Vape shop faces criticism after turning a heinous crime into a pun for the board: ‘Trying to label that as cool is unacceptable’
- Vape shop in Melbourne’s CBD has drawn anger
- People call it a “tasteless rape pun”
A vape shop outside a busy shopping center has been criticized for branding itself with a “tasteless” reference to one of the world’s worst criminals.
The ‘Serial Vapist’ store is located on Swanson Street, just outside the Melbourne Central shopping centre, and sparked online anger after a photo of the frontage was shared on Reddit.
Hundreds of people expressed contempt for the alleged play about ‘serial rapist’ – a criminal who sexually assaulted a number of victims.
“That’s in amazingly bad taste,” one user wrote.
“Report it to the council.”
Hundreds of people labeled the store as ‘tasteless’
“Deeply disturbing, especially as it’s right in your face next to the fancy bagel/bingsu/crepe shops,” wrote another.
“Really adds a disgusting touch to an otherwise sweet corner of central Melbourne.”
Rape isn’t funny. This pun is tasteless, and so is vaping,” commented another.
“Melbourne, known for its great coffee, Nazis and tacky rape puns,” added one.
Last month, the Victorian Independence Movement’s Twitter page accused the shop of ‘marketing rape culture’ and called for Melbourne’s deputy Mayor Nicholas Reece to step in.
“Can you do something about it?” they wrote.
“It’s not who we are as a city or a country.”
The shop is owned by a company called KANJO7 PTY LTD, which is listed on the Australian Business Register.
A spokesperson for the Melbourne Central shopping mall, which is run by The CPT Group, said the vape shop had nothing to do with it and was owned by a separate entity.
Despite this, they had already received five complaints about it on Tuesday.
Denis Ryan, manager of the centre, said he was aware of the offending signage and confirmed that it ‘is not located in Melbourne Central and is not a tenant of The GPT Group’.
“As such, we are not in a position to discuss these concerns with the retailer,” he said.
“The type of signage displayed would not be approved in Melbourne Central nor any other retail property operated by The GPT Group.
“Melbourne Central’s management is committed to making our center safe, vibrant and welcoming to all customers, retailers and employees.”
Daily Mail Australia has approached Melbourne City Council for comment.