Do we still find “flicking the V” offensive?

Posted by Fit-Mistake-4390@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 43 comments

I was reminded today that Left 4 Dead 2’s box art had to be changed for the UK market to avoid conflating the original box art design with the titular offensive gesture.

But even for 2009 I can’t imagine anyone would have been fussed over it. If someone gave you the two-finger salute, would you actually be upset by it?

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Lessarocks@reddit

Intent is everything. If it was meant to offend, it will offend.

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L9GTX@reddit

I think I would find it endearingly retro. V signs, jumpers for goalposts...

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OllyDee@reddit

I find it as offensive as the word “bum”.

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OllyDee@reddit

Sorry mate I’ll go and wash my mouth out.

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buginarugsnug@reddit

I would assume it to mean that person was telling me to f*** off.

Whether or not I get offended by it depends who it is doing it and my mood on the day.

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Few-Improvement-5655@reddit

It wasn't offensive on the L4D2 box because it's clearly just a clawing hand and not someone flashing you the V.

Flashing someone the V is a deliberate act, and usually comes with a motion of wobbling your fingers back and forward.

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My teenager has discovered the playful potential of the V and uses it in response to more or less any request, just as I did at that age, to my dad. And as long as he still does the thing, I don’t mind at all

Middle finger at my parents? Never. But even now (I’m 40’s, parents 60’s/70’s) it’s pretty frequent in a jokey context

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Gerrydealsel@reddit

The V is worse than the middle finger. Middle finger makes you look like some silly bugger who is annoyed, whereas the V makes it look like you're coming for me.

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Y-Bob@reddit

You just need to add "Fuck off. You cunt." to ensure it retains some semblance of profanity and therefore proper insult.

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8bitPete@reddit

I find the two finger gesture has largely been replaced with the single middle finger.

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TheMightyBattleCat@reddit

And the middle finger has been replaced with the “wanker” gesture.

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

And then some people just leave it there, like the longer they give me the finger the angrier I'll get. I just find it pathetic, if you're going to insult me put some effort in.

I'll still give people the v, bent over so I'm flicking them between my legs while blowing raspberries

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8bitPete@reddit

The raspberry... Can get you ironed out round here.

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Fancy-Licker-66UK@reddit

I believe the first American Middle Finger I saw was on Happy Days (1977) it followed the Man U/ Liverpool FA cup final.

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roja_85@reddit

Yes. But it's less than a middle finger. And a well executed wanker sign is still top insult. Not in offence, but in really meaning it. It's a craft, and I'm nowhere near good enough at gesturing wanker at someone. One for the absolute craftsmen of insults. Subtle, yet powerful.

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miss-minus@reddit

It's like a kid swear, I'd equate it to a "piss off" rather than a "fuck you"

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Fancy-Licker-66UK@reddit

The V sign is very 60’s 70’s if we wanted to tell someone to F off then we would give it to them!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😎

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PowerApp101@reddit

Yes we hadn't been invaded by the American middle finger by then.

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navagon@reddit

The V shows your enemy that they haven't cut off your archery fingers and this failure of theirs means you can still loose arrows at them and their comrades. Clearly there's nothing more offensive than that.

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OllyDee@reddit

There’s actually no evidence for 100 Years War thing mate, sorry to burst your bubble. Nobody actually knows where it came from.

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navagon@reddit

It's disputed but it's certainly not proven false.

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FrogOwlSeagull@reddit

There's an infinite number of things not proven false. The problem is finding anything that suggests it's true.

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PowerApp101@reddit

The coolest option should win

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PKblaze@reddit

Me and my partner flip the bird whenever we pass a glance at each other. If you get offended by a couple of fingers ya need to get a grip.

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confusing_roundabout@reddit

I honestly haven't thought about this since I was in primary school.

I feel like the globalisation of culture has led to things like this just being a quaint old English quirk and not something meaningful.

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driftwooddreams@reddit

Yep, it’s not just offensive it is deliberately and intentionally aggressive. As an aside, if anyone ‘gives me the bird’ I laugh; anyone parroting a yank gesture is attempting to be cool as well as rude, the complete cockwomble.

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OddPerspective9833@reddit

Because it was offensive or because it looked like a really lame attempt to be edgy? Just for that reason it probably would have slightly hurt sales to leave it with the V

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foulveins@reddit

to be fair i'd say the torn off thumb on the original covers would've been more of a concern lol

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MountainMuffin1980@reddit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead_2#Cover_art

Valve was forced to alter its original cover art for the game by the ESRB; the original image depicted the series' hand with its little finger, ring finger and the thumb torn off, which would thus have the index finger and middle finger remaining. It was deemed too explicit, and to appease the ESRB, Valve changed the image so that the fingers were merely bent back instead, but the company was still able to include the torn-off thumb in all regions except for Japan and Germany, where it had to be censored.[6]

The cover was further changed for release in the United Kingdom, as the two-finger sign with the back of the hand faced toward the viewer is considered an insult; the UK cover features the hand facing the opposite direction to avoid this, making it instead the more optimistic gesture for "victory"

It wasn't even attempting to be edgy originally!

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OddPerspective9833@reddit

I didn't say it was trying, just that it looked that way

(Btw the reference included for that second paragraph is just some random's musings, not confirmation of why it was changed)

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Jeggasyn@reddit

Regardless of the answer, may I express my happiness for someone mentioning L4D2 in any context outside of a gaming sub. One of the best games ever created.

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Idontunderstandmost@reddit

Because doing the vee with backwards fingers is like the middle finger. Doing the vee with forwards fingers is the peace sign.

It’s still very much like the middle finger, so probably wouldn’t be used across media aimed at all ages? Just bad marketing to do that, in terms of getting parents to buy it etc

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Sea_Director_4439@reddit

Nah, it's anachronistic and a little bit twee. I couldn't be offended by it.

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Fit-Mistake-4390@reddit (OP)

I agree completely

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SuperDinkle406@reddit

The French half of me is offended by it. and my Scottish side keeps doing it. I am conflicted.

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Long-Improvement-894@reddit

It’s contextual. At work, sure. Outside of work, nah.

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Skittlit@reddit

I feel it's so antiquated that it's now only used for sarcasm. Your friend says something bantery and you flick the V in response. Middle finger is the only one with power now and even that is pretty empty of offense. Middle finger is probably resigned just to drivers now.

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smellyfeet25@reddit

it could be enough to get you punched .

not a good idea to give it to your boss

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PutTheKettleOff@reddit

If it was meant in an offensive manner, absolutely yes.

And I use it in an offensive manner on rare occasions so I hope the intent is still conveyed.

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