An oops...

I’m not trying to embarrass anyone, so I’ve removed the sponsorship names… but check out this email announcement I got yesterday.
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Presented by [XYZ] 

and [ABC] Club 

Friday September 26 6:30pm 

Case Closed:  

The Time Bombed Skyscraper 

A Detective Conan film

 

When a mad bomber is on the loose in the city, only whiz kid Detective Conan Edogawa can solve the case.  No place is safe from this maniacal fiend as he places his deadly packages all across the town.  Can Conan discover the madman’s identity before the next timer hits zero?  This film provides an introduction to the world of Conan and the many intricate storylines and characters that make up his world.  

 

Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper is the first film based on the popular Detective Conan comic book and animation series.  The comic book has been published since 1994, while the television series has run since 1996.  Twelve Detective Conan movies have been made, the latest one was released in April 2008. Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper, 1997 Japan rated PG  95 minutes 

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I was horrified. My first thought is, “Holy shit, what were they thinking???”  So I immediately emailed the sponsors with an ever-so-tactful (for me at least) reminder:

To whom it may concern:

I believe it was in very poor taste to send this announcement out on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States seven years ago.   I was disturbed to receive this today and suggest you consider carefully the timing of such emails in the future.

-- She Says

Within 45 minutes, I received this email:

Dear Friends of [XYZ],

The September 26th screening of the Conan animated film has been cancelled.  We will be sure to notify you when a new film has been scheduled.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and look forward to seeing you at the next event.

Sincerely,
[XYZ]

Note the lack of any reference to the title? Just the producer. And no explanation about why it was cancelled… Interesting, I thought. Clearly, they were mortified at their gaffe and didn't want to point it out to anyone who might not have put two and two together and come up with a bad taste in their mouth (although, how could anyone miss it? Especially here in DC where the pain is still all over the city?) And immediately after getting the above email, I got this one:

Dear She Says,

On behalf of [XYZ], I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere apologies for our poor choice of timing in sending out the Conan movie flyers today.  Although there is no excuse for the offense we have caused, I assure you it was not meant to be offensive or hurtful.  We are grateful that you took the time to bring this mistake to our attention, and have cancelled the film’s screening in respect of this solemn occasion.

Thank you again, and please accept our deepest apologies.

Sincerely,
Director, [XYZ]

I have to admit that I was pleased at their immediate response. I didn’t think it was necessary to cancel the movie, but I am glad they took prompt action, even though there was no way to recall the movie announcement to prevent further offense.

I forwarded the original flyer to SM and asked him what he thought (giving him no hint of why I was asking). His response? “Um, did you want to see it or something?”

I then asked him to think about the movie theme (madman bombing skyscrapers) and the day (9/11)… and he said, “Oh.”

Remember how I wondered how anyone could miss the "d'oh" factor in that email? Yeah, well, I should have known better. That would be my dear husband. He’s pretty dense sometimes but very loveable.