I think we need to start demanding the right to be rude, instead of the right to not be offended. The world would be a better place if, when someone said something offensive, the other party flipped them the bird and went on with their lives, instead of letting it work them up into hysteria. Sticks & stones vs. words and all that. Heads of state demanding formal apologies is ridiculous.

Mind you, people also have the right to decide to stop buying perfume for any old reason they choose, whether it's logical or reasonable or not. Live by publicity, die by publicity.

It's a real shame, though, that this real person got burned in the process, and I'm very sorry to hear about the cancer and two small boys. frown Life sucks sometimes.

eta: Ann said, at the beginning of her post: "Once again I'm reminded of how hard it is to be a well-known and successful woman." and I just wanted to say that it might depend a lot on what you're well-known for and successful at...

PJ

"You told me you weren't like other men," she said, shaking her head at him when the storm of laughter had passed.
He grinned at her - a goofy, Clark Kent kind of a grin. "I have a gift for understatement."
"You can say that again," she told him.
"I have a...."
"Oh, shut up."

--Stardust, Caroline K