It wasn’t the worst we’ve seen, but it was still unnecessarily offensive. So we made a complaint to Hallmark and they decided to withdraw the birthday card for good.
On the cover of the card was a sketch of a homely nun wearing a habit, saying, “I’m so excited about your birthday, I feel like doing a cartwheel.” On the inside, it said, “Oops. Better not. Just remembered it’s ‘No Underwear Day’ here at the abbey.”
Some of our members, including a dedicated soul from the Bahamas, sent us the card and asked what we could do about it. So we wrote a letter to the President and CEO, Donald J. Hall, Jr., wanting to know why Hallmark, which has a good name to protect, would want to stock such a card. We subsequently received a letter from Eileen Drummond, the Creative Director of the Writing & Editorial Department, saying, “we will cease any future production and shipping of this card.”
Ms. Drummond also said that the intent of the card “was never to offend.” Perhaps. But whether it was or it wasn’t doesn’t really matter in the end: we’re more than a little sick and tired of the “creative types” taking liberties with our religion. Not that it would make us feel any better, but why don’t these “artists” pick on some other group once and a while?
On the other hand, it speaks well for Hallmark that they didn’t try to justify the card as a humorous statement. All we ask is that our complaints be taken seriously, and Hallmark did exactly that.
