Paperchase Removes Christmas Card With 'Disgusting' Joke About Orphans

Paperchase has removed a 'humorous' Christmas card that depicted a mother insisting an orphanage gave her a refund, after it was criticised for mocking children in care.

The card depicted a mother rabbit on the phone after a baby rabbit had spilt milk on the carpet in a house decorated with a Christmas tree.

The card reads: "Is this the orphanage? Right, I want a f*cking refund."

However, the card raised a few eyebrows amongst shoppers, with many taking to Twitter to say it was in bad taste.

The card was originally posted on Twitter by David Alfred Grimm, who said: "This card found by my friend in Paperchase today, poking fun at orphans and care experienced people. Do you believe this is okay? Absolutely disgusting thing to sell. We are more than the butt of the joke."

Among those unimpressed with broadcaster Lemn Sissay, who previously stood as the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics.

PA)

The 53-year-old, who has previously written about his experiences with those who have been in state care, wrote on his website: "This card isn't meant for children in care or adults who have been in care. It's meant for others to pour scorn on them.

"This card is punching down, abusing children in care ... for the butt of a joke. The difference between other 'edgy card jokes' is that this one is laughing at a vulnerable foster child.

"To customer services, please remove these from sale! You are better than this. You spread a lot of happiness. But this. This is the opposite of what you are about.

"This is beneath you."

He added he was hoping to avoid the retailer and their 130 stores in the UK, urging others who were offended by the content to get in contact with Paperchase.

"That's disgusting!" wrote one person when shown the card. "I certainly won't be buying from Paperchase in the future.

"Thank you for calling this out. I was a baby left in the care system of Los Angeles and recall this fear all too well," said a second. "You speak so eloquently for so many of us,"

"That is so shocking! Who would buy that?" a third said.

In response to Lemn's complaint, Paperchase issued a complaint saying it had removed the card from sale on its website and instructed all of its stores to withdraw the card from display.

"We apologise unreservedly; it's never out intention to cause offence and appreciate on this occasion the image and copy has done so," they wrote.

Topics: Christmas, UK News, Life News, Life

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley