Boycott Wicked campers

[Scootergal]

Wicked Campers have a long history of painting disgusting slogans on their vans. They have recently taken it to new heights with pictures of Snow White smoking crack and the Cookie Monster wielding a gun.

New Zealand has recently banned Wicked Campers and Tasmania is following suit. Many businesses, including caravan parks, are now refusing entry to vans with degrading slogans.

If you are contemplating coming Down Unda to rent a van, steer clear of Wicked Campers.


It's 2016 -we should be better than this.

[ridetheworld]

Whose to say what's disgusting? I'm fairly indifferent about them but what's more disgusting to me is banning stuff simply because you don't like it. Australia has bigger problems than this to worry about.

[Arma]

I'd be more inclined to say "It's 2016, let's allow freedom of expression and not worry about what people paint on the side of their camper vans". Me, personally, I don't see any issue with it at all.

That's not to say that those who have an issue shouldn't post about it, or refuse the companies services. Or that privately owned campsites shouldn't be able to refuse entry. But it's alarming that a government body would ban them, it's not the way forward.

[eurasiaoverland]

Originally Posted by Scootergal

Wicked Campers have a long history of painting disgusting slogans on their vans. They have recently taken it to new heights with pictures of Snow White smoking crack and the Cookie Monster wielding a gun.

New Zealand has recently banned Wicked Campers and Tasmania is following suit. Many businesses, including caravan parks, are now refusing entry to vans with degrading slogans.

If you are contemplating coming Down Unda to rent a van, steer clear of Wicked Campers.


It's 2016 -we should be better than this.

Seriously??? Just because you're not comfortable with some pretty mild sattire?
What else would you like to ban? People who look different, or think differently???

Not exactly the mindset one expects to encounter on a travel forum.

[backofbeyond]

Looks pretty mild to me compared to the original version where Snow White is given a poisoned apple and ends up in a coma. Or how about the Slavic version where the Queen tries to eat Snow White's lungs and liver. That'd look good on the side of a van.

Maybe the other side of the van portrays the Queen's eventual fate (one of the alternatives anyway) - danced to death in a pair of red hot iron shoes. Would we be happy with that one because it's the crone that gets it?

I'd never heard of Wicked Campers before, but I have now. Outrage advertising obviously works. I wonder if I could get Banksy to paint something contentious on the side of my bike?

[Warin]

Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland

Seriously??? Just because you're not comfortable with some pretty mild sattire?

Have you seen some of this 'mild satire'? The press published ones are mild ... for a reason.

"verges on the incitement of hatred and vilification of individuals and groups on the basis of religion, gender, sexual orientation and race is morally and socially reprehensible."

"The implicit message is that women should be sexually permissive and promiscuous, and that openly and publicly demeaning women is acceptable."

Category: | The Mercury

Not something I would chose to associate with nor support in anyway. Some things are jokes... some of these are a very long way from jokes. And yes I have seen some of it - 2 that are beyond the pail!

[Tony LEE]

That particular example is barely worthy of mention but I imagine the OP is aware of some of the more alarming and demeaning ones that wicked have come out with.

What should be equally alarming is the reported high rate of defect vehicles they are hiring out to unsuspecting customers.

[Walkabout]

I don't suppose too many families rent from Wicked - it's all aimed at a different audience, in which case Wicked have deliberately limited their targeted market.

Is someone going to post pics of the more controversial graphics?
Perhaps there are laws down under that already relate to obscenity if that is what they are?

Kind of reminds me of Ryanair - there is no bad publicity, just free publicity according to the antics of the chief of Ryanair over many years. He does seem to have calmed down nowadays since the business has become well established.

[Tony LEE]

take your pick

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=w...w=1920&bih=928







There have been stories of people turning up to pick up their camper, objecting to such as these and then being told take it or leave it and lose your prepayment.

This is one of the campaigns at http://www.collectiveshout.org/_i_am...aign_takes_off

[Scootergal]

Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland

Seriously??? Just because you're not comfortable with some pretty mild sattire?
What else would you like to ban? People who look different, or think differently???

Not exactly the mindset one expects to encounter on a travel forum.

Seriously??? You want to support the degradation of women and promote drug culture to children?

Not exactly the mindset I would expect from a well-educated traveller.

[Tony LEE]

Originally Posted by Scootergal

Seriously??? You want to support the degradation of women and promote drug culture to children?

Not exactly the mindset I would expect from a well-educated traveller.

To be fair scootergal, his comment was about the relatively mild example you posted at the beginning of the topic. Three or four others were similarly ho-hum about your concerns.

I imagine it would be a brave man who would come out in defense of the worst examples of the genre posted since. Problem is that by posting them we give even more publicity to a grub that doesn't deserve it, but if you don't then people have no idea why some get upset.

[Scootergal]

Originally Posted by Tony LEE

Three or four others were similarly ho-hum about your concerns.

My views were dismissed as not radical enuff but had I posted the photos that you posted, I would have been dismissed as a raving feminist. Win Win

[Tony LEE]

Originally Posted by Scootergal

My views were dismissed as not radical enuff but had I posted the photos that you posted, I would have been dismissed as a raving feminist. Win Win

Glad to assist in advancing your (just) cause.

Was interesting that the grub originally stated that if anyone was offended by any slogan they were welcome to spray paint it out. Then he realized that there were about 15 million people stalking the countryside armed with cans of black spraypaint looking to beautify his vehicles, so he soon retracted it and threatened police action to anyone who took him up on his offer.

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by Tony LEE

To be fair scootergal, his comment was about the relatively mild example you posted at the beginning of the topic. Three or four others were similarly ho-hum about your concerns.

I imagine it would be a brave man who would come out in defense of the worst examples of the genre posted since. Problem is that by posting them we give even more publicity to a grub that doesn't deserve it, but if you don't then people have no idea why some get upset.

Striking it is; broadly speaking, from this small sample, Europeans don't give a damn and Australians do.

Families are certainly not their target customers and I guess the hirer of the vehicle is held responsible for any vandalism that may occur to the camper while it is on hire - many of them are crying out for a pick axe to be brought into use.

[Shrekonwheels]

I cannot believe this degraded into a slug fest.

She made a very simple statement and gave a fair warning to travelers, if you rent one of these vans you may indeed not have a place to stay do to the low IQ "satire" on the van.
Regardless of how wrong you may think that is to your individual "freedoms" it is reality.
So take the friendly warning and be happy someone spelled it out for you.