<p>Innocuous…maybe. But offensive? It’s a dopey, lame joke and all the brass players I know wouldn’t give it a second thought. Believe me, none of them will be crying into their pillows tonight. Besides, it gets lonely in the back of the orchestra and they enjoy all the attention they can get.</p>
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<p>I’ll admit to being pretty tough skinned overall, but when I see a company doing things I don’t approve of I just quit supporting them with my business. There’s no real need to rally the masses over most things IMO. There are other places to buy from. If the world were all the same it would be rather dull.</p>
<p>FTR, I haven’t bought anything from Reebok (I prefer other shoes) and have never used Groupon (no real reason, but don’t plan on starting) so I’m just saying this as a bystander who’s bored and looking at more threads than I usually look at.</p>
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<p>You’re right; it’s not the same thing. It’s even not in the same universe of “things.” </p>
<p>I’ve not seen the movie Bully, HisGraceFillsMe, but I must say I believe there is a wide gulf separating people who would make a joke about people in the horn section from those who would torment a kid because he or she is the wrong color, gay, overweight, disabled or otherwise “different” from the norm—or those who would torment a kid, day in and day out, for any reason. But tormenting and teasing are NOT the same thing. </p>
<p>And, umm, people who go out for marching band do know that people joke about them, right? I’ve known plenty of marching band fanatics who use the term “band dork” to describe themselves. COME ON!</p>
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<p>This is not an issue of beiong tough-skinned! It is a matter of interpretation of the written word. Fwiw, the only person who knows what was mean is the … author. We, the readers, are left to interpret according to our views or bias. When I read it, I looked at the intended parallel between the trombone player and tooting your own horn, and most definitely not as a slight to marching bands out there. </p>
<p>Like it or not, this is not different how people react to commercials. A certain group of people might find an ad offensive, and another hysterical. Age, gender, race, sexual preferences, religion, and many others create a myriad of audiences with different tastes and reaction. </p>
<p>Back on this particular ad, if you are getting the Groupon feeds regularly, you must have noticed how biting their style is. Fwiw, their style is even less refined abroad, where some writers appear to be quite challenged by foreign language styles. There are plenty of sites that are irreverent and annoying … to some. The reality is that we get bombarded with tons of messages, and some of them are just making us say “***, what were they thinking!” I get massively annoyed when the title of an article has nothing to do with the story. This is unfortunately daily fodder at “media” organizations such as HuffPo, Daily Beast, and AOL. Probably a direct result of being a haven for morons. But after all, those outfits are not exactly the Economist or the Atlantic Monthly. </p>
<p>The reality is that if this ad was that offensive to YOU, all you need to do is unsuscribing. Well, if Groupon does not find a way to ignore you! And THAT might even annoy you more!</p>
<p>Well, if something in an ad offends you, I don’t see anything wrong with complaining about it. In this case, it appears that enough people were offended that Reebok took action. I don’t think it hurts Groupon to be reminded that words have consequences. Isn’t it great that this is all accomplished through free speech on all sides?</p>
<p>^^^Agreed. But I also agree with your point in post #31 about reserving the word “offensive” for more egregious matters. To each his own, of course.</p>
<p>I AM ANGRY. JOKES ARE OFFENSIVE. I am going to write a letter to my congressperson and I will never buy shoes again.</p>
<p>It’s really jumping the shark to suggest that Groupon’s lighthearted jab at trombone players - trombone players, for goodness sakes! - is related in any way, shape or form to bullying.</p>
<p>From Groupon’s blog:</p>
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<p>Come on now, cat owners! Where’s the OUTRAGE? Your cats were dissed!</p>
<p>I don’t know. I feel bullied. I think I am owed an apology and a few hundred dollars for pain and suffering.</p>
<p>Group on probably wrote the copy - but don’t kid yourself - the client approved it before it ran.</p>
<p>The ad works. You are all now paying attention to Groupon and Reebok. Personally, I thought the ad was slightly funny and I usually don’t read that part of the Groupon ad. I just look to see if it is something I can use. I like Groupons.</p>
<p>I haven’t read the whole thread, but I have to say that I usually find groupon verbiage inane and wish they would just state the deal, already, instead of making us wade through paragraphs of excruciating garbage.</p>
<p>Obviously Groupon writers have never been in marching band with the 8 hour/day practices all summer. The football players at our school come over to watch the band during their breaks and they all say that the marching band it way too much work…</p>
<p>relevant picture: <a href=“http://25.media.■■■■■■■■■■/tumblr_ll40jshIWj1qk5o54o1_500.jpg[/url]”>http://25.media.■■■■■■■■■■/tumblr_ll40jshIWj1qk5o54o1_500.jpg</a></p>
![http://25.media.■■■■■■■■■■/tumblr_ll40jshIWj1qk5o54o1_500.jpg[/url]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ll40jshIWj1qk5o54o1_500.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
<p>(and yes, the guy on the right is not in “marching band”… it is drum corps international)</p>
<p>soccerguy315–good one!!!</p>