Mike’s the Stupid News – Walmart Yanks ‘Naughty’ Halloween Costume Aimed at Toddlers
Walmart was forced to pull a costume from its store and issue an apology because parents were so offended by the sexually-charged name.
The retail giant received a ton of backlash for selling a Halloween costume marketed towards toddlers called the “Naughty Leopard,” even though there’s nothing remotely inappropriate with it. In fact, the costume has nothing to do with being naughty or being a leopard. It’s actually an age-appropriate black and purple dress you'd probably put your daughter in, plus matching black ears.
But after a photo of the packaging went viral, many consumers were so outraged by the “naughty” part in the costume’s name that Walmart was forced to stop selling the product and issue a mea culpa. "It was never our intention to offend anyone," said a Walmart spokesperson, adding, "we apologize to any customers who may have been offended by the name of the costume."
Look, I get that "naughty" can mean disobedient or misbehaved, but over the years it’s become more synonymous with something indecent, risqué, or downright skanky – especially when it comes to Halloween costumes. I have to wonder how a “naughty” anythingcostume for toddlers ever made it from idea, to production, to packaging, to distribution, to store shelves, without one person saying, "Hey, guys, maybe we should rethink this."