Rent Sons: US company mocked over name for hires who help with junk removal
The phrase "rent boy" means young male prostitute.
Um, pic.twitter.com/59D6ryleqg
— satanic vers (@patron_sailor) February 7, 2018
Twitter users are mocking a community help company over its name.
US-based Rent Sons, which started up in 2017, connects "sons" with "neighbours" - in other words, young people looking for short-term work and householders who want odd jobs done, such as painting, landscaping, moving, cleaning or party help. The rate is $25 (£18) an hour.
But after a Rent Sons advert was posted on Twitter by @patron_sailor, hundreds of people began pointing out that the name had connotations with rent boys, or young male prostitutes.
Reference to "junk removal" and "helping hand" in the advert also caused a few Twitter titters.
The poster, of Providence, Rhode Island, simply wrote "Um" to accompany his tweet of the advert. Later, he added: "Congratulations to the thousand people who responded to this with some variation of "rent boy"; you got the joke."
He must have seen many of these responses:
"Rent Boys" was already taken.
— Chad Smith (@SmithChadD) February 7, 2018
They wanted to use Rent Boys. But worried about trademark infringement.
— Guy Incognito (@TeamBloomart) February 8, 2018
Might want to go with branding message B in your failed A/B test
— Christopher Langford (@clangfordvc) February 8, 2018
Any job $25. Any job? Hmmm, they advertise a 'helping hand'. So that means a hand job is only $25.
— BK - #BringThemHere (@scorpiosities) February 9, 2018
— ShowMeTheReceipts (@ShowMeAReceipt) February 7, 2018
@patron_sailor also pointed out another potential issue with the tone of the advert.
"It's wild to me how resentment towards one's actual children is factored right into the ad copy here. Why won't your kids clean out the shed for free, those ungrateful little s**ts!?"
Rent Sons has been contacted for comment. Its website defines "sons" are "young adults who are currently in transition; loving, helping and serving their neighbours".
The company said it was keen to encourage community involvement.
"All of the neighbours we've helped over the years have special relationships with their sons in ways that go far beyond helping them with an odd job around the house," it said.