Target has issued a statement after pulling a controversial costume from the racks amid consumer backlash. According to PEOPLE, Target has pulled a controversial clown costume that was criticized for evoking blackface, minstrel shows and racist imagery. The US retail corporation said it pulled the Halloween costume off its shelves after criticism across social media that it resembled a racist caricature.
Controversial Costume Details and Backlash
Per the report, now-deleted images of the costume, which was called 子ども用ブラックライト・グロウズ・サーカス・ピエロ,
showed a young Black boy standing in a black-and-orange bodysuit and hood with an exaggerated smile and a miniature top hat. The ad image for the costume, sold as the 子ども用ブラックライト・グロウズ・サーカス・ピエロ・ハロウィン・コスチューム,
depicted a Black child in a bright orange and black top with solid black gloves and a mask with a wide, toothy smile. The child was made to pose with one leg and arm raised in a waving gesture, which The Cut reported was an affiliation with Jim Crow-era depictions of Black people. Both the child’s pose and the costume’s gloves and mask were likened to caricatures of Black people used in minstrel shows. Target says it’s no longer selling a Halloween costume that it describes as “offensive” and “hurtful,” according to a company statement released on Monday. The Minnesota-based retail giant didn’t disclose specific details about the costume in its statement. When WCCO reached out to Target for more information about the costume, a spokesperson referred back to the comment.
Target’s Apology and Statement
After pulling the costumes, Target took to social media to issue a statement regarding the matter, writing, その企業として謝罪し、本来取り扱うべきではなかった問題のあるハロウィン用のコスチュームを撤去したと発表した。 Target added:
Targetは、企業としてこの対応を誤り、深くお詫び申し述べると述べ、これが特に黒人の顧客、チームメンバー、そしてパートナーにとって深く傷つくものであることを認識していると表明したうえで、コスチュームの撤去は重要な第一歩であり、このようなことが二度と起こらないようにするために何が原因で発生したのか、そして何を変更する必要があるのかを詳細に検証していると述べた。
The company reiterated in its statement: 同社は、このコスチュームは不快感を与えるものであり、本来取り扱うべきではなかったと改めて主張し、現在は販売されていないと付け加えた。
Wider Retail Context and Challenges
The development comes after almost one year after Target made the decision to roll back it’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The costume controversy is just the latest in a series for the Minneapolis-based retailer. Last year, activists called for a boycott of the company, after its decision to walk-back DEI initiatives. And last week, the American Federation of Teachers, a teachers’ union, called on Target’s CEO, Michael Fiddelke, to call for an end to Operation Metro Surge, Trump’s National Guard push in Minneapolis earlier this year. Target’s stock price decreased from $137.40 on 24 January, the day the company cut its DEI programs, to $104.70 on 15 March. On Wednesday, the company reported its second straight quarter of comparable sales gains, saying a merchandising overhaul under its new CEO is boosting sales throughout its stores, and the company is starting to experience a financial comeback after the initial boycott, but could face other challenges.
