The parents of Madeleine McCann are said to be outraged and threatening legal action against a German satire magazine that puts their missing child’s image on products in a fake advertisement.
Note to Gerry and Kate: as much as I feel sorry for your being in the situation you’re in and hope you find your daughter, get a grip. This is the real world. When you decided to start a universal media campaign to find your daughter, you entered into a devil’s bargain. You got the media exposure, you got a huge free advertising campaign, but you also left yourselves open to criticism, ridicule and even tasteless satire. Accept it. That’s the price you pay for an open media in a free society.
Besides, aren’t the British always pointing out how humourless the Germans are, how they have to be told when a punch line is coming because otherwise it’ll pass them by? Often it’s just a question of style. It takes a Brit about five minutes after hello to insult you in some way, but they call that just taking the piss. No harm done.
So lighten up, will you? Titanic is a hilarious little rag. I bet there’s a satire magazine editor in London kicking himself silly right now because he didn’t think of it first.
© 2007 lettershometoyou
The banner photograph shows the town of Britannia Beach, BC, Canada, where I grew up. It's home. But I don't live there anymore.
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