# a thread to complain about the candyvan



## LambdaDelta (Nov 13, 2020)

idc about what does or doesn't happen, but maybe if enough of you express your distaste for, the staff will reverse their stance on


LambdaDelta said:


> oh, also. please don't start arguments with one another and get this thread locked as well.
> 
> just express your thoughts on as concisely as possible and ignore those you disagree with for now. thanks


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

RIP THE THREAD I miss it already


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Just wanted to mention my previous statement wasn't about "just that I'm ok so you should be"", it was about that you can't control what others do just because you are uncomfortable. Sometimes people are rude or don't care enough to change their behavior so if they said no, you'll have to find a way to cope with it or ignore it. @Emolga59 

That's what my therapist told me.


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

what's wrong with the candy vam


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

Ametsa Izarra said:


> what's wrong with the candy vam


The candy van is cancelled in 2020 no free candy

	Post automatically merged: Nov 13, 2020



2-D said:


> Just wanted to mention my previous statement wasn't about "just that I'm ok so you should be"", it was about that you can't control what others do just because you are uncomfortable. Sometimes people are rude or don't care enough to change their behavior so if they said no, you'll have to find a way to cope with it or ignore it. @Emolga59
> 
> That's what my therapist told me.


If I thread is locked I would not continue the same conversation lol


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

It's a shame, really, that such a sweet event thread turned sour... From 0 to 100 in a matter of minutes 

I have zero issues with the banner. It's completely harmless.


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## LambdaDelta (Nov 13, 2020)

oh, also. please don't start arguments with one another and get this thread locked as well.

just express your thoughts on as concisely as possible and ignore those you disagree with for now. thanks


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

Okay so I read through the thread and guys, it's Friday the 13th

Horror movie plots involve kidnappings and stuff please chill out


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

Ametsa Izarra said:


> Okay so I read through the thread and guys, it's Friday the 13th
> 
> Horror movie plots involve kidnappings and stuff please chill out


This. This I agree with all the way.


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## Sara? (Nov 13, 2020)

To be honest i wished, we all, me included of course, wouldn't feed this discussion as, at some points, we are not even discussing the original point but  rather arguing about things such as emojis or who is supporting who etc.

It is absolutely understandable that some people with no trauma feel uncomfortable with the connotation of the banner just as understandable that some with trauma feel discomfort or triggered, however, it is also perfectly fine to not feel negative nor positive feelings about the banner. I wish we would all reflect about this and accept it as a fact instead of trying to convince others to think their way or to shame people for the way they feel.

I my self will not discuss this topic any further after this post and will also not react to anyone who will fuel the dispute further.  I have to say i feel bad for the staff who with their best of intentions prepared in advance this lovely event and now are receiving pressure from all sides, I would also, maybe, like to ask people to not use staff responses in order to fuel the dispute further.

I am really sad for the people who find it distasteful or have been triggered, I am, and truly hope you have mechanism to face this feelings and situations in a save manner. With all this said, i feel the event should stay as it is, we should all put our selfs in the shoe of others and instead of commenting straight away, to think twice about other people.

SO ! im back to event mode  and wish you all good luck for the event


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Dinosaurz said:


> If I thread is locked I would not continue the same conversation lol


Understandable, just don't like being called rude/ignorant just because I was stating my own perspective on the matter. Especially when they only quoted part of my post.


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

I really don't see the big deal, Friday the 13th is SUPPOSED to be scary and have these kind of themes


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## moo_nieu (Nov 13, 2020)

this thread should be renamed at this point


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

I just want to have a fun event since my year has been so **** and I feel like everything leads to a **** storm. I’m serious W the fact I want to say mods can you just resolve the problem and make it so everyone agrees.


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## Nefarious (Nov 13, 2020)

I hope I didn't get the whole ball rolling with my initial comment about 13+ year old's already being taught about the infamous white van. Didn't mean for any harm to come out of that.

I myself enjoy dark humor and have no problem with the candy van. I'm cool with it getting changed though, whatever is best for those that are uncomfortable by it's presence.


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

I understand that real children do get kidnapped by these vans, but once again, this is a day specifically made for fear and entertainment, the moderators aren't promoting murder or kidnapping by this.


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## Midoriya (Nov 13, 2020)

I just wanted to say, I ended up sleeping for a very long time and didn’t even get a chance to post in the event thread.  

Also, I really don’t see how the banner needs to be changed, but maybe that’s just me.


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

The writing isn't even red, it's colored like the new candy.


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## 6iixx (Nov 13, 2020)

i'd personally just like to make a shout to my boy, jason voorhees  

my only two cents on this topic:  if the staff have to walk on eggshells to please everyone, and make sure that every piece of content that comes out is 100% safe and okay with every individual member, it's going to get messy, especially over something like a day event that's literally going to be over with soon.

as far as i'm aware, there are other images that have been used in the past - for example, when someone posts a 'free candy' white van picture in a thread.  it's the same concept, and it's a humoring joke that's meant to lighten the mood and if anything, point out how willing we all are to throw caution to the wind (this specific situation being our bells i suppose) for the candy.  it was a satire joke, but still a joke.  a joke that the staff themselves have stated they respect the opinions of others who don't find it funny and said that *no harm was meant to be done.*  and with a picture like this, there isn't any real harm.  at most you're emotionally affected by something you can easily turn off and walk away from.

_"satire may be uncomfortable, but humor makes us human."_


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## Clock (Nov 13, 2020)

This reminds me of the candy van thread in the basement


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## Wickel (Nov 13, 2020)

You're saying your Pocket Camp van doesn't look like this?


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

I'm honestly still smh...

As I like to say at times like this "Oh well"

People are entitled to their opinions and feelings, I understand and accept that, but if I strongly disagree with something or someone I'm not gonna go looking to start some kind of drama about it either.

If I don't like something or what someone said or how they said it, I just ignore, keep my own thoughts to myself, and go on with my life. That's something I've learned to do because I do have my negative moments too but sometimes I know when to just say nothing. Eventually I'll cool down and not care anymore. I'll go do something else that makes me happy/laugh like draw or watch some TV.

All I'm saying is, don't be like Marshal. Don't be sulky!


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## Jacob (Nov 13, 2020)

I just don't understand why jokes about kidnapping children are being made here. Think of the kids, or the parents, on the site who aren't following this event that see that. It's not funny


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

Jacob said:


> I just don't understand why jokes about kidnapping children are being made here. Think of the kids, or the parents, on the site who aren't following this event that see that. It's not funny


Nobody said anyone is getting kidnapped it’s about candy (the event)


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

Jacob said:


> I just don't understand why jokes about kidnapping children are being made here. Think of the kids, or the parents, on the site who aren't following this event that see that. It's not funny


A common thing in horror movies is kidnapping, this is a day of fear.


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## seliph (Nov 13, 2020)

it makes me incredibly uncomfortable that an image that's associated with "child predator" is being used as a joke at all let alone by staff members, and on a forum like this. i also just learned it was made twice which makes it worse.


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## Jacob (Nov 13, 2020)

Dinosaurz said:


> Nobody said anyone is getting kidnapped it’s about candy (the event)


People who don't know what collectibles even are, those who are just here for trading animal crossing items, will immediately think Kidnapping


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

Jacob said:


> People who don't know what collectibles even are, those who are just here for trading animal crossing items, will immediately think Kidnapping


The candies are in the main page


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

The image is supposed to be something you see for like a second and go "haha! Wow that's an old joke" then just go about your regular business.


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## seliph (Nov 13, 2020)

LittleMissPanda said:


> The image is supposed to be something you see for like a second and go "haha! Wow that's an old joke" then just go about your regular business.


i saw it and was stunned immediately so that didn't work too well


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Jacob's right, some people aren't aware of the event so seeing such an image could warrant negative assumptions. However, when you do become aware of the event, you realize they meant no harm and it's funny given the context.


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

LittleMissPanda said:


> The image is supposed to be something you see for like a second and go "haha! Wow that's an old joke" then just go about your regular business.


This right here, guys its just an image, it stays for 24 hours, no need to get upset.


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

seliph said:


> i saw it and was stunned immediately so that didn't work too well


I understand that dark humor is not for everyone, and that's absolutely okay.


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## Peach_Jam (Nov 13, 2020)

all I will say is that seeing so many have a "get over it" or "it doesn't bother me so that means it shouldn't bother you" mentality is quite disconcerting.


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## deSPIRIA (Nov 13, 2020)

It doesn't bother me at all personally in a trigger sort of way (I have experienced CSA) that's just how I'm able to deal with it personally, but it bothers me that other people are hurt because of this and it's valid and understandable why they would be, whether they have same kind of traumatic experiences or not, and are being shut down with things like "it's just an image". When I saw the image that's what I immediately thought of instead of just a basic horror trope. People deal with this kind of trauma in different ways and it's important to hear people out and understand why they feel that way, even if you disagree. The "free candy" trope is more related to CSA (or child kidnapping) than anything else. It upsets me that those who are hurt are implied to be weak.


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Peach_Jam said:


> all I will say is that seeing so many have a "get over it" or "it doesn't bother me so that means it shouldn't bother you" mentality is quite disconcerting.


I agree with this but sometimes people are just providing their own perspectives on the matter and don't intend for it to be like that.


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## MasterM64 (Nov 13, 2020)

As soon as I get off for a couple of hours, I miss out on something like this. lol I honestly don’t get why people are making such a big deal about this, it is only up for today and I guarantee that people would not have cared if the van graphics had Jack or Zipper on it. If you truly are going to make a big deal about an image like this even though staff have made their decision, you could always block it or do something else for the rest of the day. Just my 2 cents.


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## Che5hire Cat (Nov 13, 2020)

Wasted opportunity to not flood the banner with tons of Yellow Candies and adding more with each hour until the event ends. May would have fit better to the "Yellow Candy Hype".

Otherwise, not really my favorite event banner (not sure how else I should call it) tbh, the ones I have saw from the other events were more creative and fitting to each event, but that's just my unpopular opinion to that topic...


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Purrley said:


> Wasted opportunity to not flood the banner with tons of Yellow Candies and adding more with each hour until the event ends. May would have fit better to the "Yellow Candy Hype".
> 
> Otherwise, not really my favorite event banner (not sure how else I should call it) tbh, the ones I have saw from the other events were more creative and fitting to each event, but that's just my unpopular opinion to that topic...


You should have been here for this one Easter event, I remember it was raining Easter eggs and it was purely chaotic. They should've down that but with Candies.


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## Variety.Gamer 4438 (Nov 13, 2020)

It really shouldn't say "free candy" as that is false advertising. It almost feels like the mods are making fun of everyone who played the lottery during this event. Unless mods are planning a full refund, it just ain't right in my opinion and it definitely isn't funny in any sense.


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## Che5hire Cat (Nov 13, 2020)

2-D said:


> You should have been here for this one Easter event, I remember it was raining Easter eggs and it was purely chaotic. They should've down that but with Candies.


Now that's actually a even bigger wasted opportunity here, I can imagine how cool that would have been to have Yellow Candies raining (the one with the eggs sounds fun too, I hope this idea comes back one day, I would love to witness this chaos, lol).


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## LambdaDelta (Nov 13, 2020)

Variety.Gamer 4438 said:


> It really shouldn't say "free candy" as that is false advertising. It almost feels like the mods are making fun of everyone who played the lottery during this event. Unless mods are planning a full refund, it just ain't right in my opinion and it definitely isn't funny in any sense.


it actually is free candy

singular


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

Purrley said:


> Wasted opportunity to not flood the banner with tons of Yellow Candies and adding more with each hour until the event ends. May would have fit better to the "Yellow Candy Hype".
> 
> Otherwise, not really my favorite event banner (not sure how else I should call it) tbh, the ones I have saw from the other events were more creative and fitting to each event, but that's just my unpopular opinion to that topic...


I agree with you, not my favorite either because it's uninspired and uncreative compared to previous banners.


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## LambdaDelta (Nov 13, 2020)

lazy effort banner because single day event, I guess


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## seliph (Nov 13, 2020)

i really don't get the whole "it's only up for a day" argument being made, does it really matter how long something discomforting is being done for?


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## 6iixx (Nov 13, 2020)

honestly, the fact that they changed the banner just for a 24 hour event is still nice in my opinion.  i've been on forums and ran forums that never did anything like this whatsoever and it would have been a nice touch for new events, even if they were just a day long.

i really appreciate the effort that goes into the site, no matter how 'little' it seems to be on the surface.


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

seliph said:


> i really don't get the whole "it's only up for a day" argument being made, does it really matter how long something discomforting is being done for?


Yea because you can go if you don’t like it for short amount of time


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## seliph (Nov 13, 2020)

Dinosaurz said:


> Yea because you can go if you don’t like it for short amount of time


ok so by that logic we should all be allowed to insult each other back and forth so long as it only lasts a day


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## ReeBear (Nov 13, 2020)

Too exhausted to add anything helpful but I agree this is, at best, in very poor taste and, at worst, actively triggering and distressing. In my opinion, the mods have a duty of care to forum members, especially a forum with children using it. 
Also, if anyone needs to talk/vent, my inbox is open. Look after yourself and each other


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## LambdaDelta (Nov 13, 2020)

liam, what do you not get about not causing arguments?


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

seliph said:


> ok so by that logic we should all be allowed to insult each other back and forth so long as it only lasts a day


No insulting is mean


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## 6iixx (Nov 13, 2020)

in my opinion, laughing at something in a satire manner isn't the same as supporting it.  that's the last of my tidbits.


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Purrley said:


> Now that's actually a even bigger wasted opportunity here, I can imagine how cool that would have been to have Yellow Candies raining (the one with the eggs sounds fun too, I hope this idea comes back one day, I would love to witness this chaos, lol).


Justin made all the eggs huge and like spammed them all over the page last time I check


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## Che5hire Cat (Nov 13, 2020)

Now that I think about it, in terms of "simple event banners for one day", instead of the van, they should have replace the tree with a giant Yellow Candy. I would have found it funny at least... :/


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## Oblivia (Nov 13, 2020)

Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!


Damn ruined the fun hunt!!!


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## Livia (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!



Thank you for posting this! I tried clicking on the van in the banner, but didn't think to try clicking the post


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!


Thanks Oblivia!


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## 6iixx (Nov 13, 2020)

so there _was_ free candy all along!  surprised pikachu face


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## seliph (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!


is this really the time or place


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

Guys, Wix just ran out of black paint, so he used red paint, thank Wix for his generosity


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!


We all got trolled all is forgiven TY @Wix now everyone go buy moar candy


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!


I can't access it on mobile


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## Dinosaurz (Nov 13, 2020)

2-D said:


> I can't access it on mobile


You can still click on the picture


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

Dinosaurz said:


> You can still click on the picture


oops, I thought we were supposed to click the image in the banner


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

LittleMissPanda said:


> We all got trolled all is forgiven TY @Wix now everyone go buy moar candy


Brush your teeth children, this is a lot of cavities


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## Nefarious (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!



_I was hitting the wrong van this entire time.




_


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

Ametsa Izarra said:


> Brush your teeth children, this is a lot of cavities


Too late  there goes another tooth


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

LittleMissPanda said:


> Too late  there goes another tooth


A worthy sacrifice for that special candy


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

Sorry mods! I still think the banner is lame, not cause it's offensive or anything, but it could have been something better  but I really appreciate the extra you guys do for us undeserving mortals even though you all must be tired from hosting event after event back-to-back! Seriously, thank you staff!


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## Anj2k6 (Nov 13, 2020)

What in the world happened here while I was at work? Something about issues with the candy van? D:


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## toxapex (Nov 13, 2020)

ah so there's a thread about this.

yeah, when i logged in today I was kinda taken aback at that banner, due to the ... implications of suspicious vans

It makes sense given the event and spooky friday the 13th, sure, but I would still say it's in poor taste. 

No hate to the forum staff, because they work hard on events and seem like good caring ppl from the interactions I've seen and experienced. I'm sure there was no harm intended from this gag, but I would think about how "dark humor" could come across to users, esp those who have experienced trauma, in the future. 

That's my two cents, I'll zip it now.


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

Anj2k6 said:


> What in the world happened here while I was at work? Something about issues with the candy van? D:


Nothing all that serious or noteworthy, really.


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## xSuperMario64x (Nov 13, 2020)

wait I'm so confused what happened here

edit: oh okay nvm it's a bunch of arguments and bs thay I honestly have no patience for right now. y'all can argue and be angry at each other, I really don't care. but if anyone wants to actually have fun I'll be over here playing AC:GCN and praying that I get one of those cute new candies.


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## littlewing (Nov 13, 2020)

honestly, what disturbs me most are the cold and dismissive attitudes in this thread. :|

just popping in to say, to any fellow CSA victims who were negatively affected by this: it's okay if it's not "just an image" to you. it doesn't make you weak, or a "snowflake", or humorless. we don't choose our triggers. take care, and if anyone needs a space to vent i'd be happy to lend an ear.

(and yes, i understand there was no ill intent meant from the mods. anyway, peace out.)


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

Can I just quickly apologize if I came off as rude, sorry, I don't have an excuse, but I don't want people to feel bad because of me.


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## neoratz (Nov 13, 2020)

i don't have much to say but i still wanna add my piece to the thread. i understand that there were no bad intentions with this joke, and the implications of the image probably weren't considered, but jokes of this nature can be really upsetting to a lot of users. i don't have any trauma associated with these topics, but i still feel it was inappropriate. i hope the staff will take into consideration the feelings of those uncomfortable with this, even if they might disagree.


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## Anj2k6 (Nov 13, 2020)

Meanwhile I'm just here trying to find out which thread started all of this.


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## SheepMareep (Nov 13, 2020)

I get the mods can honestly put whatever they want on the site but it would be nice for someone to actually acknowledge people's feelings rather than shrug them off because this is their kind of humor. The dismissive nature of saying that other forms of media make the joke all the time also... doesn't make it okay or less upsetting. Ill intent or not. I'm personally not affected by the banner but did side-eye the choice this morning.  

This is 100% in poor taste and reminds me of mid 2000s middle school humor that was never really funny to begin with. (P bear for instance.) The response to people being upset or feeling uneasy about this was flat out disappointing and distespectful. Just because your humor is "dark" doesn't mean everyone should be subjected to it. Think about what you say or post and how it will affect those exposed before implementing it. Especially when running a site.


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## Ananas Dragon (Nov 13, 2020)

Anj2k6 said:


> Meanwhile I'm just here trying to find out which thread started all of this.


the test your luck on friday the 13th thread


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## scaredlittlebug (Nov 13, 2020)

Just want to say thank you to the people who extended a little sympathy on here. 
Kidnapping being a "horror trope" doesn't mean it's okay to make child abduction, and let's be real, assault, into a joke. 

You never know who could have a history with CSA (hi *waves*) or other childhood trauma that you're throwing under the bus.


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

It will all be over soon. We'll have our ordinary little banner again~

Until the holidays, of course, where we will be greeted by a sleigh offering free presents instead. Just, please, no Zipper/Jack/Jingle manbearpig monstrosity...


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## Antonio (Nov 13, 2020)

I like to apologize if I was insensitive aswell, that was not my intention.


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## seliph (Nov 13, 2020)

LittleMissPanda said:


> It will all be over soon. We'll have our ordinary little banner again~
> 
> Until the holidays, of course, where we will be greeted by a sleigh offering free presents instead. Just, please, no Zipper/Jack/Jingle manbearpig monstrosity...


idk if it was your intent but i don't think implying we will have to see this joke again is a good idea


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## Fye (Nov 13, 2020)

LittleMissPanda said:


> It will all be over soon. We'll have our ordinary little banner again~
> 
> Until the holidays, of course, where we will be greeted by a sleigh offering free presents instead. Just, please, no Zipper/Jack/Jingle manbearpig monstrosity...





seliph said:


> idk if it was your intent but i don't think implying we will have to see this joke again is a good idea


I might be wrong, but I think they just meant that we're going back to the normal banner tomorrow but we'll have another special/custom banner in a few weeks (for thanksgiving or christmas), rather than making a reference to the van


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## seliph (Nov 13, 2020)

DoeReMi said:


> I might be wrong, but I think they just meant that we're going back to the normal banner tomorrow but we'll have another special/custom banner in a few weeks (for thanksgiving or christmas), rather than making a reference to the van


ohhh ok gotcha, tyy


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

DoeReMi said:


> I might be wrong, but I think they just meant that we're going back to the normal banner tomorrow but we'll have another special/custom banner in a few weeks (for thanksgiving or christmas), rather than making a reference to the van


That's exactly it, you're right ^^


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## coldpotato (Nov 13, 2020)

Besides it being in bad taste, it's just not funny. Idk about you all but I expect jokes to be funny. I don't even mind dark humor sometimes as long as it's funny.


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## Clock (Nov 13, 2020)

If my post was sort of controversial, I'm really sorry for saying something insensitive I understand how some are bothered by the van on the and their experiences with it. I wasn't trying to offend or bother others here.


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## neoratz (Nov 13, 2020)

don't mean to prolong this but i had another thing i wanted to add after seeing some of the staff responses in another thread. again, i understand that there was no malicious intent, but the responses have felt a bit dismissive. i'm sure it wasn't on purpose, but...


Jeremy said:


> ... *It may not always be clear what should be displayed on the site due to differing opinions, but one helpful tool can be comparing ourselves to other types of media that are accepted in society. *...


what's accepted in society isn't always harmless. yes, this is the kind of joke that most people probably wouldn't bat an eye at, but it should be kept in mind that there's a lot of inappropriate jokes people don't think twice about. from stuff like "p bear" mentioned by another user to the subtler "would you trust me with your drink", which i didn't even know was about something serious until i was told the meaning of the joke. nobody is ACTUALLY going out and abducting kids because of jokes like these, but it's harmful in the sense that some people with trauma are reminded of their experiences.



Jeremy said:


> ... *With this being said, the candy van won't be parked under the tree for much longer and I would like to ask everyone to please lighten up and enjoy this event.*


i understand you don't want to change the header, and i realize nothing was meant by this, but i think the least that should be done is an apology to those upset by it instead of asking them to lighten up. i know it might seem like people are being overly sensitive to those who aren't affected by these jokes, but they _can_ really hurt those who are. i also know some people can be overly dramatic or "too online" but i really don't think this is one of those cases. everything is going to upset at least one person out there in the world, but this is something that affects more people than you'd expect.

i apologize if this comes off silly, condescending, or demanding. i don't mean to re-explain stuff you already know, i don't want to force anyone to make another official statement if they don't want to, and i don't want to disturb the peace or anything. just felt the urge to respond.


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## Rowbowkid800 (Nov 13, 2020)

THE CANDY...............













IS NOT FREEEEEEEEE!!!!


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## Variety.Gamer 4438 (Nov 13, 2020)

2-D said:


> You should have been here for this one Easter event, I remember it was raining Easter eggs and it was purely chaotic. They should've down that but with Candies.





LambdaDelta said:


> it actually is free candy
> 
> singular



Thnx for the heads up


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## Rowbowkid800 (Nov 13, 2020)

True but still


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## Variety.Gamer 4438 (Nov 13, 2020)

Oblivia said:


> Just to very quickly address the post from Wix, clicking the image grants 20 free bells, so in essence it does give out a free candy. Kudos to the couple people who found it prior to now!



It's not working for me @Oblivia. Help plz!!


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## Anj2k6 (Nov 13, 2020)

LittleMissPanda said:


> It will all be over soon. We'll have our ordinary little banner again~
> 
> Until the holidays, of course, where we will be greeted by a sleigh offering free presents instead. Just, please, no Zipper/Jack/Jingle manbearpig monstrosity...



But Zipper brings gifts too... THE GIFT OF EGGS!!!


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## Variety.Gamer 4438 (Nov 13, 2020)

I like Zipper. He's a good bunny!


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## LittleMissPanda (Nov 13, 2020)

Anj2k6 said:


> But Zipper brings gifts too... THE GIFT OF EGGS!!!


*April 2020 Bunny Day Vietnam flashbacks*


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## Minou (Nov 13, 2020)

I have read through almost everything related to this topic. Instead of just liking comments, I decided to leave a comment about it as well.
I appreciate the forum to have threads like this. I think it is important to have a place where people can express their opinions in a constructive and respectful way.
@luckytrait 's post here has reached out to me the most. beautiful comment  you have all my respect.
After this issue has been brought up, I think it would have been wiser from the staff to have simply removed the van. I think the risk of triggering a person who has CSA is enough to justify it.


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## mayortiffany (Nov 13, 2020)

I'm going to be honest, seeing staff (and some user) reaction to user feedback, much of which was expressed in a thoughtful manner, has been *extremely* disappointing to me.

From what I have been reading, the general staff tone (that has also been expressed by some users) seems to be to advise members to simply telling people to just "lighten up" and move on. This is despite people politely explaining legitimate concerns with the potential for the banner to be triggering due to the RL connotations of the imagery, and to simply be inappropriate on an Animal Crossing forum of all places, which isn't only used by legal adults. To me, this is an extremely dismissive and tone deaf response.

Just because a trope is found across media platforms does not make it funny, nor does it make it appropriate imagery. Just because one individual finds a joke "widely accepted and harmless" does not mean that others do. Just because you claim that you meant no harm from your action doesn't mean that others cannot be harmed by your actions.


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## Equity (Nov 14, 2020)

Before giving my opinion on the issue, I’d like to mention that I’m fairly new to this forum. As such, I’m not that familiar with previous jokes that appeared on the TBT banner or official threads. I’m not one who usually comments much but after reading through all of the comments in both threads and seeing the outcome of this heated discussion, I felt compelled to express my thoughts even though I’m quite late to the discussion table; the event is over after all – better late than never though!

While I am very grateful that the staff members organized yet another event (albeit one just ended not long ago), I felt uneasy with the banner design. I recognize that it isn’t easy to put everything together in such a short period of time with all the logistics involved. I don’t believe that there were any ill intentions behind this “joke”. I also believe that the staff didn’t anticipate the repercussions that this image could have on some members of this community. Perhaps they wanted to make a joke that most TBT users would understand, and it might have been their way of using a bit of humour in these trying times.

However, I find it quite unfortunate how staff members addressed the issue that followed. Despite not being a place to preach, by giving out a more holistic vision of the situation, I saw tremendous potential for addressing grievances and delivering an instructive message to the wider community. This is not to say that I’ve never laughed at dark comedy before; however, I try to be conscious about the issues at play. Thus, I perceive the outcome of the debate as a missed opportunity; hence this thread was created. Perhaps an apology for any perceived offenses would have been appreciated. It is one thing to joke as an individual (with no affiliation), and it is another as someone who’s responsible to oversee the smooth running of a forum/event. It is also different when it is put in the forefront of the forum (i.e., the banner) because of the message it may deliver; interpretations can vary.

To consider the image/trope as a _harmless joke _misses the points of some critical views. On a macro level, I see pros and cons to dark humour: it has the potential to raise awareness and/or challenge unfortunate situations in a less condescending tone, but it also runs the danger to trivialize those serious issues. Surely, laughing at these kinds of joke doesn’t necessarily mean that these individuals are insensitive to those topics. Likewise, not laughing at these jokes (and considering them offensive) doesn’t automatically translate into these individuals lacking a sense of humour or taking things too seriously. As such, it can be difficult to know where to draw the line at times. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, recognizing the potential wider impacts of these types of jokes could have been a step towards reconciliating opposing stances.

Like they say, “with great power comes great responsibility” (French National Convention, 1793; Spider-Man). Moving forward, I hope this incident can offer a moment of introspection for each one of us.



Spoiler: I’ve formed my opinion after having read a few articles on the implications of dark humour.




https://hannansblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/darkblack-comedy-the-pros-and-cons/
https://bigthink.com/robby-berman/you-can-stop-apologizing-for-your-dark-sense-of-humor
https://www.idsnews.com/article/2020/09/column-offensive-jokes-not-dark-humor
https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-point-of-offensive-humour-76889
https://theconversation.com/psychology-behind-the-unfunny-consequences-of-jokes-that-denigrate-63855
http://nautil.us/blog/when-does-dark-humor-stop-being-funny
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...y-offensive-jokes-affect-you-more-you-realize
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/humor-sapiens/201107/does-racist-humor-promote-racism


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