I should look at the site to see if it's just a one off card or is it a series of images from the attacks, but regardless of the fact, it is a shameful exploitation of this event.

would we be as shocked about this if they promoted the Michael Jackson trial cards that are also on their site? All in all this is just a tasteless joke on the part of Topps.

The dumbest dumb people I have ever come across

why's everyone acting like this is some kind of shocking scandalous thing? there have always been vultures looking to profit from big tragedies that effect lots of people, and people will always buy the gaudy crap that gets spewed out into shops and television commercials. i mean, really - where was our outrage when all the 9/11 coffee table books and paperweights were selling left and right?

Anxiety said:

I remember seeing a bunch of people on the streets of manhattan selling that stuff...

I am not more shocked or upset by this, even if it is crass. I am more surprised by the way the attacks have been brushed aside and off the top of the news casts. I know most people have to get back into their own routine or find ways to cope with the tragedy, but where is the coverage of reactions to the attacks? It seems to me that there is a media sanitization of the attacks, as though they didn't happen at all.

Anxiety said:

well, there should have been outrage then too. I don't think the fact that one expects this sort of crap to exist stops it, when it happens, from being scandalous. And I guess what makes this particularly shocking is that, apparently, this is a big corporation peddling this shite, not some slimy git trying to make a fast buck and then disappear (though to be honest i wouldn't know who in hell 'topps' are. i'm an adult in the UK - i haven't seen a trading card since i was, like, 5 years old).

Anxiety said:

I don't get it either. Newspapers, magazines, tv shows, those images where published all over the world and people made money off it. I don't even think it's that offensive because those trading cards are obviously not limited to this event.

Why would anyone want cards of any new event? Or trading cards at all? I don't know and it all seems silly to me, but I think it's more about collecting them than anything else.

JoeyMFinCoco said:

Why does something necessarily become less offensive because it's part of a series of stories? I can't see the logic there.

Anyway, it's a dumb series of cards because it's opening itself up to either not including the most newsworthy stories (which encompass incredibly disgusting events and photos), or including them in a tasteless and offensive way (especially given the timing).

Steadwood said:

...and there it is

TheFrog said:

I think it's part of something like getting all the major headlines in the news. Some news is less tragic than others. I remember some Mexican company selling a toy or whatever which had the Twin Towers and a plane in between them. That's capitalizing on a specific event which, IMO, is worse.

You're absolutely right it's dumb, but we get to see these "disgusting" pictures all the time. Newspapers and magazines print them constantly. Editors sit there and look at all the pics a photographer took and they make their decision on what will get people's attention and come up with a "catchy" headline to sell the most papers. It's all insensitive if you think about it.

Anxiety said:

i think its shocking because it is Topps thats issueing the card...Topps has always been a family type operation with selling Baseball cards to kids since the 1950's...i know that industry has changed now with all the adult card collectors making money off of baseball cards but its very suprising to me that this company would ever make this type of card

What is the card for?

Seems a little stupid and very disrespectful but surprises me not at all. The "jokes" will soon be circulating the e-mails

JoeyMFinCoco said:

I understand what you're saying. And newspapers tread a fine line - as do news agencies etc. I think when you get outside of those specific media outlets though, you've got a problem. Be it toys, plates, t-shirts, trading cards, whatever. Whether it's a series or not - i don't personally feel it's worse necessarily to capitalise on a tragedy as a series of events, than it is to capitalise on one freestanding. A load of toys in a news series - one based on 9/11, one based on the Live 8 concert etc. For me, the 9/11 toy would be just as revolting in that context, as if it was produced in itself.

But anyway, for me, there are two things - the news media have to be careful about overstepping the line between reporting news and just making capital out of it, and other production-line stuff has pretty much no licence in the aftermath to capitalise. And i don't buy any argument that these trading cards somehow fall into a news media section. IMO.

TheFrog said:

a-fucking-men.

i couldn't have put it better myself.

cunts.

Natsume said:

Fuckwitts!

Mazerati said:

Topps Trading Cards...

Dear Mr. Thomas:

Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns regarding Topps Chronicles cards.

This product is designed to document the most significant events occurring around the world in 2005, be they good or bad. As you know, however, these days it unfortunately seems like there is more bad news than good.

Please accept our sincere apologies for this product not meeting your expectations, and our condolences for those who have suffered in this tragedy. We will be donating 100% of the proceeds earned from the sale of this week's card to the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund, established (in association with the British Red Cross) to raise money for the victims and their families.

Once again, please accept our thanks for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. Know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and other Londoners at this time.

Sincerely,

Customer Service team
etopps
Customer (Gareth Thomas) 07/12/2005 07:52 AM
To whome it may concern.

These News Chronicles cards disgust me. You are making money out of peoples misery, pain and suffering. Why would you want to do such a thing? I can not beleive how insensitive you can be. I am confused by how such a product could be aloud to be sold.
Disturbed and sickened by this product. I live right by Kings Cross in London and have been shocked by these attacks.
If you are an employee reading this you need to be asking yourself why you work for such a cold, sick company. Please forward this to your managers.


Gareth Thomas.

drcoldchoke said:

I don't agree with their policy, but at least they took the time to reply with some amount of thoughtfulness and tact, and they have listened and taken action, in that they are donating money.



Good work drcoldchoke

rocknrolldave said:

I too applaud your actions.....

It inspired me to do similar as I don't think that by donating to charity in any way absolves them in any way, as the distribution of these cards is actually supporting the actions of terrorsts in helping to perpetuate the terror felt...



Eddie

Steadwood said:

Your letter was better than mine. I love your finesse.

Anxiety said:

Oh hell, yes...

Eddie, Gareth - im SO fuckin proud of u guys!