Pedobear appears in ad for computer parts distributor

[Astranomical]

Pedobear appears in America's Favorite Coupon Book spruiking for CP Distributor | News.com.au

WOW. What an unfortunate coincidence.
A Florida computer repair business just can't wait for March to end, after a coupon book advertised its services backed by one of the internet's most notorious meme mascots.
"Pedobear" has popped up in America's Favorite Coupon Book, spruiking the services of the computer parts retailer, CP Distributor.
The sinister bear is a favourite amongst users of forum site 4chan, where it is used to mock anyone associated with or requesting images of child pornography.
And if you're familiar with the forums at 4chan, you'll also recognise that other bit of unfortunate coincidentary, "CP".
If you're not, it's 4chan shorthand for "child porn", although the folks at CP Distributor would no doubt prefer you understand it to mean "Computer Parts".

It's hard not to miss "CP" bit in the America's Favorite Coupon Book ad, because it's mystifyingly blown up in a font twice as large as the rest of the business name.
So that's Pedobear and "CP" writ large - two strikes.
Hmm, perhaps not enough evidence to suggest the people at America's Favourite Coupon Book were guilty of anything other than not boning up on internet memes.
“We didn’t know anything about the bear or what it was when the coupon book was published,” Robert Dicks, part-owner of the business, told The Smoking Gun.
There's a very good reason to believe Dicks would not have approved the ad if he knew what Pedobear - and CP - signified, and here's why.
Ready for that third strike?
According to The Smoking Gun, Dicks, 55, once spent seven years in jail for sexually assaulting a child.

he Smoking Gun's editor, William Bastone, confirmed to News.com.au | News Online from Australia & the World | NewsComAu that the Robert Earl Dicks in the rap sheet lived at the residence owned by CP Distributor's other partners, one of which is Dicks' sister.
He identified himself to Mr Bastone and has registered the address along with the names of his sister and her husband as the officers on the incorporation papers.
Over the past few days, he's learnt all he needs to know about Pedobear, having been on the receiving end of numerous emails from subscribers querying CP Distributor's choice of mascot.
As for the publisher of the coupon book, they're blaming the "innocent" use of the image on a 40-something female designer who found the image while searching for clip art.
They could not, however, explain to The Smoking Gun why she was searching for an image of a bear when sourcing images for a computers parts retailer advertisement.
Dicks told The Smoking Gun - before hanging up on them - that the April edition of America's Favorite Coupon book would include another ad for CP Distributors sans Pedobear.

How unfortunate...either way - it gave me something to laugh at on what was otherwise a terrible day.

[Jesterarts]

This is the funniest park of the article for me:

40-something female designer who found the image while searching for clip art.

Ok, "designer" and "clipart" are words that don't belong in the same sentence.

[ari666]

what an UBER name for a pc shop!!!! genious!!!! CP distributor!!!

LMFAO

[walesy]

haha funny as! on a side note ari666, 4400 posts in 2 years!?? umm do you work or sleep or is JC your life?? LOL

[ClairBear]

Me thinks the 40-something female Designer knew of Dick's background and this was her way of giving up his past to the world. If I am right, her plan worked. Otherwise as posed in the article why would you choose a bear as a Mascot for a computer parts business?

[ari666]

computer parts, selling parts to computer nerds, of which millions would have lol'd at one stage or another at the antics of /b (rule 1 and 2, i know, i know, sorry) and therefore buy more stuff from him.

excellent business strategy is excellent.

(and no, i dont sleep )

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

haha funny as! on a side note ari666, 4400 posts in 2 years!?? umm do you work or sleep or is JC your life?? LOL

I must be really sad.......but then it's taken me almost 5 years to get to 7000.

The ad has to be a set up, who would use that image and the business name together? Where did they get the image to start with?

[Trayner]

4chan ftw lol

[Tim Smtih]

4chan ftw lol

Dunno if i heard correctly but the bear was ripped from some school that used the image as a mascot long before the 4chan fad was around. whatever.