This weekend’s news headlines hit me right between the eyes. Not to mention my pixie ears. Kapow! 8)
But first – a bit of background! Jensen’s Bøfhus (a Danish steakhouse chain with branches in Norway, Sweden and Germany, let’s call them The Giant) brought a case against Jensens Fiskerestaurant (a man, Jacob Jensen, who owns three fish restaurants, let’s call him The Little Man). The Giant didn’t like The Little Man using the name Jensen for his chain of restaurants. Even if Jensen is the most common surname in Denmark. The Giant loses the case in Commercial Court, but goes on to win the case on appeal in High Court. And, along with the right to use the name Jensen in the food business, is awarded damages of DKR 200.000.
No prizes for guessing what happens next. “What? Goliath has beaten David?!” A Facebook group, angry at The Giant treading on The Little Man, is born and thousands (and thousands and thousands… um, 110,000 when I checked this morning) of Danes sign up and swear that they’ll boycott The Giant’s restaurants.
I can appreciate both sides of the story. Fair enough, go ahead and protect your corporate brand, bring a case. But go after the principle, not the damages. Will I be boycotting The Giant? No need to – I’ve had ‘the pleasure’ of eating there a couple of times before and have absolutely no desire to return! 😛 But my kids remember the ‘eat all you can’ icecream with fondness…
But I digress! It wasn’t the case that made me sit up and almost spill my morning coffee. It was the English urban slang which had divebombed into Danish radio and newspaper headlines. (And we’re not talking taboloids here.)
— Sh*tstorm —
— Information: “Jensen’s Bøfhus: Vi sælger normalt under shitstormen”
— DR “Ekspert: ‘Shitstorm’ kan blive alvorlig for Jensen’s Bøfhus“
— Politiken “Shitstormen rammer Jensen’s Bøfhus efter navnestrid”
Can’t the Danish media, please, pretty please, find another term? Like “public outrage on social media”? You all know how I feel about swearing! (See my post “I swear I heart Denmark!“)
“Sh*tstorm?” For Pete’s sake – I’m trying to eat here! 😉
Have a marvelous Monday!
Diane 🙂
Oh Diane, I've been here a good few years now and trust me, you will have to get used to the English swearing being 'ok.' I finally accepted this when a young child happily exclaimed 'Shit!' on a kid's TV program last Christmas…
I hear you, Kristian! Have been here for 16 years myself, but I refuse to accept the swearing! 😉 It's a pet peeve of mine… blogs.denmark.dk/diane/2014/04/08/i-swear-i-heart-denmark/
I think that you are right about the danish medias uses a lot of swearing, and I guess they do it to "look cool" like smoking was cool years ago, swearing is today.
Diane
I have always regarded Denmark as an enlightened, modern progressive European liberal democracy, that was until I found out that Denmark allows bestiality; animal brothels where defenceless dogs [among other species] are strapped down on tables, front legs twisted and secured behind their backs, back legs strectched wide, for perverts to rape.
Can you explain how this can be allowed in a country like Denmark? Is paedophilia also legal, and are there kiddie brothels where children are similarly raped by perverts? I have seen the pictures, which haunt me still and probably always will, and I'm keen to know how you as a mother regard this practice? Is there anyone in Denmark who feels as disgusted as me? Those crazy Danes really doesn't cut it for me, and I find it inconcievable that any modern country could allow it, with beastiality tourists coming from other European countries even.
Of course Denmark's record on animal welfare is lamentable from the slaughtering of whales and dolphins against world condemnation to the evisceration of large mammals such as giraffe for the entertainment of children, so I guess brutalisation is a cumulative effect and prepares Danish children for adult life. But does no one raise a voice against this barbarity?
Being permissive is one thing between consenting adults of any sex, but rape is rape no matter what the species.
Please explain to me that Danes aren't all perverts and that some do care about animal welfare and are as horrified as I by this perversion.
Since there are a number of women in government, I must assume the normal womanly disgust against rape is suspended in politicians, or are they just getting a pay-off from the sick people who run these horror places?
I'm not a woman but it stuns and sickens me. Please explain why you are happy for your children to grow up in such a sick society.
I read about this issue a long time ago in this country. Forgot to add this one. Apparently this is up for legalization discussion. Again.
" Sex between siblings should be legal," says professor Thomas Sobirk Petersen, professor of ethics at Roskilde University.