How Does Zazzle Allow Crude Designs on Products?

[zaralla]

"I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled" gray pig apron 

How is this allowed?

How about the Krampus?  I keep reporting that and nothing happens. What is the Krampus? the Christmas devil that looks like he is eating children! this is demonic and horrible

I dont care how many views they have...doesnt Zazzle have some sort of standards ?

[zaralla]

If Zazzle wishes to attract decent upscale people this is not going to pull them in

[Baylee]

This excerpt from the ACLU website might shed some clarity for you:

The Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment’s protection of artistic expression very broadly. It extends not only to books, theatrical works and paintings, but also to posters, television, music videos and comic books — whatever the human creative impulse produces.

Two fundamental principles come into play whenever a court must decide a case involving freedom of expression. The first is “content neutrality”– the government cannot limit expression just because any listener, or even the majority of a community, is offended by its content. In the context of art and entertainment, this means tolerating some works that we might find offensive, insulting, outrageous — or just plain bad.

The second principle is that expression may be restricted only if it will clearly cause direct and imminent harm to an important societal interest. The classic example is falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater and causing a stampede. Even then, the speech may be silenced or punished only if there is no other way to avert the harm.

[zaralla]

This also needs to be revamped. This leaves it up to Zazzle and their reputation and what they will put up with and how they wish to present themselves. Its not okay in an appropriate society, and it makes for a bad impression on the rest. One bad apple does spoil the flavor of the rest. Freedom of expression cannot go to an extreme, it does harm people on a mental emotional plane, and even spiritual.

[Baylee]

These are not my words and I'm not promoting any particular religious belief, but they are maybe something to think about:

Jesus in all the things done against Him, in every offense made against Him, more than we could ever suffer in a thousand lifetimes was never offended personally. Wouldn't we be offended if people mocked us and wanted to kill us? If Jesus didn’t become offended for such extremes, why should we be offended at lesser things if we are dedicated to following the example of Jesus? If someone offends us personally, then it simply doesn’t matter. We are to let it go.

[zaralla]

Im not religious. 

[Baylee]

Fair enough. Personally, the designs you mentioned are not to my taste either, but I have no problem ignoring them. I don't think censorship is the way to go.  I wouldn't want anyone dictating what I am allowed to see, read or not read, that's what living in a free country is supposed to be all about...otherwise I'd move to a country that had a dictatorship where everything was decided for me. I'm intelligent enough to choose what is right and good for myself and I respect other people's right to do the same.

[Connie]

Zazzle DOES practice censorship though- there are certain things that some people find offensive that they've banned altogether. They apparently pick and choose what groups they want to cater to. Unfortunately, that excerpt you posted above from the ACLU only applies to government, and corporations are allowed to disregard the Bill of Rights when it suits them, as long as they are "politically correct." (Christian companies are not allowed to censor or ban what they find offensive.)

[SpiralGiftsPlus]

I agree that some platforms (social media, POD) censor Christian viewpoints, just as some platforms censor speech some Christians find offensive. But as you note, the bill of rights spells out Americans’ rights in relation to their government, not private entities. 
Are you saying Christian businesses are forced to sell items they don’t agree with? 

[Barbara]

There was quite a hullabaloo over a bakery that refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. It wasn't an issue initiated by the government, but it nevertheless ended up before the Supreme Court.

Colorwash's Home

[SpiralGiftsPlus]

Yes, and the bakery won. The Supreme Court ruled that the Colorado commission which ruled against the bakery was incorrect.

Similarly, recently SCOTUS ruled that a web design business could refuse services also. 

I would prefer that the Zazzle forums remain non-political, but @@Connie said Christian businesses are not allowed to censor or ban what they find offensive. Instead, they are given wide latitude to do exactly that.

[zaralla]

Thank you for your insight

[SimplyDesigned]

The first text is a funny barbeque joke, and krampus is a German folklore to keep kids from being bad around Christmas. Both of those things are fine, sorry you don't see it that way but to call those designs crude when you don't understand them is kinda brutal to the designer.

[zaralla]

This isnt the point that its a folklore, just look at it and what its saying

[PenguinPower]

The Krampus is far older than Christmas… 

[PenguinPower]

Yoweee… “appropriate society”… 😬, I find that much scarier than a little earthy humor…

[zaralla]

People just cannot see what I am trying to put across

[PenguinPower]

I don’t feel the need to like or agree with everything here… and definitely don’t feel the need to impose my tastes and opinions on them..  and definitely don't feel the need to label people with different tastes than myself as not being "decent" people.... 

[Windy]

Here's the page where you can set your content filter if you prefer to see products of a certain rating. https://www.zazzle.com/my/account/contentfilter

[A_New_View]

About the barbeque apron design, I agree that this sort of humor is in poor taste, but I guess this goes to personal opinion. However, the Krampus is pure evil. There is no getting around that. If not banned, this design should at least be rated R or something like that. I looked it up online, and this is the definition of it:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus

God bless.

[zaralla]

THank you for seeing this.

[Connie · Accepted solution]

The first example is for sure crude, and definitely shouldn't be rated G. Zazzle has a place for "adult" designs, but they should be appropriately labeled. Krampus is folklore though, so I doubt Zazzle would ban or restrict that.

[zaralla]

3.1. In using this Site, you agree to not:

3.1.1. upload, download, post, email, message or otherwise transmit any Content that may be unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, vulgar, harassing, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, profane, indecent, inflammatory, libelous, tortious, hateful, or racially, ethnically, socially, politically, legally, morally, religiously objectionable or otherwise objectionable, or invasive of another's rights including but not limited to rights of celebrity, privacy and intellectual property;

[Barbara]

Zazzle's "don't" list makes me wonder about their definitions, which are highly dependent on viewpoint and also the era in which one grew up and the mindset of one's parents. For instance, I'm old and was raised by a mother who was, in turn, raised by a Victorian-style mother, which means I learned to view so many more things as being vulgar than the youth of today do. By and large, Zazzle is run by people much younger than I, so are they more accepting of tasteless things such as that apron? Regardless, it deserves to have an 'R' rating.

Colorwash's Home

[zaralla]

Great Point!