Kmart removes 'beyond inappropriate' children's costume after backlash from parents
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Kmart Australia has removed a children's Halloween costume from its shelves following a petition from a concerned parent, who called the outfit "beyond inappropriate."
Australia's 7 News reported that Shannon B , who asked the outlet to keep her last name anonymous, noticed the costume when Halloween shopping with her daughter.
The outfit, simply labeled as "Bride Costume," depicts a young girl wearing a wedding gown and veil. Shannon noted that the costume, which was selling for $6, was marked as being made for children as young as 4 years old.
"This is beyond inappropriate and offensive and Kmart has a social responsibility to pull this item off their shelves immediately," the mom told 7 News on Tuesday .
Shannon's outrage led to her starting a Change.org petition , which demanded that the retailer pull the costume from its stores. The petition has earned close to 250 signatures in the three days since its launch.
"Each year, 12 million children (girls as young as 6 years old — the same size as this 'costume') are sold or married off by their family without their consent," the petition's description states. "Child marriage means child abuse and torture in its worst forms — pedophilia, child rape, child slavery, child sex trafficking."
The petition's signature count might not be massive, but it was enough to grab Kmart's attention. The store announced Tuesday afternoon that it would be pulling the costumes from all of its Australian stores, in addition to offering an apology.
"Kmart Australia regrets the decision to range the bride costume," a Kmart spokesperson said Tuesday. "It was not intended to cause offense and we sincerely apologize. We have made the decision to withdraw this product."
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Justified, or much ado about nothing?
Just another triggered snowflake like we have here in the US. I would bet money this same mother would dress her 4 year old daughter up as a slutty witch and parade her around the neighborhood. Virtue signaling gets old quick.
I thought that Halloween costumes were supposed to be scary.
Much ado about nothing.
How sheltered has somebody's life been that this is what they choose to get outraged about?
I totally agree.
I'm not sure this is justifiably a political issue.
We could just as well see some "conservative" condemning the costume because it sexualizes the child (a 4 yr old with a wedding night?) .
My own perception is that I think bride Halloween costumes for little girls have been around for a long time. Why is the complaint just coming now?
I agree partially. It's a religious issue, but for some people, liberal politics is their religion.
Absolutely. Religious people need things to condemn.
Excellent question/point.
This is much to do about nothing.
It's a costume. My daughter wore one for Halloween and I didn't try to marry her off (now she is a bridezilla).
Whatever happened to using your brain? Context people, context!
I swear people look for reasons to be offended.
Your comment reminded me of this:
Reminds me of this.............
Seriously ?
Just don't buy the thing lady !
Too much ado about nothing!
I wish we could see which costume Shannon B chose for her daughter. I may be offended by it. 🤔
This is fing rediculous. It is halloween, get over yourselves.
Thanks to the internet age, we never run out of morons who can influence people. Does it really need to be explained how stupid this protest is?
It's a costume. It's a fantasy. And the fantasy is most definitely not being forcibly married or trafficked or some similar insanity.
But heck, even if that were the fantasy, kids also dress up as brain-eating zombies and blood-sucking vampires. No sane person thinks these activities are anything other than fun, dress-up fantasies. No one is trying to actually celebrate or promote injustice or atrocity.
How disappointing that the store actually caved to this nonsense!
Much to do about nothing
Much ado about nothing. Wow there actually seems to be a consensus happening here, this is a first.
Companies need to stop listening to these nutters and then maybe they will go away.