A selection of sweets offered by UK discount store chain Poundland has come under fire on social media due to the branding of some of their products, which evoked accusations of sexism.
Two marshmallow brands, "Boobies" and "Booty", shaped resembling women’s breasts and buttocks respectively, and with packaging sporting phrases like "a cracking pair", "be gentle" and "squidge my cheeks", were slammed by a shopper.
The sweets were spotted in Bolton, Greater Manchester by Gemma Aitchison, who expressed her outrage on Twitter, with some netizens sharing her take on the situation.
What exactly are you trying to say with these products @Poundland to the families who come in store?
— Gemma Aitchison (BA hons) (@gemma_brett) 9 января 2019 г.
No sign of any male things to sexually assault. No testicles to grab at? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/8m09ke99TK
Oh my goodness. That is APPALLING. The sexualisation and objectification of women even in marshmallow form?? And that pornified illustration… Dear lord, @Poundland is still 1972 is your stores. This is an absolute disgrace.
— Josephine Liptrott (@JoLiptrott) 9 января 2019 г.
It’s totally in the kids aisle too!
— CarolineT_S (@CarolineT_S) 9 января 2019 г.
Others, however, suggested she was overreacting.
Pointless feminist snowflake everyone takes everything personally. It’s not aimed at a specific person and I don’t take the male version to heart! It’s not bloody deep stop whining over nothing
— Ben Cooper (@Ben101102) 11 января 2019 г.
As if you have stirred up a debate about some marshmallows 🤦♂️ the desperate need to be constantly offended. Pathetic
— Joe Taylor (@Joemoses90) 10 января 2019 г.
— S A M ⭐️ (@sausageparty21) 11 января 2019 г.
Because of snowflakes like you this is why we have a periodic table of genders, somthing that is made for fun gets taken way to far yet again,
— [NRG] ⚡Sydemon21⚡ LE (@sydemon21) 11 января 2019 г.
A Poundland representative told the Daily Mail newspaper that “If something’s offended you, we won't force you to buy it”, with a number of netizens approving of the store's response.
Good on Poundland sick of people being offended by everything these days
— Sharon🐊 (@shazzab74) 11 января 2019 г.
Pc brigade have gone too far. Well done poundland for not giving in to it.
— John Flynn (@JohnFly50667211) 12 января 2019 г.
Most sensible comment I have heard lately. Poundland for PM!
— Is it just me or… (@Tocanepauli) 12 января 2019 г.
"It's fine for you to look the other way and ignore it. Here at Poundland, we think it's ok that sometimes we don't always get it right for everyone, because, frankly it's impossible to do that”, the spokesperson remarked. "Just because someone doesn't like something we do, we also believe that doesn't give them the automatic right to stop us doing it for thousands of other people who like it."
