Speaking from personal experience, wi-fi modems always arrive form the internet service provider with a headache-inducing preset password — something like “5ph34llbi88lbakKpabE.”
Things seem to have gotten a bit more user-friendly.
But the headache persists for one UK woman, who was outraged when she arrived at her elderly mother’s house for Christmas and discovered Virgin Media had set her up with an easier-to-remember, albeit potentially-offensive, password.
“Completely disgusted that my elderly mother has her Virgin wifi installed with THIS as her password?!” the woman tweeted with a photo of the password “gayfkers.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Seems more profane than offensive to us, but it still might be a bit much for dear old gran.
The Metro shared these photos of the exchange:
She added: “utterly offensive and ruined her Christmas. We have gay relatives today and everyone is so outraged and upset! Obscene.”
Just today?
Virgin apologized, claiming the passwords are randomly generated and admitting they might need to review the process:
Others online took a much less pearl-clutching approach to the misstep:
Stephen Scott
The irony is most of the gay people I know would love this as their password and find it hilarious…including me.
Jesse Erickson
Oh my gods no one cares. Stop getting offended for people when nobody cares.
kdavid
Storm in a teacup – there is nothing homophobic here, just an un/fortunate arrangement of letters.
Giancarlo85
It was a random computer error and the company admitted fault. I don’t see why this is a big deal.
scotshot
Take 5 seconds to change it. Enjoy the day. smh
onthemark
That would be a cool vanity license plate! Too bad no DMV would ever allow it.
onthemark
And you’d think that “Virgin” media would not have any kind of fkrs, lol.
jrh311
@onthemark: That’s a good one!
jrh311
I can see why this would be offensive. I’m glad the company apologized.
Uncle Mark
How come she got away with such an easy to read & remember password? My original password looked like someone had a seizure on a keyboard with twice as many characters. Another internet provider did provide my 84 year old mother with a cool Network Name “HOME_BEEF.” (Should have been mine.) Why do these older women get all the cool names & passwords? ;^)
Ed Hancock
this is from a previous article about the baker in Oregon being fined for not baking a cake for a gay wedding. So that means that I as a gay baker have to bake cakes for the KKK or any other hate group around? If it were me i would go to another baker. Would someone at Queerty enlighten me please.
enigmalad
Gayfkers 17 is one of my all time favorite films (the sequels that followed were just weren’t true to the franchise)
robho3
I think I’m going to change my password to that— lighten up Mary!
callenstewart
It “ruined her Christmas”?! Oh, FFS. Change the password and move on.
callenstewart
@Uncle Mark: “someone had a seizure on a keyboard” LMAO!!! So true.
Markajv
@enigmalad: HAHAHA!!! That’s funny. A married couple who are friends of mine owns a beach house and a whole bunch of friends from different states get together and for some odd reason the Husband has this 1 straight porn that’s like Slut Guzzlers 24 and he always asks if I want to see it, and I decline stating I never saw 1-23 so I would be lost in the story. Pfffft!!
Captain Obvious
Not really a big deal but inappropriate for a company to do. Seems like she’s going for a cash grab. Didn’t have a child present so granny is somehow traumatized like she hasn’t seen worse.
jrh311
@Captain Obvious: I didn’t realize she was looking for money. Oh wait, she wasn’t…
SarcasaticMisanthrope
Really, I don’t need you to get offended for me. Thank you.
norsequeen
I think that this is hilarious!! How in the world this is anti-gay, I don’t get at all. I’m 70 & would crack up at a password like that being generated for me. So perhaps I’m not elderly yet. As for this ruining their Christmas, I’m thinking that their Christmas probably isn’t much fun to begin with.
Tommy
Aw come on, it’s hilarious