Bloomingdale’s has issued an apology for an incredibly offensive ad found in their Christmas catalogue. The ad is for Rebecca Minkoff clothing, and features a woman laughing while her male companion is leering at her, apparently without her notice. The ad reads, “Spike Your Best Friend’s Eggnog When They’re Not Looking.”
Courtesy of Independent
While the ad itself is distasteful, to say the least, it is even more appalling that it was initially approved, and made it to print in the first place. There is never a good reason to spike someone’s drink without consent, and the use of gender inclusive language does nothing to remove the inference of sexual assault from the ad.
Bloomingdale’s eventually responded to the overwhelming response to the text over Twitter, saying that they “sincerely apologize” for the “catalogue copy”. They also admitted it was “inappropriate and in poor taste”, though why they needed feedback from the public to make that determination is concerning.
We heard your feedback about our catalog copy, which was inappropriate and in poor taste. Bloomingdale’s sincerely apologizes.
— Bloomingdale’s (@Bloomingdales) November 10, 2015
A statement was also issued, in which a spokesperson called the publication of the ad an “error in judgment”. For a company with easy access to a lot of legal advice, it seems like more than a simple “error in judgement” to advocate something that is actually illegal. The ad is yet another example of rape culture seeping through to the media we as a society consume. Unfortunately, the ad had already made it to print before Bloomingdale’s noticed their “inappropriate” language, meaning it cannot be pulled.
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