Well at long last someone has dug their heels in over a slogan on a Wicked campervan and engendered a significant change. This company is now going to change slogans of an ‘insensitive nature’.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-16/wicked-campers-apologises-for-controversial-van-slogan/5601622

I have been looking at these vans for years and wondering how on earth the company is allowed to keep putting up many very dodgy ‘throw-away’ lines of all sorts on their vehicles…. and how these can appeal to people who hire them and drive around displaying these to all and sundry without feeling embarrassed about it.

I had come to assume that plenty of people must have complained and therefore that all the slogans were totally and unequivocally legal. It appears that they are, but some are nonetheless inappropriate.

Or are they? Maybe they are just part of the everyday Australian vernacular and style of expression. Maybe 99.9% of all people who read them can see the wry or risqué humour or think that it is a bit weak or unintelligent or trashy… but not of any real concern.

Maybe those who do get concerned about things like this – and I include myself in regards to a couple that I have seen – just need to get a life?

I have taken photos of some of these. I put lots of my photos up on Flickr. The only photo I have ever had banned or made unavailable for general viewing is one of a slogan on a Wicked campervan.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-incidents/wicked-campers-condemned-by-senate-20140717-ztua4.html

Ludwig,

"Or are they? Maybe they are just part of the everyday Australian vernacular and style of expression. Maybe 99.9% of all people who read them can see the wry or risqué humour or think that it is a bit weak or unintelligent or trashy… but not of any real concern."

Here again, the idea of this kind of humour as "risque" is beyond the pale.

http://thehoopla.com.au/wicked-think/

"In 2008 when I wrote a story for the Brisbane Sunday Mail criticising Wicked Campers for the base and offensive sexist “jokes” scrawled on the sides of those clapped out vans that spew excessive carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, this is what the company did.

They painted a van with a special slogan, just for me, and sent it touring down to Byron Bay where I was living at the time. I never saw the van myself, just saw the photo a friend sent me.

It said: “Dear Lucy, I can already imagine the gaffa tape on your mouth.” (photo included in article)

"Yep, someone at Wicked Campers devised a message for me, threatening harm, and gave the go ahead for it to be painted it on the side of a van and then sent that van in my direction. Because I had taken exception to messages like these being read by my kids"

"I went to the police to make a complaint and established that there was a criminal charge that could be laid if I wanted to – threaten to harm."

"This is the same company that painted the then Queensland Premier Anna Bligh naked and with her legs apart on a van after she took exception to their racist “Save a Whale, Harpoon a Jap” slogan. They “decided at the last minute” not to let the van out on the streets… but released photo of it to the press, which duly obliged with a story."

"John Webb, the company’s owner, told SBS yesterday that bad publicity was better and easier to get, and he was “happy to see” Wicked get marketed around the world because of the online petition."

Dear Ludwig,

You're a bit of a puzzle.

You appeared not to be offended by Rolf Harris's
criminal behaviour. Yet you are offended by slogans
on camper vans.

Dear Poirot,

I'm sorry that you had to go through such a vile
experience. And I am glad that we do have laws
forbidding speech or in this case - signs, that
offend public decency by using obscenities.

I suspect that there will be posters on this forum
who will argue for "freedom of speech," rights.
However, as we know, people who enjoy the rights of
free speech have a duty to respect other people's
rights. A person's freedom of speech is limited
by the rights of others and all democratic societies
put various limitations on what people may say.

And Thank Goodness for that.

Ludwig, not sure aout these days, but it's my understanding they were started as an affordable option for back packers to travel the countryside. The used to buy them for $2500, drive them for sim months, then get a guaranteed $500 back and, they had many location throughout the country where they could leave them.

The owner would then give them a quick once over, then sell them again.

The slogans were usually painted by the back packers, not the owners.

Living in Noosa we get our fair share of Wicked vans parked around town and like the other posters, I find some of the slogans and artwork very offensive. I'm no prude by any stretch of the imagination.

I happened to meet a driver of one of the vans, an Italian tourist that told me he was ashamed of the van they gave him, after receiving a lot of verbal abuse from people, mostly at stop lights. He had painted over the offensiveness by the time I met him. It goes to show that not all of the drivers can be judged by the vehicle.

Foxy,

It wasn't me...but the author of the article I posted who was the target of that sign on the camper van.

I agree that the laws on public decency and threatening harm (in particular) are there for good reason.

(Just another thing: I hesitated to post a few of the slogans that Wicked Campers used for fear of them being seen as too explicit by OLO moderation [in light of machinations on the other thread], instead leaving it at posting the article)

DEAR FOXIE
QUOTE..<<..Dear Poirot,..I'm sorry that you had to go through such a vile-experience.>>

AS I READ IT LUCY DID
NOT OUR PURe~0H ..[yep it..cOnfused me too
[i know a lucy in byron with two kids makes documentaries
has huge health ISSUES BUT SO HAPPY; CANT BE THE SAME ONE.

<<..And I am glad that we do have laws
forbidding speech or in this case - signs, that
offend public decency by using obscenities.>>

i thought they we simply jokes?
i snorted;..but heck im a guy..i want offended a such
but i wouldnt quote them here;it is what it is a sales gimmic;a catchy name[i wish they were proprly used as mobile signboards for good things..[politcal lobby]

<<..I suspect that there will be posters on this forum
who will argue for "freedom of speech," rights.>>

cheap shot/but yes

<<..However, as we know, people who enjoy the rights of
free speech have a duty to respect other people's
rights. A person's freedom of speech is limited
by the rights of others and all democratic societies
put various limitations on what people may say.

And Thank Goodness for that??

yes aaahhmen..to that
oops sorry arrrggg women..

WHAT HAPPEND TO STICKS AND BONES
AND CHICKS LIKING THE TOUGH ;LOST GUYS;THE DREAMERS

I RECALL A DAY WHEN THE BEATLES CAME
it was a lucky time for many a poor boy.

how perfect must we try to make this place
some hate my smelling of smoke/i hate people smelling like AN EXPLOSION IN A PHEROMONE FACTORY

Yeah, sorry about that Foxy and OUG...but I did encase the passage in quotation marks after linking to the article (which is usually what I do when I quote portions of a linked article)

Dear Poirot,

Thanks for the explanation.

And I'm glad it wasn't you.

So the unrepresentative swill, the grossly overpaid and under-worked Oz senate takes aim at backpacker vans? A storm in a teacup. Haven't they got something better to do to justify their very generous remuneration and benefits?

Unrepresentative swill,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG1khlbqI9k

The politically correct ban this, ban that over-reaction makes Australia a laughing stock internationally. However the serious side is the very nasty censorious wowserism, intolerance and authoritarianism of the leftie 'Progressives', the self-titled wolves in sheep's clothing, who are intolerant of free speech.

Is there anywhere as deeply politically correct as Australia? The Land of Oz is hurtling back to the post-WW2 censorship, the Fifties.

As much as I am all for freedom of speech, I think there should be limits to what is shown painted or stuck on cars driving around our streets.
Mainly because kids can read them and think it is ok to repeat these slogans.

Mind you, I have seen worse on bumper stickers on some cars and trucks!
Most of them are very sexist slurs against women, sexually explicit , or racist comments, which should not be allowed to be paraded where kids might see them.

I am not sure if there are currently any laws re what is allowed to be shown written on vehicles?

A lot of it is satire, a bit immature and undergraduate rude, but so what?

The Chaser doesn't seem to offend many OLO posters.

otb,

"The politically correct ban this, ban that over-reaction makes Australia a laughing stock internationally. However the serious side is the very nasty censorious wowserism, intolerance and authoritarianism of the leftie 'Progressives', the self-titled wolves in sheep's clothing, who are intolerant of free speech."

What about lovely examples of "free speech" such as:

"In every little princess there is a slut who wants to try it just once..."

You approve of such slogans being trundled around the streets for the eyes of young children to feast upon...and mind you, they're not piddling bumper stickers, they are are great swathes pasted upon the sides and backs of vans.

You know well enough that there are limits to free speech. Do you believe those sorts of sentiments are fit for wider community exposure?

It's not as if the vans can be encompassed in brown paper bags like the smutty magazines of bygone days.

It purely and simply puerile "smut".

And you appear to think it's just the ant's pants for to have driving around communities.

Good stuff, eh?

<< You appeared not to be offended by Rolf Harris's criminal behaviour. Yet you are offended by slogans on camper vans. >>

Foxy, please see my response here:

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6462#192953

If you people were better drivers, like me, you would be watching the road, & not even see those slogans on the back of a van. I have never seen one.

Of course it could be I live in a better part of the country, not frequented by these vans.

Perhaps it is just too boring to attract such Risque traffic.

Now you are being silly Poirot. Maybe a seat, a cold compress and a nice cup of tea. You can save the hysterics for the 'Ain't it awful' chats on the bus on the way to Bingo at the club.

It is coarse, low level satire. Bawdy. There is a place for it, or at least comedy and satire shouldn't be banned. My 'approval' either way is quite irrelevant. Do you have the photo of that van with Anna Bligh on it? After what Anna Bligh did to Queensland a backpackers van would be child's play. Oops, what about the children?

I am surprised that The Chaser didn't think of the vans first. It is that sort of humour, although Wicked is much milder and of course they don't have all of those taxpayer dollars to defend themselves with either (unlike the ABC).

The Wicked slogans are your Satanic Versus, right? The PC religion of the leftie 'Progressives' says ban and burn. Wage 'Progressive' Jihad against backpacker vans? LOL

Perhaps have a Bex with that cold glass of water and rage on Twitter.

otb....what a class act your are!

Just the sort of thing we want our children to have trundled past them.

"In every little princess there is a slut who wants to try it just once..."

Like, I said - you're all class...

(Lol!)

<< Just the sort of thing we want our children to have trundled past them.

"In every little princess there is a slut who wants to try it just once..." >>

But Poirot, this sort of thing has been around for many years now. I remember noticing Wicked Campervans when they first came out. They were very distinctive with those prominent spray-painted ‘bawdy’ slogans.

I thought at the time; ‘well, there’s something that’s going to be reined in real quick like.’

But they persisted.

So…. how bad are they if they can remain, in such a prominent and abundant manner, for such a long time?

Surely this means that there aren’t too many people who are really concerned about it…. and that there isn’t really too much wrong with it.

Are some of their slogans offensive to women or children? Yes possibly. But surely not any significant extent.

Afterall, our kids get exposed to the full gamut of foul language and sexual innuendo at school and with their friends from an early age.

And there are much more offensive, and outrightly dangerous, things out there on the roads, in the form of rank drivers.

As much as I have found some of the Wicked slogans a little offensive, they are absolutely nothing compared to the copious highly offensive tailgaters, speeders and other belligerent drivers, as well as unmuffled Harley riders and various other assorted reprobates on our roads!

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6077

Ludwig,

"Surely this means that there aren’t too many people who are really concerned about it…. and that there isn’t really too much wrong with it.

Are some of their slogans offensive to women or children? Yes possibly. But surely not any significant extent.

Afterall, our kids get exposed to the full gamut of foul language and sexual innuendo at school and with their friends from an early age.

And there are much more offensive, and outrightly dangerous, things out there on the roads, in the form of rank drivers."

Well I suppose it's down to the sort of thing you wish to have fouling your vistas. I've never seen anything resembling that where I live in WA.....maybe it's a "Queensland thing"?

I'd prefer it if I didn't have to see smutty puerile slogans such as that daubed in my view. Do you reckon it's because it was mobile smut that it lasted so long?

I imagine if it had been daubed by someone on their front wall, they'd probably have been asked to remove it.

Talking of rank drivers...like the young men who feel it's necessary to squeal around corners to show how masculine they are (?)...I s'pose they'd be the same type who would snigger at a Wicked Camper van?

This is not directed to you, Ludwig, but I do snort when I see people standing up for "freedom of speech"...using all their energy to defend some foul drip daubing his van with X-rated garbage.

So much for civilisation.

Not every Wicked van is driving around with a highly offensive slogan or artwork. We all can tell when we see something that has crossed the line. And of course that line is not well defined, but even the most avid free speech advocate can tell if something is not fit for public exposure. Maybe the test should be... would the slogan be acceptable on a roadside billboard?

Sometimes I wonder if raising the issue publically is a bigger problem. In the instance of the "Princess" Wicked van, the slogan that was only viewed by those who actually saw it, digested it, and decided for themselves if they were offended has now received National exposure. Everyone has now seen it. And was this lady's child actually offended before her mother screamed in horror, so to speak?

I think most of us agree that if a Wicked van slogan is pornographic, racist, sexist, age-ist in a very derogatory way, we would appreciate the Wicked company applying it's own common sense censorship before the van hits the road.

I have a T-shirt that says, "You find it offensive, I find it funny. That's why I'm happier than you."

Maybe you stuck-up wowsers should just, "Get a life." ;-)

Raarowwwww, Skisssst, Skisssst.

Yeah, Jayb...

But we'd expect it from you.

But for society opting for standards that represent the lowest form of wit - base sexist humour...well?

I think we can do better.

Jaybe,

<<Maybe you stuck-up wowsers should just, "Get a life." ;-)>>


Please don't include Poirot in that category --it would be grossly unfair!

Poirot would better be described as SELECTIVE wowser--she only gets wowserish when the act originates from a group she doesnt sympathise with.

Careful poirot, your nose is getting perilously close to the ceiling fan. ;-)

I don't know how you boys can wound moi so unfeelingly...(sniff)

After all, I gravitate to this forum - and it's half full of puerile twits.

(Not mentioning any names)

Well, at least they're not showing Greens & Labor politicians.

"Well, at least they're not showing Greens & Labor politicians"

Heh, heh, imagine a Christine Milne face with the trademark cat's bum pursed lips on the prow of a van. It would shoo roos and face down road trains. Truly wicked!

Then again, there are Greens most might prefer to see anywhere but in the rear vision mirror, coming up from behind.

Labor's Julia Whatshername? Never seen. Perhaps the beam of a river coal barge might do her justice.

Poirot has yet to link to that van with Anna Bligh on it. The same Anna Bligh whose incredibly long sight caused her to sool police onto damsels allegedly sunning their pert titties on Gold Coast high rises. That was when Premier Bligh was in a limo and supposed to be checking out the F1 track. How Anna managed to see those bare boobies way up high and through the floors and balustrades no-one knows, and police couldn't find any. The sort of priority and 'boobs' that Anna was known for.

Sounds to me that there is someone around here, who the cap fits, & is struggling with that, or has not had the chance to let hers out, & is resentful of that.

Hehe,
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111219094044/creepypasta/images/a/a6/Pedder-van.png

Whether sexist or other misanthropic garbage is or isn’t OK to flash around the neighbourhood depends on your vision of Australia.

If Australia isn’t a nation and a society but a mere market as IPA or those who own it or those whom it owns would have us believe then it doesn’t much matter what is scrawled on the vans just so long as it doesn’t damage any commercial interests.

If Australia isn’t a nation and a society but just a pastiche of top-down-ruled “communities” then there’s almost nothing true or false that can be displayed without offending one or other.

If Australia isn’t a mere market or heterogeneous pastiche but is a society with a current population of 22 ½ million (>50% of whom are women and children) then flashing sexist or other misanthropic garbage in shared public space certainly isn’t OK.

Censorship however is one of the worst ways to combat it. I like what I once saw in the London Underground. The walls beside the escalators bore glassed-in ads for automatic garage doors that proclaimed that they were “so easy to open that even a woman could use them.”. No vandalism, no censorship, but each ad soon bore a sticker stating “Sexist drivel – don’t buy” . Even better was when some trash had painted "ABO" on an Aborigine's front fence in Fremantle and the occupant had added M, making it MABO. Way to go!

This stuff is pretty small cheese.

In Samarai, a very small PNG Island, once the center of administration, in the days when head hunters made the mainland a dangerous place to sleep, I was amazed by the inscription on a statue to some early administrator.

It was the inscription that amazed me, on that now backwater island, with only 2 or 3 Europeans still resident. It stated it was in memory of this white bloke, "who made Papua New Guinea a fit place for the white man to live".

With an almost all local population, just those few Europeans & a few Chinese trade store owners, the fact that it was still standing & not defaced in any way, was a testament to the laid back attitude of the population. I wonder if it is still there.

If those islanders could ignore such a blatant put down, I would have expected our ladies could handle a little truth painted on the back of a van.

I see those opposed to free speech describing the slogan on the camper van as vile, pornographic, and obscene. It is none of these things, it might be juvenile and inappropriate, but is far from illegal.

I have yet seen a law that grants people the right not to be offended.

Those of us that grew up in the, "Good Old Days" Would remember the likes of Mo McCackie, George Wallace Snr & Jnr, Graham Kennedy, Benny Hill & Company, Dean Martin, Kevin Bloody Wilson, Mavis Bramston & the throw-off's Laugh-in & Hee Haw. Then there was the Carry on Series & I ain't 'alf 'ot Mum & now Mrs Brown. These stuck-up wowsers must have died of the pure shame of it all. Not.

I remember My Grandfather singing/teaching us all the Bawdy Vaudeville songs when we were little kids. "There a lovely bunch of Coconuts," etc.

It's no wonder our generation is so screwed up. Our little minds must be just mush.

Glad you saw what was happening poirot, well done.

Yes...one has to take into account that it's like addressing a sniggering group of schoolboys here (in the case of otb, Hasbeen and Jayb) who've managed to locate dad's Playboy mag.

There's a huge difference between the "I've got a lovely bunch of Coconuts.." vaudeville type reverie - and the sort of things Wicked likes to daub on their clapped out vans.

Humorous understatement has always been the chief ingredient in vaudevillian humour...you know, leaving a bit to the imagination.
(In fact, I'm a great fan of Carry On films)

The sort of smut - bordering on suggestive violence - garbage from Wicked is in an entirely different league

i don't think the majority of todays young adults know what humour is.
i'm always talking to the girls in the local outlets & luckily for me they DO have a great sense of humour.
At times I cringe moments after I made some remark on the more saucy side but luckily they just laugh & giggle & tell me what a dirty old man I am. We are two generations apart yet we can have a hearty laugh & it makes my day. Then I have to go back to the office with those PC mutts & their humour less mentality. Thank God for lesser educated young people.

Actually it wasn't "Playboy." It was "Man" Magazine & I was especially fond of "Spot the Dog" & the Centre page. No it wasn't & especially sexy girl photo. It was a two page spread of drawings of "Little Devils" tormenting people. It was always fun to see what they were all up to. I found a dilapidated copy a few years back & tore out & kept the centre Page for a great memory of my childhood.

Anyone remember?

Foxy: I suspect that there will be posters on this forum who will argue for "freedom of speech," rights.

Yes there are & so there should, otherwise some people will try to outdo one another as to what they find offensive. PC gone wild.

Foxy: However, as we know, people who enjoy the rights of free speech have a duty to respect other people's rights.

& Those overly PC Latte wowser people MUST also have a Duty to respect the right of people to speak freely. I must say that PC type people offend me deeply. I feel what they espouse offends most people. Unfortunately, most people are bullied into submission & don't speak up against these PC latte people. I do. They are a blight on society.

Come the revolution!

They are a blight on society.
Jayb,
And they're all Lefties !

individual, "And they're all Lefties"

I think parts of the religious right have a enough history of demanding limits on other peoples rights to free speech that I'll disagree with that point. Not so much with christian's at the moment but I have no doubt that given a little more sense of power some laws about "not taking the Lords name in vain" would go down well with some.

The desire for the control over others is not something thats strongly tied to Left/Right in politics, rather statist vs personal liberty. Both sides seem capable of abusing those same freedoms they espouse when it suits as well.

The word "rights" seems to carry different meanings and loadings for different people, especially around the idea of the state having the right to grant us rights. The trickier part is the balance between rights and responsibility and how we deal with that (apart from sending everybody off for National Service). There is nothing about those vans that I see as acting responsibly with the right to free speech, rather its deliberate and pointless offensiveness.

I don't like the idea of legal censure for bad manners but have no problem with others "flipping the bird" in whatever legal form that takes to anyone keen to make a display of their contempt for the responsibility that goes with freedom of speech.

R0bert

The pervasive, systemic and intolerant (its intention!) political correctness that is now a feature of Australian culture is a fitting target for satire. There is a dreadful authoritarianism abroad that insists on the severe rebuke and public humiliation of even an girl minor for inadvertently stepping on a PC land mine: large adult football player 'gutted' he says, so the child is ritually sacrificed, despite all knowing full well that the child did not even comprehend let alone intend the slight taken.

On the other hand some who claim to be offended by silly, legal graffiti on vans applauded when a reputable citizen, a journalist doing his job, was depicted fornicating with a dog. This citizen's only offence was that he questioned and reported. He was thought to have a differing political opinion and a mainstream one at that. The same supporters saw nothing wrong with taxpayers' money being used in defence, or that the offending service provider did not apologise up-front.

How does that figure?

The Wicked satire may be 'low brow' and vulgar, but so what? I would see it as more undergraduate, the blunt offence of student newspapers (if they were not so uniformly and unreservedly leftist).

PC is so prevalent and deeply ingrained in Oz society that even where defending the right of speech as I have done on here I nevertheless always must note that it isn't language I might use and I do not necessarily agree with the messages either.

Wicked is having a shot at political correctness and behind that the tiresome self-titled political 'Progressives' who are anything but progressives where freedom of speech and democracy are concerned. To those who put their feet on the streets in the Sixties freedom movement and risked harm and arrest it all seem like a return to the censorship of post WW2.

Political correctness is the antithesis of freedom of speech. PC is the scourge of modern times. Self censorship is its aim. Wicked's satirical humour is mild when the offence of PC and its thought control are concerned.

Writing is supposed to communicate a message to its readers. When the readers are other motorists with different values then the message only is relevant in the mind of the writer and offensive to the reader, and reveals the low social standard of the writer. In the mind of the writer it is done purely to offend, otherwise the writing would be on the inside and hidden from the public.

Would Dave Allen at Large be welcome on Oz TV 2014?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB5-vCDmF_s

What about the bicycle song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeHCq6fFkNo

Or a weather report?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3M_k9kaHWE

otb,

"The Wicked satire may be 'low brow' and vulgar, but so what? I would see it as more undergraduate, the blunt offence of student newspapers..."

It's more than "vulgar".

You're a fellow who pretends every now and then on this forum to stand up for young women - and respect in general - in our society.

How would you feel if you were driving along with your kids, mother...whoever - and happened to pull up behind a clapped out van sporting Wicked's garbage. I'm sure your great aunt Edna would be thrilled to imbibe such "vulgarity". Imagine it, there they'd be stuck in a traffic jam reading "In every little princess there is a slut who wants to try it just once..."

I can just hear you now..."Never mind young Jenny, Mum, Auntie Edna...it's just a bit saucy and vulgar - just the thing to brighten up the afternoon after a lunch with the family".

Hmmmm.

Point being that if blokes get their jollies from reading such sentiments, maybe they should stick to the internet or slink quietly into their suppliers for such material....(as in "student newspapers" are normally read by students who know what they're likely to get)

A civilised respectful society doesn't need this puerile rubbish pasted over moving sign boards and trundled around the town for the eyes of unsuspecting people.

We have in our society certain limitations
on what people can say and do. We have them for reasons
that have nothing to do with the "freedom of speech,"
of "Political Correctness."
All democratic societies have limitations.
In this country there is an Advertisers Code of Ethics.
There are set standards that are set by the Advertising
Standards Bureau (ASB). Advertising should not portray
material that is discriminatory, vilification on gender,
race, and other grounds. Or material promoting violence.

As John Webb, of "Wicked Campers," stated, "A sense of
humour is a sense of proportion. In this instance we have taken
things out of proportion..." Mr Webb's company is Australia's
biggest serial offender when it comes to advertising
complaints. However, Mr Webb has agreed to comply with the
watchdog's rulings and remove the adds that over-stepped
the line of public decency. Adds like -

"I wouldn't trust
anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die!"

And others promoting violence against women. Mr Webb agreed
that applying adds specifically to the female gender was out of
proportion, as was the promotion of violence.

Police were also concerned with the Company offering discounts
to marijuana smokers.

Foxy: "I wouldn't trust anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die!"

Sounds like a good reason to me. It's probably why I don't trust women.

Foxy: As John Webb, of "Wicked Campers," stated, "A sense of humour is a sense of proportion.

I would have said, "A sense of humour is a necessary to have a stress free life." I can see there are a lot of posters getting ulcers because they have no sense of humour.

Query? What is a young child doing knowing what the message means anyway. Unless the mother explained it to her.

Jayb,

"Sounds like a good reason to me. It's probably why I don't trust women."

Yes, I've noted your apparent dislike for women here - so I'm not surprised at all that you'd be infavour of all kinds of appalling slogans daubed on vans insulting (and, in some cases, inciting violence) to women.

"Query? What is a young child doing knowing what the message means anyway. Unless the mother explained it to her."

Well...der...young adolescent girls (and younger) can read - and they have a brain...as do mature men and women who don't wish to read misogynistic garbage as they're going about their business.

Poirot: Yes, I've noted your apparent dislike for women.

I don't dislike women. I don't trust them. Different ting. Then, It's only the ratbags anyway & there's a lot of them on here.

Yes, kids can read, but do they understand what they read when it's mostly innuendo. Unless it's explained to them by their mother. Then, what's she doing explaining that.

We were told when we were kids, "You understand when you're older."

I can see there are a lot of posters getting ulcers because they have no sense of humour.

So, how's ya ulca.

Reading back through the comments it seems some are just using this as an excuse to bag certain others they perceive as "lefties" which going on history they probably are. The 'lefties' where I come from would support the right to free speech, and reading through the comments I don't see anyone saying free speech should be denied. However there is a difference between free speech and inappropriate offensive language and I sure every poster knows when the line has been crossed. Playing devils advocate to support Wicked's right to continue crossing the line is non-productive.

And then comes the comment:"Political correctness is the antithesis of freedom of speech." Well maybe in some circumstances but I don't see how that applies to this discussion. I hate political correctness, well at least in it's more ridiculous applications. And I have seen slogans and artwork on Wicked vans I felt were not appropriate for public exposure. Slogans I would be embassed to be seeing if my mother or duaghter were reading it at the same time. Does that place me with the politically correct loony left?

I generally associate having a sense of humour as a quality the politically correct are lacking, and at times I have to question if some on the left have any common sense at all. But now seeing some of the diatribe coming out of those who are clearly lefty-phobes, I'm wondering if common sense is just a things of the past.

Read as, "We the political 'Progressives' always know what is best for others. Nans, mothers, wives and daughters have to be protected and we their moral guardians will censor. We know best. That allows us to be proactive and censor so you don't get to see it in the first place."

It is as though the Sixties fight against censorship never happened. We are sliding backwards.

Freedom of speech is our birth right. It is crucial to out democracy. You will not take it away.

All together now to blow a large raspberry at political correctness.

Gee, I thought the Lefties were always in favour of everything "FREE", freedom of expression etc ?
Isn't it amazing then that they object to this freedom now ? Is it possible some of them are growing an ounce of decency ? Well, better late than never.
If only they could swing this new-found vogue-ish thinking to other more practical aspects of society. May I suggest trying to pass it on to the Leftie bureau rats ?

otb: Nans, mothers, wives and daughters have to be protected.

WhooooAaaarh! Isn't that Misogynist & sexist. Equal rights you know.

otb: It is as though the Sixties fight against censorship never happened. We are sliding backwards.

Yea we are. Political Correctness is the culprit.

otb: Freedom of speech is our birth right. It is crucial to out democracy. You will not take it away.

Come the Revolution!

We'll burn all the PC folk on a cross. Just kidding! We'll make it a crime to be Politically Correct. ;-) Yea aah!

All together now to blow a large raspberry at political correctness.

Bulaaaaahttthhh! x 10

The favourite phrase of the left is that "I support free speech, but..."

Which means they support free speech for everything they believe in only. We always see the left whingers i.e. labor and the greens trying to censor everyone, yet when people openly wear T shirts and wave signs saying f... Abbott, they all cheer.

I'm sorry guys, but your hypocrisy is showing.

sick slogans amuse sick minds.

If the sensibility and empathetic natures needed
of something are somewhat lacking - how else
can we challenge those who either seek to harm
or inadvertently do so. All we can do is keep
repeating until we're blue in the face -
NO! IT'S NOT OKAY!

Foxy: If the sensibility and empathetic natures needed of something are somewhat lacking - how else can we challenge those who either seek to harm or inadvertently do so. All we can do is keep repeating until we're blue in the face - NO! IT'S NOT OKAY!

You are so right Foxy. Politically Correctness is NOT OK. &, Sensible people must take a stand against it NOW!

Dear Jayb,

We need to consider at what point something posted on
Facebook, Twitter or Camper Vans should not be tolerated.
It has nothing to do with political correctness or
freedom of speech. It's a moral and Ethical choice
and up to each of
us to make. Then of course you can always tell the
Advertising Standards Bureau - that you disagree with
their Code of Ethics - and perhaps they'll buy your
attempts at brushing it all aside under the guise of
"political correctness." It's so much easier after all
to do that.

Foxy: If the sensibility..>>

not sensitivity?
a/lot..of evil..;i still sensible

but its not sensitive..oF OTHER*sense~ABILITY..<<..and empathetic natures>>..that/are..<<..needed..>>..in this case?

were/speaking here..<<.of something>>..some..<<..are somewhat lacking>>..of..<<.how else can we challenge..those who either..seek to harm..or inadvertently do so.>>

THE PROBLEM/AS I SEE IT..is..one/of ..design[or chance]
where offense is by design;its clearly an ego trip;searching desperately..for being noticed..[look at me look at me look at me[attention seeking?

as opposed TO PURE Malice/because girls rejected us
and that hurt creates bitterness and bitterness becomes hate
mate..its only words of hate..yes kids can see it[but the chances of seeing it online[the only place have rad any..of these presumed..wicked publicity blurbs distracting from real news [yet covers this topic..just as likely applicable[in the armogeddon-war we are headed to.

so there are stages of hate/once we see it i writing;..its case closed
only a fool would concern about words online[mate the chances are most of us never heard of wikker vans/let alone had our kids ask us about the words[if it was chinese characters youd habng em on ya wall..no problem at all

<<..All we can do is keep repeating..until we're blue
in the face...NO! IT'S NOT OKAY!>>

foxey ladY..I LOVE yo immensely
but mate i dare you to go out and gfind these pictures[photoshoPPPED]..TO WASTE POSTS/AT THIS TIME..every word is sacred[to someone]..mate the words reveal a probem[forget the words fix the problem

these words exist only on line*
in real life not one of us has seen..the real-thing
let alone the adverse consequences[speculated]..upon here-in..on what isnt really even a good topic[let alone the sick quotes now part of olo written-record.

sticks/stones

<<..We need to consider at what point something posted on
Facebook, Twitter or Camper Vans should not be tolerated.>>

i rekon we first delete them from olo
now?

immediatly/before they show up in a search/and drag those trolling the web for such filth/to our clean wholesome site

<<.It has nothing to do with political correctness or
freedom of speech. It's a moral and Ethical choice
and up to each of
us to make.>>

yes im looking for a seconder
lets edit the RECORDS OF OLO/CLEAN IT up a bit
sucH FILTH/IN THIS TOPIC;ITS SICKENING...

<<..Then of course you can always tell the
Advertising Standards Bureau..edit..>

yes its so much easier..to do that

great
fixed

no sweat..[words are sacred]
i once/saw a swear/word..in dutch
i asked/mum what it means..she said..its a girls thingy..[used by ignorant people;who dont know..better words]..[make-sure;you know what the words you use/mean..[ignorance/of the law\..is no excuse]..

I always wonder what cosseted little lives these puritans must have, they must be scared to venture out in case they are offended. No TV, no internet etc.

I have never tried to protect my kids from this stuff, as they are sure to hear it at school, on the net etc. What I do is simply let them know how I feel about it and they have grown into sensible adults that ignore immature rubbish and those that propagate it.

If someone wants to announce to the world that he is an immature twit by painting silly slogans on a van so be it.

SM,

"I always wonder what cosseted little lives these puritans must have, they must be scared to venture out in case they are offended. No TV, no internet etc."

"If someone wants to announce to the world that he is an immature twit by painting silly slogans on a van so be it."

For a start, the slogans are not only immature, they're also offensive. Not only are they offensive, but they are mobile signs. They can turn up anywhere. It's not as if one has to go somewhere specific to find them, knowingly and half-expecting offensive rhetoric to appear.

I'm not a bloody puritan, but I do have the wits to know that certain attitudes and rhetoric has no place in a respectful civilised society.

Just how long do you think people would get away with daubing private property with such remarks, without being told to remove it?

How would you like it if the people living across the road from you hung up a banner saying "In every little princess there is a slut who wants to try it just once..." - and left it there?

I'm sure you'd be thrilled at the prospect....but your neighbour would only be exercising free speech on exactly the same principle that you espouse for the camper company.

Of course, if the owner of Wicked had an ounce of wit, he could have been a bit saucy and clever - and made his signs entertaining. The problem is he has no wit or talent in that respect....which is why his vans sport slogans that were probably lifted from some dingy "gent's" toilet in a run down pub somewhere

P,

Really! so your logic is that because one van somewhere in the country had an inappropriate slogan on the back, the country must mobilise now to prevent the whole country going mad and hanging suggestive signs outside their houses.

The reality is that 99.99% of the country aren't idiots and aren't precious enough to demand oppressive legislation to control the 0.001% with bad taste.

Let me remind you dear poirot, "You find it offensive, I find it funny. That's why I'm happier than you."

Some people spend their entire life looking for things to be offended by. I guess you & some puerile others fit into that category.

You should learn to relax & accept other people have different opinions. I've noticed, on here, that a lot of your opinions offend me, & others greatly & I find some them very inappropriate, but I accept your right to have your opinion unreservedly. I notice that you do not return that right.

Why is that?

Dear Jayb,

It's you who's coming out with personal attacks
and using words like "purile" on people who's
opinions differ from yours and then add the fact
that you consider yourself "happier," (unsubstantiated)
than those you happen to disagree with.
Well, you may happen to enjoy whanking off as well -
and that may make you "happy," as well.
Each to their own - but your private activities would
not make us "unhappy," - we'd simply object to your
doing it in public.

Dear Foxy, "extremism" is another thing I find offensive, but that's alright love, you go ahead now. I'll just smile & accept your opinion. Worth nowt, but it's your opinion, OK.

Dear Jayb,

In order for me to be flattered by your accepting
my opinion - I would have to value your doing it.
I don't - but thanks for the offer. (I was taught to
me polite to those less fortunate).
Noblesse Oblige!

Foxy, "we'd simply object to your doing it in public."

The Royal 'we', but just who are the 'we'? Controlling feminist fishwives and wowsers, and political ideologues who would censor others' access to information preferably without any public knowledge of the fact.

Envious crones and busybodies who are forever looking over other people's shoulders and into neighbours' backyards and telling them how they should be conducting themselves.

Not happy with that they promote the fiercest, most restrictive and pervasive political correctness in the world. Australians really should sit down and contemplate how often and on what very broad spectrum of subjects they deliberately self-censor, most often out of habit so effective is the brainwashing, to avoid the tripwires of PC landmines.

Even Julia Gillard, who rode the feminist bandwagon, criticised Oz political correctness, in particular the multicultural PC that labels any critics of the policy as 'racists', 'xenophobes' and other truly disgusting epithets.

Of course the denizens and spruikers of PC who likely profit from it, would see no offence in their 'negging' and cat-calling. That is the point of PC, you are being bullied into self-censorship, but so too are journalists.

The mainstream left and certainly Left men are distancing themselves from the censorious, ban-this, ban-that, dinosaur feminists. Since when did the traditional Left favour censorship anyhow?

We know!.
We know!
We know!
We know!
We know!
We knowwwwwww!

Those horrible feminists, aka Emily Listers,
aka Fabians, aka, aka, aka - polly wants
a cracker! Those progessives can't be tolerated
by regressives!

We know!

LOL In steps Foxy to cat-call and prove the very point I was making.

The mainstream Left (very different to the authoritarian 'lefties' on OLO) and certainly Left men are distancing themselves from the censorious, ban-this, ban-that, dinosaur feminists. Since when did the traditional Left favour censorship anyhow?

We Know!
We Know!
We Know!
We Know!
We Know!
We Knowwwwwwww!

We really and truly Know!

Because you tell us so.

Australia's biggest serial offender "Wicked Campers,"
is absolutely wrong in admitting that a

"sense of humour is
a sense of proportion - and we admit we have taken things
out of proportion."

And Mr Webb is absolutely wrong
in agreeing to removing the slogans from his vans and
the Advertising Standards Bureau is absolutely wrong in
having an Advertising Code of Ethics. It's those
awful feminists that are at fault - and blaming it on
"political correctness," and all these people trying to
restrict the "freedom of speech," for regressives - is
so, so dreadfully wrong! All those complaining are simply
... well, We Know!
We Know!
We Know!

Those feminists may use cat-calls.
We'll continue baying at their heels-
woof, woof!

Raarowwwww, Skisssst, Skisssst, Spiffffft!

@ FOXY,

<<We Know!
We Know!
We Know!
We Know!
We Know!
We Knowwwwwwww!>>

Highly improbably, as you have just failed the Turing Test...and I think you may have also blown a circuit.

Wicked vans are very popular with young tourists and there are as many many sweet young things as guys getting around in them.

It is the young thumbing their noses at the political correctness that is rammed down their throats from Kindy on, and before if the taxpayer funded public broadcasters are taken into account.

Satire is the best counter for the PC that enslaves and treats freedom of speech as 'regressive'.

Of course the satire is a bit rude. However its target political correctness is a truly nasty, monstrous political confidence trick and a cancer eating away at our freedom and eroding democracy.

Those who spruik political correctness are about mind control. Of course they hate the young who are wise enough to spot the puppeteers and are fresh enough and free enough to challenge political correctness.

It is interesting to witness who is pushing the 'Lets knee-cap Wicked' crew. It certainly isn't the many young tourists who are thumbing their noses at the scolding radfem dinosaurs who want to control them and rearrange their brains.

I've just read the last few posts from Foxy. I thought she was the quiet one. I hope she's not on cocaine and disobeying her patents now. Crazy stuff.

"parents"

Dear Right Is Right,

Where's your sense of humour?
I'm on cocaine? But its Ok for
our resident "expert," (especially
on women and Fabians and Progressives) -
"On The Beach," to post as he did on page 11?

Anyway, I shall take my tongue out of my cheek
now, and try once again to make a few serious points:

Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of a healthy
democracy. Yet when we conceive of this freedom as
a right without a corresponding responsibility
requiring vigilance and hard work - freedom of expression
can be deployed in a way that is anti-democratic
and unconscionable.

Our media networks can be used to vexatiously destroy
reputations and disseminate misrepresentation to
assist the agenda of the rich and powerful, of governments,
and political parties.

This freedom faces daily incursions, whether it's
a government department threatening to remove services for
public criticism or a corporation initiating Strategic
Litigation Against Public Protests suits against dissent
(as typified in the Gunns 20 Case in Tasmania). Then of
course we have the other case of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.

There should be a balance between the protection of free
speech and the protection of other rights. Advertising
is regulated by the Advertising Standards Bureau which
has an Advertisers Code of Ethics that clearly states
that adds should not portray material that is discriminting,
vilifying on gender, race, and other grounds. In other
words that advertising should have limits and most of us
would agree that children need protection - and that
realistically freedom of speech cannot be limitless.

@Foxy, Sunday, 20 July 2014 6:30:32 PM

Maybe some of those words were used by someone else in a very different context. Do you remember the source or is it part of pre-packaged spin form somewhere? Anyhow, Assange and so on is irrelevant.

Back to the thread.
Wicked's customers are young, carefree, free-spirit, adventurous, travellers who want to have fun. They easily recognise cant and hypocrisy when they encounter it and they object to it. They are revulsed by the tiresome political correctness that abounds in modern life and particularly in Australia. Is there a country that is more politically correct than Oz? The media is full of it and some here have been discussing a recent example in another thread.

Wicked's satire is relevant. There is very little doubt at all that in some years time the Wicked artwork and satire will be treasures reflecting these times, a dark time when political correctness strangled and very nearly buried freedom of speech. George Orwell must be turning in his grave.

Your diatribes and guilt trips are wasted on the young. They need an outlet for their exasperation with PC and the mild satire of Wicked is fine.

otb,

I'm not going to correct your obviously
uneducated BS because I suspect that
you have a legitimate medical problem that
prevents you from understanding how
humans work.

Carry on.

Now, play nice Foxy, or we'll have to send you to the naughty corner for quite time. No one has called you a "girllll {:-P."

will..IF you guys wake up
foxey goes into hospital tomorrow
she will haunt you NOT IN PERSON;BY YOUR SILLY WORDS

Otb,

If it was "mild satire" I'd laugh...the trouble is that it's base, crass, not funny, not particularly clever or creative, overly offensive and just plain rubbish ..etc, etc...

But I don't really care - and I can see that the usual suspects here are cheering the sloganistic garbage on for all their worth.

Anyway, I'm going back to twitter for the rest of the evening - you guys are boring...

(Is that cheering I can hear?)

Foxy,

"Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of a healthy
democracy. Yet when we conceive of this freedom as
a right without a corresponding responsibility
requiring vigilance and hard work - freedom of expression
can be deployed in a way that is anti-democratic
and unconscionable."

What a load of bollocks. I have heard the same double speak from China, Russia and pretty much every tyranny seeking to justify censorship.

Laws against free speech need to be for a strong reason such as child pornography or inciting violent. Because some puritan is offended is not enough.

my guides advise..via a blue bottle top
a circle signifying completion[the circle bisects a heart]

hear0art..
he0art

h=bridge
e=key
a=ana/negative ana=balance
r=rightiou
t=balance

c=see
i-me
r=rightious
c=seen
l=friend
e=KEY SURGERY

<< If it was "mild satire" I'd laugh...the trouble is that it's base, crass, not funny, not particularly clever or creative, overly offensive and just plain rubbish ..etc, etc... >>

Poirot, you said that you haven’t actually seen any of these campervans for yourself, over there in the west. Well, here in north Queensland they are very common. The slogans range from quite funny and witty to bland and rather unintelligent, and only occasionally into territory that I would think is dodgy.

When you put this into context by way of considering the nature of a lot of advertising on billboards, busses, in newspapers, online, etc… and graffiti…. and the nature of a lot of conversation amongst children, adolescents, and adults, it all surely pales almost into insignificance.

<< But I don't really care >>

Really?

Your views as expressed on this thread would indicate otherwise, wouldn’t they?

I think we should also not just automatically seek to ban something that we find offensive. There are afterall all manner of offensive things out there, which we encounter all the time. Most of them just cannot be stopped. They are things we just have to live with. So, seeking to ban what amounts to one tiny element of offensiveness in amongst a great plethora of offensive stuff is pretty meaningless.

Ludwig is correct in what he says. The censorship isn't just about a bit of uncultivated graffiti on a van, it is aimed at creating and reinforcing restrictive boundaries on the cultural, intellectual and political lives of all members of the community and regardless of age, although protection of minors is one of the excuses where challenged.

It is the youth who patronise Wicked and enjoy the satire as faor comment who are the targets of the censoring reptilian radical fembots and authoritarian 'Progressives' (well, they don't call themselves the 'wolves in sheep's clothing' for nothing!).

If anyone wants to see the feminists' political correct wowerism at work, take a cruise through the library of your local State primary and secondary schools, where Eighties feminist dinosaur school ma'm principals, librarians and interfering parents have been active. What about the playground rules where 'violent' boys games such as Red Rover, enjoyed by generations of boys and girls, have been banned? The headmistress of the State primary school in my locale banned 'Boy Scout' games(?!) and Red Rover was one of them. Unfortunately the Education Department is already top heavy in its central administration and can't find a non-teaching, nil child contact job for her. The kicks upstairs to principal were supposed to remove her from teaching. Teachers reading this will recognise the tactic, which is used too often in lieu of other remedies that are available in private schools.

Political correctness has resulted in a culture where it is always preferable to pull the blanket up to conceal difficult and controversial subjects, than to acknowledge and discuss them. Worse, political correctness bestows immediate, enthusiastic and over-generous accolades on anything no matter how minor, that the prevailing PC approves of. The gay sexuality of celebrities is a common example.

I thought oug was banned for a month

I’d have welcomed an intelligent discussion, but a discussion doesn’t even begin to be intelligent until it recognises the difference between public and private space. Nor does it even begin to be intelligent when participants invent the thinking of an idealised young demographic and quote their invention as an authority on which they can draw for their BS. Or when facts and arguments are sidelined by schoolyard personal insults and crap about "lefties" (whatever they are)

Most of us can clearly remember being young. I certainly can. We knew the difference between public and private space though we hadn’t the maturity to know when sexual yearning and speculation shade into sexism. The back of the bike sheds was private space for that kind of talk about girls and women and we weren’t mature enough to realise “girls and women” included our mothers and sisters. No doubt there was also private space where girls swapped thoughts about boys.

Vaudedville theatres or cinemas are also private space – people opt to enter it and are forewarned about the content.

As a child, unlike today’s young Queenslanders, I was spared the embarrassment of my mother and sister being insulted on the back of a van while I was out shopping with them. If there’s anything like that on any of the vans, it transcends the common laws of decency.

Now, I regard officials as a very low life-form and there is no way I’d support laws to empower them to censor people. However the common laws of decency are different from the laws of the land, and anyone worth the oxygen s/he consumes respects them, especially in public space which all people are obliged to occupy.

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