Someecards is so damn funny. Too funny, apparently for Apple.
In a move that is only surprising because Apple has been getting better about ridiculous app rejections, Apple has rejected Someecards iPhone app on the grounds that it “contains objectionable content and content that ridicules public figures.” Anyone who has ever visited Someecards will know that this is standard practice, and one of the things that makes the site so funny.
So who are those public figures? Well one is Hilter. Another is Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld). And a third is Roman Polanski (by way of Jack Nicholson).
Ridiculing Hitler should need no explanation (and, to be fair, Apple perhaps didn’t care too much about that but maybe more about the Jewish reference — which was in reference to Inglourious Basterds, a great movie, by the way). Michael Richards was being ridiculed for his racist outburst a few years ago. And Roman Polanski about his conviction for statutory rape (which happened at Jack Nicholson’s house in the 1970s).
Those are the three images Apple included in their note back to Someecards about what they found objectionable. Now, to be sure, all of those jokes are best suited for a mature audience, but Someecards did rate their app as 17+. More importantly, all are clearly satire, something which is protected by the First Amendment.
And best of all, once again this is a case of Apple rejecting an app for containing content that you can just as easily get on your iPhone by directing your Safari web browser to someecards.com. The main difference is that with an app, there is some level of protection (if parents choose to turn it on) to block kids from using it. On the iPhone web version, all are welcome!
You may recall that at one point, Apple had rejected an app that contained the famous Shepard Fairey “Hope” picture of Barack Obama. The reasoning for that was also that it “ridiculed public figures.” Apple changed it tune on that eventually, and hopefully they will here as well. Satire is satire, and it’s all on the web, and it’s funny. Lighten up, Apple.
