For JCPenney, oddly enough, the DeGeneres factor, along with the gay parent catalogue feature, may serve this same multi-generational purpose by being a wee bit edgy even as it affirms family as an abiding touchstone of the JCP ethos.

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The silver-and-white aesthetic pulls the package together, and the docked tablet even manages to look a little edgy and futuristic.

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The intended joke is that no one in Hollywood really knows what "edgy" is supposed to mean, even though it gets bandied about in film development offices on a daily basis.

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For those targeting domestic consumers, the rethink should be even more radical as demand for sports shoes, edgy fashions and electronic gadgets may start to decline in relative and, eventually, absolute terms.

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The jokes might not be considered particularly edgy to non-Iraqis -- or even necessarily that funny.

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