PHILLY – If it was a joke, it went over like a lead ballon. Women’s groups and activists were riled this week after a swanky restaurant on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia recently put up a sign in its window. “I like my beer like I like my violence. Domestic,” it read, neatly handprinted in colored chalk at Smith’s Restaurant and Lounge. It didn’t take long for Philadelphia’s community activists to assail the restaurant and condemn the sign as being in bad taste. “This sign in any circumstance would be appalling, but given what we see in Philadelphia everyday, it’s horrible,” said Jeannine Lisitski, executive director of Women Against Abuse. Lisitski said volunteer spoke with a manager who attributed the sign to a victim of domestic abuse. “Even though it was written by a survivor, I think it’s appaling,” Lisitsky said. “This is not acceptable.”

Clever, but AIDS, rape, and domestic violence are the Holy Trinity of what you should never use as a marketing tool. Too much heat in the kitchen. Probably can throw pedophilia and Gary Busey’s face into that ‘turns people off’ category, too. Like I’m all for upstaging the political correctness of society, but even I know when something is probably too borderline it’s going to come back bite me squarely in the dick. And how about the the balls of Smith’s coming out in defense with: It’s ok, it was written by a domestic violence survivor. Oh, ok. It’s cool then. Maybe now Sears will launch their campaign run by Holocaust survivors joking about selling some ovens. That would go over fantastically.