It’s getting so that I can hardly wait to turn on the news every morning, just to see what ridiculous item the American public is going to trash next. First it was retailers being trashed for “offensive” Halloween costumes, and shortly thereafter, Starbucks was jumped on for their “un-Christmas-like” red coffee cups.
It’s a funny thing that everyone has avoided trashing Thanksgiving altogether. Perhaps trashing a turkey is about all there is to the holiday, unless someone wanted to get a row started about where the first Thanksgiving was really held. But, that’s another story for another time.
Target is selling a red sweater emblazoned with the phrase, “Obsessive Christmas Disorder.” It is a direct reference to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a mental illness affecting over two million adults in the United States. There are varying degrees of OCD, and some people lead very normal lives, while others are debilitated with the disorder.
The Huffington Post says while Target may not have intentionally meant to offend anyone, the fact that they used a term that describes a mental illness causes great harm. As mental health advocate Rebecca Fuoco says, “Making these flippant references (1) trivializes how devastating the illnesses can be and (2) perpetuates myths and misunderstandings.”
One could say that getting all bent out of shape over a slogan on a sweater is nothing more than an overreaction. And one could say that not having “I love Jesus,” or “Merry Christmas” plastered on a coffee cup is also an overreaction, and I for one, have to agree. But I also agree with those people who suffer with OCD, that the slogan on the sweater is offensive, trivializing a disease that is not very funny.
It seems to me that we have so many more really pressing worries we should be talking about. Just think, if 12 million people can voice their opinions about a coffee cup because it is too plain, what would happen if those same millions talked about something important to all Americans, like poverty, gang violence, the environment and other issues too numerous to name here.
But sadly, most of us have our eyes glued to our smartphones or iPads, texting our lives away so fast that we have little time to see or hear what’s going on in our world. Have we become so internalized and mindless that we can’t even think for ourselves? Really, get a life!
According to OR-Politics.com, Target has issued a statement that its $24 sweater will not be pulled. In a statement to Business Insider, the company said: “We never want to disappoint our guests and we apologize for any discomfort.” I say everyone should boycott Target, instead of just posting comments online.
