I've been deemed offensive...
A company that sells cuddly Teddy bears through the mail has angered mental health advocates with a special item for Valentine's Day.
The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. is featuring a 15-inch bear in a straitjacket. The $69.95 stuffed animal is called the "Crazy for You Bear" and comes with its own commitment papers.
"This bear was created in the spirit of Valentine's Day and as with all of our bears it was designed to be a lighthearted depiction of the sentiment of love," the company said in a statement.
Mental health advocates believe the bear is "a tasteless use of marketing that stigmatizes persons with mental illness," said Jerry Goessel, executive director of the Vermont chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
The company said it would discontinue the bear, but not before Feb. 14.
"We recognize that this is a sensitive, human issue and sincerely apologize if we have offended anyone," the firm said. "This bear was developed just for Valentine's Day and is not a permanent addition to our product line."
Source: sfgate.com
And now that the do-gooders have stopped production of this item I bet you'll see them fetching a fortune on eBay soon.
Dunno what all the fuss is about. As a mentally ill person myself I love the little bear so much I've made him my icon (I first found him on Mal's blog). I don't know what's so offensive about him. Then again, because I'm mentally ill, my opinion is, ipso facto, invalid. So I guess I'll have to defer to those arseholes who belittle us by daring to speak on our behalf and call themselves "advocates". PC wankers! Glad I'm nuts really... So sue me!
posted by The Editor at
9:08 PM
4 Comments:
I didn't realise straitjackets were still de rigeur for nuts like us, and if this is the case, then teddy bears making light of them, and a PC response from those who use them on people, are indicators for offence all-round.
Dunno if they still use them, but I wouldn't be surprised.
I was once told they don't use ECT anymore either. Then a couple of years later I was told how much better ECT is these days. "there's no pain you know" (they omitted to say that it was because they knock you out first these days).
How can they be trusted, these lying mongrels? At the end of the day they are just psychoshysters fucking with others' minds and treating them like lab rats, Link.
Link, I've had another read of your comment and I think you're saying that the teddy is offensive. Well, I think it's up to individual interpretation and not a universal thing. So I have to differ. I'm not offended. Sorry if this offends you...
Ron, you've had a pretty rough past from the sounds of it. I sympathise. Hang in there, young fella.
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