Target in trouble with BBWs (1 Viewer)

[Wolbrat]

As a joke, it's funny.

As a marketing ploy, it is really, really stupid.

I assume that since it was a product for sale, the name of the color was not supposed to be a joke, but was supposed to help the dress seem attractive enough to buy.

To quote a shopping movie, "BIG mistake. HUGE."

 

[SuePrudhomme]

See, that's what I really don't get. Manatees are ugly creatures. I mean, truly hideously ugly. They're whiskery and pig-eyed and shaped like turds. They ain't got no alibi.

Why would any company want to draw a parallel between these ugly animals and their clothing -- no matter what size it is? Clothing colors are usually meant to be appealing, which is why you have, say, buttercup yellow and not pee-stain yellow. No woman, regardless of size, is likely to gravitate to "manatee gray" as opposed to "dark heather gray" or even "battleship gray." At least battleships are kind of sleek and cool-looking, unlike manatees.

Also, I have to say the fat-chick hate in this thread is really saddening. I've been a fat chick and a thin chick and a mostly-in-between chick, and totally aside from the foolishness of that Target thing (which, by the way, I think people took way too seriously if they got their XL panties in a bunch over it), it's kind of awful to read some of the meaner comments here.

I didn't know my dysfunctional thyroid ever caused some people so much anguish. I'm sure glad I got it fixed. It's great that I no longer sleep 12 hours a day or suffer the physical symptoms of a hypoactive thyroid, but the real benefit is clearly to society. Now, when some total stranger checks out my caboose, I won't offend his eyes. I'll be sure to keep taking my pills and eating 1,200 calories a day for the rest of my life not so I can continue to function, but so I no longer bring on attacks of nausea in others by daring to go out in public while fat.

 

[Anteros77]

It's amazing how common thyroid problems are. It's become the new "big boned.". I'm not accusing you of this, but I know at least 7 people with alleged thyroid problems. All but one of them is overweight. One of them actually has some medical documentation of her problem, and sadly she is the only one who actually has her diet under control. The rest just like to eat and sleep a lot. It can't possibly be their own fault that they are fat, so they blame their thyroid.

I don't care if a stranger is fat or not...but I do think it's hilarious when they get enraged when someone reminds them how they look. Especially when it's an accident like what happened here. (let's be honest. Does anyone really believe that Target set out to purposely ostracize their umm..."largest" demographic?)

I know I probably seem inconsiderate, and borderline rude...but honestly, I have been fat before and no one did me any favors by trying to spare my feelings. It wasn't until some true friends let me know I had a problem and that it wasn't ok that I stopped eating myself to death. Now, years later I'm in the best shape of my life, and I couldn't be happier that my friends cared enough about me to be rude and hurt my feelings when it mattered.

 

[SuePrudhomme]

Please let me know the number where I can fax you my medical history so I have an official doctor's note for disgusting you with my size 10 body.

I guess it's good for you that you had friends who cared to hurt your feelings, but did strangers regularly do likewise on message boards and in other public places? Did they do it cruelly? You may have gotten the occasional comment, but I kind of doubt it; fat guys usually don't get the crap that fat chicks do.

It's more socially acceptable to be a fat guy because you aren't expected to be ornamental like a woman is. If you leave the house looking a mess, you're just a guy. Let a woman do it, and she's "let herself go" or is an eyesore or something. I don't envy y'all in most regards, but man, it must be nice to leave the house with messy hair and no makeup and not have people ask you if you're sick.

To get back on track with the original post, it is totally stupid that people got so bent out of shape over it. C'mon, they want to sell clothes. The last thing they want to do is alienate their shoppers no matter what size they are. I can think of so many better things to get outraged about than "manatee gray" -- like the fact that total strangers feel like they have a right to comment on how they feel about my fat butt or bare face.

 

[LKN H20Girl]

Who the hell actually reads the color description??? It's grey. People just look for things to get upset about.