Doormats with Attitude

You've probably seen one or two of them yourself, great doormats with funny captions, images, clever slogans and even rude or borderline offensive messages printed on them. What you have is a welcome to someone's home that can put a smile on your face, embarrass you, make you laugh out loud or even make you a little mad!

In fact, some of these great printed doormats have attitude! Seriously, would you be so bold as to put a message where visitors to your home wipe their feet that told them to "Get lost!" I've seen one like that and while I could see the vaguely humorous side, some people would take offense!

The Fine Line

So where is the line you shouldn't cross? What makes a funny message become a crude caption or offensive message?

The short answer is "It really depends on the recipient of the message!" In other words, that line is about as fluid and mobile as a tank of water full of fish! You simply cannot take a printed message and pigeon-hole it into a definite category simply because people are different.

Different people will have different ideas on what is acceptable to them or not. One person's rude doormat is another person's hilarious one. It sort of goers back the old saying that "you can't please everyone." No truer phrase was ever spoken.

Damage Limitation

In some respects, the safest way to play this would be to put out a boring, plain door mat so that you literally cannot offend anyone. No message means no individual interpretation on its meaning. That means no smiles and no frowns either.

Hang on buddy! That would make for a pretty boring world, if everyone was scared to do anything in case it might offend someone else.

I'm sure the politically correct brigade would like to see a totally gray and boring world where no one ever speaks, writes, laughs, cries or dares to do anything at all in case the tone of their voice or the posture of their body might carry an infinitesimal chance it might just offend someone!

Get Real

But phooey to that! Who wants to live like that; walking on eggshells and minding every word you say just because a bunch of boring lunatics that need to get out more have their heads jammed up their backsides!

Like is more about taking a few risks here and there. It doesn't matter if the risks are really minor, like in putting out a doormat with a caption that would be interpreted by most people as being funny.

So get some attitude going, be daring and put out a humorous doormat for your guests and enjoy making them smile (or most of them)!