grave risk to their wives. After all:

“Two women a week killed by current or former partners.”

Infact, we could have them air dropped in huge numbers to help begin alleviating the problem immediately:

Well it’s a thought isn’t it.

“Hey Ladies, do you get upset sometimes when your man says something stupid. Don't you wish you could choke the life right out of him...”

Just imagine that the other way round. No, its not going to happen is it. Men have been told for a considerable time now that there is no justification for domestic violence - emotional, physical, financial or otherwise. And yet, the message given out here is that men should be choked for saying something “stupid”. Go figure.

Infact, we live in an age where a threatening stare now constitutes domestic violence, where the smallest marital scuffle can now be blown out of all proportion and made to appear the tip of a huge, physically aggressive patriarchal iceberg.

But of course, it’s only “domestic violence” if you are a man. Again, one of the golden rules of western society:

Violence against women committed by men – an endemic problem, symbolising male dominance over women and never justified.
Violence against men committed by women – comical and entirely justified.

So you likely wont see the Anger Management Wife Choker© anytime soon, because no one today would even want to be associated with the idea. Even the concept of such a creation would have the managers of any prospective company pulling their hair out in disbelief. For they would see the lawsuits, the negative press and the huge barrage of complaints a mile off. The DV charities, the newspapers, the news channels would all take a very, very negative view of any “toy” that depicted a wife beating as funny.

But the same companies will *gladly* sell a product that plays on the idea that violence against men, especially violence against intimates and husbands, is both acceptable and warranted.

Now, I despise the politically correct notion that individuals should be prohibited from saying anything “negative” about anyone else lest those comments have a detrimental emotional impact or cause offence, and this includes banning everything and anything that could possibly be deemed “offensive” (even this doll). To be honest, I don’t like highlighting issues of this nature that would be considered trivial in most other contexts. Further, I think it is pointless in promoting the idea that every minor scuffle between partners should be treated with the same sort of intensity that ought to be reserved for dealing with overtly aggressive situations, or long term abusive relationships. I’m not advocating violence within close relationships, but living in an environment whereby even the most isolated incident of physical aggression or emotional outburst (whether expressed by a male or female), is treated with over the top zealousness and heavy handedness does more harm than good, in my opinion.

However, what annoys me more than the pseudo “protection” offered by political correctness, is the idea that certain groups are exempt from this protection, namely men. Once again, it’s bad enough that the facts on domestic violence are distorted, so as to create the impression that men are the sole perpetrators of domestic violence. But to create a doll that actually trivialises domestic violence committed against men, whilst at the same time society continues to blame them, almost exclusively, for the very problem being encouraged, is downright hypocritical and counterproductive.

More...

taype · #2 1st-May-2007

I had an idea the other day. Basically, it was a concept for a new stress relief toy. I though I’d call it the “Anger Management Wife Choker©”. Surely a comical yet descriptive name like that would have loads of people queuing up to get their grubby mitts on one.
I spent hours going over the design, and basically I came up with a small doll that would respond in humorous ways to a rather firm grasp of the hand around the neck. “Her” eyes would pop out in comical fashion, her head would look like it was about to explode, and her arms would wave all over the place!

I even had the voiceover for a potential commercial in my head:

“Fed up with your wife constantly nagging? Wish you could just tell her to shut the f@k up? Then get yourself the Anger Management Wife Choker©! Let off some steam with this hardy 11” lifelike doll! Choke her neck, chuck her against the wall, and smash her face in! And all without any hassle from the boys in blue! Remember, before things get out of hand, let your frustration out on The Anger Management Wife Choker©. Colours may vary.”

And then I though about it for a bit. I remembered that people don’t actually find domestic violence that funny, do they? I dug out an old article I had read in the Daily Mail entitled “Hitting Back: The Brutal Face of Domestic Violence” and came across some quotes that somewhat dashed my hopes of ever getting my product marketed, such as:

“No one, absolutely no one, deserves to feel frightened in their own home.”

People obviously weren’t going to take this seriously were they? Infact, they’d likely hound me for even suggesting such a hateful concept, for even having the audacity to put this idea forward. Well, that was that I thought.

Until the other day that is. See, I actually found out that domestic violence is comical after all! Infact, I found that somebody was indeed marketing a “domestic violence doll”! Yes, its true. But, how can this be I thought. Surely if someone can sell a stupid little doll, a play thing, a comical toy based on the idea of domestic violence, then domestic violence must be acceptable? And then it struck me. Aah. The doll is in the likeness of a man.

Folks......

“Hey Ladies, do you get upset sometimes when your man says something stupid. Don't you wish you could choke the life right out of him, maybe just for a minute without being brought up on legal charges.”

“Now you can choke a Husband all you want with the Anger Management Husband Choker Doll.This Husband Doll will provide two types of relief, you can choke him and he'll make your husband look like a saint.”
“The Anger Management Husband Choker Doll eyes will bulge, his cheeks will redden, his tongue sticks out, his limbs flail...see, you feel better already!”
“A remote is attached to his hand just like all the other couch potato husbands.”

What a treat!! The above is actual advertising.
Not only do the media insist on deliberately lying about domestic violence by playing down, or actually hiding the fact that a significant proportion (between 35-50%) of domestic violence is committed by women, but you can now buy a doll that sells itself on the premise that domestic violence against men is absolutely fine! Nay, downright funny!
Inevitably, someone will shout: “Oh come on, it’s just a joke” Maybe so, but then, where the hell is the Anger Management Wife Choker©? Pray tell! Surely, that’s just as funny?
Or you might get someone laugh and say “Well, surely its better to let off some steam and get angry at the doll, so you don’t end up actually smacking your husband in the chops, or lamping him in the face with a frying pan!”. Well, if that’s the case, then why isn’t the Anger Management Wife Choker© being issued immediately to every single household in the western world? Because, as the media keeps telling us, men are very, very dangerous creatures that pose a grave risk to their wives. After all:

“Two women a week killed by current or former partners.”

Infact, we could have them air dropped in huge numbers to help begin alleviating the problem immediately:

Well it’s a thought isn’t it.

“Hey Ladies, do you get upset sometimes when your man says something stupid. Don't you wish you could choke the life right out of him...”

Just imagine that the other way round. No, its not going to happen is it. Men have been told for a considerable time now that there is no justification for domestic violence - emotional, physical, financial or otherwise. And yet, the message given out here is that men should be choked for saying something “stupid”. Go figure.

Infact, we live in an age where a threatening stare now constitutes domestic violence, where the smallest marital scuffle can now be blown out of all proportion and made to appear the tip of a huge, physically aggressive patriarchal iceberg.

But of course, it’s only “domestic violence” if you are a man. Again, one of the golden rules of western society:

Violence against women committed by men – an endemic problem, symbolising male dominance over women and never justified.
Violence against men committed by women – comical and entirely justified.

So you likely wont see the Anger Management Wife Choker© anytime soon, because no one today would even want to be associated with the idea. Even the concept of such a creation would have the managers of any prospective company pulling their hair out in disbelief. For they would see the lawsuits, the negative press and the huge barrage of complaints a mile off. The DV charities, the newspapers, the news channels would all take a very, very negative view of any “toy” that depicted a wife beating as funny.

But the same companies will *gladly* sell a product that plays on the idea that violence against men, especially violence against intimates and husbands, is both acceptable and warranted.

Now, I despise the politically correct notion that individuals should be prohibited from saying anything “negative” about anyone else lest those comments have a detrimental emotional impact or cause offence, and this includes banning everything and anything that could possibly be deemed “offensive” (even this doll). To be honest, I don’t like highlighting issues of this nature that would be considered trivial in most other contexts. Further, I think it is pointless in promoting the idea that every minor scuffle between partners should be treated with the same sort of intensity that ought to be reserved for dealing with overtly aggressive situations, or long term abusive relationships. I’m not advocating violence within close relationships, but living in an environment whereby even the most isolated incident of physical aggression or emotional outburst (whether expressed by a male or female), is treated with over the top zealousness and heavy handedness does more harm than good, in my opinion.

However, what annoys me more than the pseudo “protection” offered by political correctness, is the idea that certain groups are exempt from this protection, namely men. Once again, it’s bad enough that the facts on domestic violence are distorted, so as to create the impression that men are the sole perpetrators of domestic violence. But to create a doll that actually trivialises domestic violence committed against men, whilst at the same time society continues to blame them, almost exclusively, for the very problem being encouraged, is downright hypocritical and counterproductive.

More...

taype · #3 1st-May-2007

I had an idea the other day. Basically, it was a concept for a new stress relief toy. I though I’d call it the “Anger Management Wife Choker©”. Surely a comical yet descriptive name like that would have loads of people queuing up to get their grubby mitts on one.
I spent hours going over the design, and basically I came up with a small doll that would respond in humorous ways to a rather firm grasp of the hand around the neck. “Her” eyes would pop out in comical fashion, her head would look like it was about to explode, and her arms would wave all over the place!

I even had the voiceover for a potential commercial in my head:

“Fed up with your wife constantly nagging? Wish you could just tell her to shut the f@k up? Then get yourself the Anger Management Wife Choker©! Let off some steam with this hardy 11” lifelike doll! Choke her neck, chuck her against the wall, and smash her face in! And all without any hassle from the boys in blue! Remember, before things get out of hand, let your frustration out on The Anger Management Wife Choker©. Colours may vary.”

And then I though about it for a bit. I remembered that people don’t actually find domestic violence that funny, do they? I dug out an old article I had read in the Daily Mail entitled “Hitting Back: The Brutal Face of Domestic Violence” and came across some quotes that somewhat dashed my hopes of ever getting my product marketed, such as:

“No one, absolutely no one, deserves to feel frightened in their own home.”

People obviously weren’t going to take this seriously were they? Infact, they’d likely hound me for even suggesting such a hateful concept, for even having the audacity to put this idea forward. Well, that was that I thought.

Until the other day that is. See, I actually found out that domestic violence is comical after all! Infact, I found that somebody was indeed marketing a “domestic violence doll”! Yes, its true. But, how can this be I thought. Surely if someone can sell a stupid little doll, a play thing, a comical toy based on the idea of domestic violence, then domestic violence must be acceptable? And then it struck me. Aah. The doll is in the likeness of a man.

Folks......

“Hey Ladies, do you get upset sometimes when your man says something stupid. Don't you wish you could choke the life right out of him, maybe just for a minute without being brought up on legal charges.”

“Now you can choke a Husband all you want with the Anger Management Husband Choker Doll.This Husband Doll will provide two types of relief, you can choke him and he'll make your husband look like a saint.”
“The Anger Management Husband Choker Doll eyes will bulge, his cheeks will redden, his tongue sticks out, his limbs flail...see, you feel better already!”
“A remote is attached to his hand just like all the other couch potato husbands.”

What a treat!! The above is actual advertising.
Not only do the media insist on deliberately lying about domestic violence by playing down, or actually hiding the fact that a significant proportion (between 35-50%) of domestic violence is committed by women, but you can now buy a doll that sells itself on the premise that domestic violence against men is absolutely fine! Nay, downright funny!
Inevitably, someone will shout: “Oh come on, it’s just a joke” Maybe so, but then, where the hell is the Anger Management Wife Choker©? Pray tell! Surely, that’s just as funny?
Or you might get someone laugh and say “Well, surely its better to let off some steam and get angry at the doll, so you don’t end up actually smacking your husband in the chops, or lamping him in the face with a frying pan!”. Well, if that’s the case, then why isn’t the Anger Management Wife Choker© being issued immediately to every single household in the western world? Because, as the media keeps telling us, men are very, very dangerous creatures that pose a grave risk to their wives. After all:

“Two women a week killed by current or former partners.”

Infact, we could have them air dropped in huge numbers to help begin alleviating the problem immediately:

Well it’s a thought isn’t it.

“Hey Ladies, do you get upset sometimes when your man says something stupid. Don't you wish you could choke the life right out of him...”

Just imagine that the other way round. No, its not going to happen is it. Men have been told for a considerable time now that there is no justification for domestic violence - emotional, physical, financial or otherwise. And yet, the message given out here is that men should be choked for saying something “stupid”. Go figure.

Infact, we live in an age where a threatening stare now constitutes domestic violence, where the smallest marital scuffle can now be blown out of all proportion and made to appear the tip of a huge, physically aggressive patriarchal iceberg.

But of course, it’s only “domestic violence” if you are a man. Again, one of the golden rules of western society:

Violence against women committed by men – an endemic problem, symbolising male dominance over women and never justified.
Violence against men committed by women – comical and entirely justified.

So you likely wont see the Anger Management Wife Choker© anytime soon, because no one today would even want to be associated with the idea. Even the concept of such a creation would have the managers of any prospective company pulling their hair out in disbelief. For they would see the lawsuits, the negative press and the huge barrage of complaints a mile off. The DV charities, the newspapers, the news channels would all take a very, very negative view of any “toy” that depicted a wife beating as funny.

But the same companies will *gladly* sell a product that plays on the idea that violence against men, especially violence against intimates and husbands, is both acceptable and warranted.

Now, I despise the politically correct notion that individuals should be prohibited from saying anything “negative” about anyone else lest those comments have a detrimental emotional impact or cause offence, and this includes banning everything and anything that could possibly be deemed “offensive” (even this doll). To be honest, I don’t like highlighting issues of this nature that would be considered trivial in most other contexts. Further, I think it is pointless in promoting the idea that every minor scuffle between partners should be treated with the same sort of intensity that ought to be reserved for dealing with overtly aggressive situations, or long term abusive relationships. I’m not advocating violence within close relationships, but living in an environment whereby even the most isolated incident of physical aggression or emotional outburst (whether expressed by a male or female), is treated with over the top zealousness and heavy handedness does more harm than good, in my opinion.

However, what annoys me more than the pseudo “protection” offered by political correctness, is the idea that certain groups are exempt from this protection, namely men. Once again, it’s bad enough that the facts on domestic violence are distorted, so as to create the impression that men are the sole perpetrators of domestic violence. But to create a doll that actually trivialises domestic violence committed against men, whilst at the same time society continues to blame them, almost exclusively, for the very problem being encouraged, is downright hypocritical and counterproductive.

More...

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Didn’t they tell you domestic violence was funny?

Didn’t they tell you domestic violence was funny?

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