Are you offended by this picture?
Written by Jim Squires   
Thursday, 04 December 2008 22:07

Sorry folks - I know it's not gaming related, but I really wanted to get the reaction of theBBPS nation on this one.

Many of you know that I like to dip my proverbial wick in a number of blogging ventures outside of the wonderful world of gaming. One of the sites I write for, SmartCanucks, is a shopping blog aimed at Canadians. For the past few weeks we've been running a caption contest. This week I decided to use the above photo. Most of our audience at SmartCanucks are what I would like to call the "Oprah" demographic. As such I find myself toning my writing down quite a bit compared to what you would see here.

I honestly thought the soccer mom crowd would have loved a cute baby picture like this to caption on. Instead we've hit nearly 200 comments in the last 18 hours, roughly half of which are threatening legal action, calls to child protective services, and honest-to-god death threats on yours truly. It's gone absolutely fucking batshit crazy.

So my question is this -- do you find the photo above offensive or distasteful? Or are these people out of their mind?

You can check out all the comments (and add your own if you see fit) here.

Comments

avatar Mat
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I lol'd immediately. The more I look at it the more I like it... the fork, the two mustards in the background, the salt and pepper... that shit is funny.
Thursday 04 December 2008, 22:29
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avatar Neuromante
0
 
 
I laughed hard. It's just a joke. He is not the perfect father, but for god's sake THIS IT'S THE INTERNET!
Thursday 04 December 2008, 22:40
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avatar OddyOh
0
 
 
I wouldn't call it offensive...depending on where it originally came from, but something like that has to have been made as a joke, right? Dunno if it's my particular brand of humour, but it's no worse than some of the weird ones on stuffonmycat.com, I'm sure there's been a cat-sandwich or two on there from time to time. Cats are even cuter than babies, after all. :) I've seen worse stuff as forum avatars anyway...

I'm just amused by that giant piece of lettuce...where does one find something like that?

I don't have kids. Maybe it's more offensive to parents.
Thursday 04 December 2008, 22:46
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avatar Miles Moore
0
 
 
Oh man, that is fricken hilarious. I could MAYBE see why people are upset, but honestly it's not like it's real, and people need to chill out. I could never see how someone would make a death threat because of some fake picture.
Thursday 04 December 2008, 22:53
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avatar ender
0
 
 
Wow. The people that find this picture offensive are totally stupid.
anyone reporting this to authorities is WASTING tax payers money, and possibly needs to
head to a doctor for some sort of medication. Seriously. some of the comments on there are pretty scary though jim.
Thursday 04 December 2008, 23:13
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avatar Jordan
0
 
 
The picture is funny. The people having a fit about it are either deranged, or the kind of folks that go around just looking for something to act offended by. I say act offended instead of be offended because nobody could seriously believe that the baby was harmed by this; it's just a bunch of false outrage. One idiot decides to decides to get fussy about it and attracts a pack of others who want to play the "my sensitivity is bigger than your sensitivity" game. Wouldn't be nice if they could direct all that trumped-up indignation at something that actually matters, like, I dunno, genocide? But I digress. I see that your compatriots over there are then nice enough to stab you in the back, saying that it's "not funny" and "probably shouldn't have been posted," since, hey, a bunch of uptight twits pretended to be offended, so it must be offensive, right? In short, I'm totally disgusted, but not by the picture. The picture is funny.
Friday 05 December 2008, 02:55
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avatar JoshMiller
0
 
 
I thought it was funny.

Of course I think a lot of "wrong" things are funny.
Friday 05 December 2008, 03:08
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avatar Ryan Hewson
0
 
 
Very funny. But not surprised by the reaction, sadly.

Just tell them "it was photoshop".

Place I used to work for got death threats and stuff over a billboard campaign we ran of a baby in KISS makeup. And it occurred to no one who wrote/called/faxed us that maybe, just maybe, we digitally added it.

Either way people getting all offended over an image like this are really projecting a bunch of rage and angst at you and probably don't even know why.
Friday 05 December 2008, 04:49
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avatar Faith
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Wow, some people need to lighten up. I figured it was a photoshop too. Who would really put their baby in bread? We only do that to torture our animals for the sake of cuteness.
Friday 05 December 2008, 05:15
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avatar Peachey
0
 
 
I'd have to disagree with all of you: that's a pretty awful picture.

I had at first assumed it was a doll, which upon closer examination turns out to be a real baby. Unless it's photoshopped, which I don't believe it is.

The douchebag in the photo may not quite be committing some form of child abuse, but that doesn't excuse him from being a douchebag. Moreover, the baby is obviously crying as they tend to do. When a baby is crying its eyes out, you don't use the opportunity for a photo op, you console and comfort the child. Instead, this fuck-wad takes the time to make a sandwich out of his baby and takes this "hilarious" photo.

What a tool.
Friday 05 December 2008, 05:54
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avatar jygon
0
 
 
The problem with this picture is that if real, the baby is crying and if you are going to be posting something primarily for soccer moms then you need to realize that soccer moms most often never find crying babies funny.

That's my problem with this pic as well, this guy took the time to set the whole thing up and its clear the child wasn't happy with what was going on. Just look at the way the legs are dangling, it looks like an uncomfortable position for an infant.

If he had just staged it better and took the picture with a smiling baby it would've been hilarious.
Friday 05 December 2008, 07:14
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avatar Clyde Frog
0
 
 
So, is it real or not? Does anyone know?
I think that's the thing.
If it's real...it's questionable. Still funny, but questionable.
If it's fake...just plain funny.
Friday 05 December 2008, 07:57
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avatar Dan R
0
 
 
Peachey: More likely it was, "Shit, take the picture already. Baby's crying and already pissed on my bread."

jygon: You should see the way mothers hold children in general; the piece of bread offers more support than some of them.
Friday 05 December 2008, 08:31
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avatar Dan R
0
 
 
Clyde: I dunno, the shadows are off; his chin overlaps his hand awkwardly, and the baby seems a little large (back legs are touching the table, which is a bit weird).

Meh. I dunno. Nothing obvious, but it could be.
Friday 05 December 2008, 08:33
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avatar orangerobot
0
 
 
say it's a 'shop regardless and be done with their moaning. damn canadian house-hags!

but yeah, a precious pic nonetheless
Friday 05 December 2008, 08:38
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avatar Xerxes3rd
0
 
 
If I had to guess, I'd say it's photoshopped. While not my brand of humor, I could appreciate it as long as it actually IS photoshopped.
Friday 05 December 2008, 10:25
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avatar Katana
0
 
 
First of all pretty sure that is shopped.

But regardless of whether or I not it is I laughed at it. Anyone that gets offended needs to lighten up, I don't think anyone out there is seriously eating babies so the picture is obviously a joke, some people just can't realize that.
Friday 05 December 2008, 10:56
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avatar Katana
0
 
 
Also, the link you posted is dead, which is to bad since I had a great caption in mind.
Friday 05 December 2008, 10:58
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avatar Tralfaz
0
 
 
I loffed.

And it's totally photoshopped.
Friday 05 December 2008, 11:33
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avatar Ken
0
 
 
I'm totally shocked and appalled.... at people's lack of a sense of humour.
This is funny, photoshopped or not. People have subjected their kids to far worse in the name of a photo-op. Does no one remember Wacko Jacko dangling his kid out the hotel balcony? Or how 'bout the late Steve Irwin dangling his kid over the jaws of a crocodile?
Ah, Baby... it's what's fer dinner...
Baby... the other OTHER white meat.
I want my baby back baby back baby back RIBS!
Friday 05 December 2008, 11:58
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avatar Jake
0
 
 
Was the original article pulled? Getting an error from your link. People generally overreact like fools. I'd hate to see what some of them would do if they caught wind of photoshops over at Something Awful.

Also, SmartCanucks is excellent. Didn't know you wrote for them as well.
Friday 05 December 2008, 12:20
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avatar Deviation
0
 
 
I think it's hilarious... but I've been known to have a damaged mind.
Friday 05 December 2008, 15:36
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avatar Rich
0
 
 
This picture is completely offensive. Why would anyone ruin a perfectly good baby sandwhich with lettuce. The baby has enough flavor to stand on it's own!
Friday 05 December 2008, 16:16
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avatar ender
0
 
 
Even if it wasn't photoshopped, or done by Anne freakin' Geddes, it's not even remotely offensive.

If you think it's offensive, you're literally stupid.
Friday 05 December 2008, 22:23
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avatar Dan R
0
 
 
My biggest problem with the whole thing wasn't that they were complaining -- people do that all the time on the internet. No, it was the fact that they didn't *care* about the situation, they just didn't want to SEE it.

Yeah, these are people I want standing up for human rights.

"NO MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOMELESS PEOPLE!"

"STOP AIDS BY IGNORING IT!"

"EUTHANASIA? NOT IF I CLOSE MY EYES!"

Idiots.
Saturday 06 December 2008, 14:17
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avatar Jim Squires
0
 
 
@DanR - Think fast -- what concerns you more;

Euthianasia or youth in Asia?

GO!
Saturday 06 December 2008, 15:50
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avatar SuicideNinja
0
 
 
I didn't really think it was funny, but I have no problem with it.

People are just psychotic...it's obvious it's not serious.
Sunday 07 December 2008, 11:40
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avatar aaronday
0
 
 
the baby crying makes the difference, and draws people's emotions
Monday 08 December 2008, 13:33
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avatar Mullanaphy!
0
 
 
My girlfriend sent me that picture. It made me laugh, awesome.
Tuesday 03 March 2009, 11:37
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