Reign Murphy was extremely distressed when shopping at Target after seeing an awful red, green, and white sweater. But it wasn’t the color scheme that was the problem. What bothered her the most were the words “insensitive” splashed on the front. She was so unhappy that she took a picture and blasted a major American retailer.
Accompanied with a picture of herself wearing the “offensive” top that stated “OCD Obsessive Christmas Disorder,” Reign wrote, she’d really appreciate it if they didn’t market her mental illness as a fashion statement, revealing she had true OCD. The post instantly went viral, earning over a thousand retweets, as Target came under criticism for the sweater’s $22.40 normal size price tag and $24 plus-size price tag.
Of course, the cost difference was not the problem. While “Obsessive Christmas Disorder” has become a word that many product designers have placed on items to describe folks who adore all things Christmas and may go crazy, some patients of the mental condition were irritated by the play on obsessive-compulsive disorder.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 2.2 million American adults suffer from OCD, and many of them seemed eager to weigh in on the subject. Several consumers, like Reign Murphy, believed the shirt’s wording made light of mental illness and chastised the celebratory item for doing so. Kate Gannon joined Reign by tweeting a picture of herself wearing the jumper.
While other social media users slammed the retail behemoth, Twitter quickly became flooded with similar views. “I am irritated that we still live in a society where making light of mental health is OK,” and “Why is trivializing a mental condition so widely accepted?” were just two of the many critical tweets.
Others, including those claiming to have OCD, thought the outcry was unjustified and backed Target’s sale of the apparel. “As someone with OCD, Target’s OCD sweater does not bother me in the least,” one Twitter user said, while another joked, “As someone with OCD, I don’t see any need to be unhappy about Target’s ‘offensive’ jumper – it’s exactly even!”
Target eventually issued an apology in response to the uproar but appeared to advise consumers to move on. In an email, Target representative Jessica Carlson stated that they never want to upset any of their guests and apologize for any inconvenience. Despite the criticism from individuals who believed the slogan demeaned and insulted a severe mental disease, the sweater was not going away anytime soon.
Target said they were sorry that some customers were offended, but they didn’t care about all the complaints because the item wouldn’t be taken off the shelves until the season was over or it sold out. They do not presently have plans to remove this sweater, according to Carlson response to the outcry.
This isn’t the first time—and we doubt it will be the last—that Target has been the subject of a controversy over its clothing choices. A women’s T-shirt with the word “Trophy” on the front drew similar criticism and prompted a petition requesting that it be removed off the store’s shelves. The shirt appeared to be a play on the phrase “trophy wife,” which was popularized in a 1989 article about successful CEOs and their younger spouses; critics saw something quite different.
“Every year, millions of women and young girls are seized as ‘trophies’ in conflict, sex trafficking, enslavement, and rape,” according to the petition. “To label somebody as a ‘Trophy’ is to degrade their humanity and objectify them as a physical object that can be purchased, used, and discarded.”
Target reacted to the situation by apologizing to consumers who had been offended. It is never their desire to upset anybody, according to the company’s statement. These shirts are meant to be a playful wink, and we’ve had an incredibly favorable reaction from their visitors.”
If you’re seeking a reason to be offended, you can find something distressing in almost everything, and this may be one of those occasions. But one important aspect was made. A lady inquired as to why it is OK to make a joke about mental illness on a product but not about a fatal sickness such as cancer, given that any unpleasant condition or diagnosis might be detrimental to someone’s life. Nonetheless, humor isn’t supposed to be taken seriously since it often makes light of serious events.
While dealing with difficult circumstances such as sickness and disorders, humor may be an excellent coping tool. Isn’t laughter, after all, the greatest medicine? Which is worse, making a joke or using emotional blackmail to persuade people into giving you what you want?
We’d be in big trouble if “I’m offended” was an automatic reason for someone to cease what they’re doing. If you don’t like the clothing, it may be best not to purchase it. And maybe it’s better not to give the “offensive” businesses and their “insensitive” items free publicity by venting on social media.
