By
Erich Vieth on September 10th, 2009
I did a double-take when I saw this van today on the way to work. It seemed both clever and unkind. It left me wondering whether, and to what extent, it was over the line.
I wonder what blind people would think about this play on words. If they all said that they were OK with it, should that be the deciding factor?
Am I just being too PC?
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About the Author
Erich Vieth is an iconoclastic attorney, musician and writer living in the Shaw neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. He and his wife Anne Jay have two daughters, aged 9 and 11.
A brilliant piece of viral advertising, that is for sure.
I have known many blind people over the years and have long been aware of the blind stereotype. I’ve also noticed that most blind people don’t fit the stereotype. Most have a sense of humor. Many that I know would find the ad really funny.
Does anyone else get “You See Far” from the license plate?
Try driving this van past a dozen sightless people and count how many are offended.
How much time should pass before one makes a joke based on a BIG tragedy? For example, how is this 9/11 video for the extremes of both funny and tasteless? http://www.theonion.com/content/video/americans_observing_9_11_by?utm_source=nav
This made me giggle. I think a pun is always excuseable. And the 9/11 video is completely apt- people don’t know how to feel about 9/11 at this point. Not masturbating is a perfect way to “remember” and “honor” the day without really exerting much effort.
I think this is brilliant, and a great job by “The Blind Man”.
Remember though, he (or she) stole the idea from the immortal Kosmo Kramer. The Blind Man is good, but not as great as the recognition you get from being “The Assman”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tujqM2u-BVo
As I recall, the first 9/11 joke came out a day or two after the attack. It’s a bit of an urban legend now.
When seeing the burning towers on TV, a concerned woman calls her husbands cell phone to see if he is hurt. He answers the phone and assures her he is well.
She asks him where he is and he tells her he is at the office and his secretary will confirm his location. He hands his cell phone to his secretary, who is in bed next to him at the motel. After their morning love-making, they had not turned the tv on.