Sometimes, there are items and products that are released by companies that make us shake our heads and question, “How did this get approved?” Whether it’s the name of a product, the lack of diversity in the selection, or something that pushes a stereotype forward, it’s bad publicity and bad for society. Marketing teams are often in place for a specific reason and one of them is to avoid these kinds of scandals.
All it takes usually is for one person to spot the problem.
When one person realizes there’s a problem, they often times post it on social media. As soon as it’s up online, it’ll take off like wild fire and go viral.
Recently, one mom posted a video of a Poppy doll from ‘Trolls’ that she said was inappropriate for young children.
Hasbro, the toy company behind the Poppy doll, ended up pulling the product from the shelves after a parent petition appeared on the internet. The doll’s button was located between its legs, in a “private” area, according to upset parents.
It goes to show that sometimes sharing things online can bring forth change.
After seeing Hasbro pull a toy from the shelves, other companies are paying attention to what customers and consumers are saying about their products, hoping to avoid a scandal similar to that.
Recently, one mom shared a photo of a T-shirt she spotted at Tesco that she felt was “racist.”
Kate Wells was shopping at Tesco in Dover, U.K. when she spotted the shirt on a rack with the image of a Black mermaid. At first, she said she was drawn to the shirt because , “diversity in clothing is particularly rare.”
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The shirt is actually from a popular children’s book titled ‘That’s Not My Mermaid’.
The T-shirt in question was not a stand-alone product. It’s from a popular children’s book that is titled, That’s Not My Mermaid . The mermaid in the shirt’s design and in the book appears to have a dark skin tone.
The mother had an issue with the text below the mermaid.
Underneath the mermaid and the text that reads “That’s Not My Mermaid,” it says, “Her hair is too fluffy.” Wells stated that the context of the T-shirt is racist, as “fluffy” hair is a stereotype young Black girls experience as a part of the stigma of their natural hair.
Wells opened up about this issue not being “new.”
“It is not a new issue, especially with all that has been in the media recently, ignorance is not an excuse anymore. It makes me feel so sad and angry that this is how Black children are growing up,” she said in an interview with Kent Live.
Tesco has responded to the inquiry about the T-shirt and has decided to remove the shirt from its stores.
A spokesperson for Tesco responded to the complaint and said:
“We remain absolutely committed to ensuring that Tesco is a place where everybody is welcome and apologize for any offense caused. We will not be purchasing any more orders of this product.”
It’s important to advocate for all of our children.
The product placement was clearly not malicious in its intent, however, knowing that it can be interpreted poorly it is important that we speak out and stand up for our children. Good on Wells and good on Tesco for responding appropriately.
h/t: Lad Bible