• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

Bed Bath & Beyond pulls jack-o'-lanterns after "blackface" complaints

Sectorseven

Sectorseven

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,560

Bed Bath & Beyond is reportedly no longer selling jack-o'-lanterns decked out in black paint with white mouths after some residents of Nyack, New York, took umbrage at a local law firm's Halloween display.

The brouhaha started with complaints from community members about a Halloween display in front of the Feerick, Hugent, MacCartney Law Offices, prompting its attorneys to move the pumpkins out of view, according to a local media report.



"We understand that someone complained about them, and so once we got word of that we immediately took them down," Mary Marzolla, a partner at the law firm, told News 12.

The jack-o'-lanterns showed an "extreme lack of sensitivity," according to Wilbur Aldridge, director of the regional NAACP chapter. "By now I would believe everyone [would] know that anything in blackface is offensive," he told local outlets in a statement. "Equally as offensive is that a retail store would have such an item in [their] inventory for general purchase."

Bed Bath & Beyond reportedly apologized, saying it did not mean to offend anyone and that it has removed the pumpkins from its stores.
 
mrjohill

mrjohill

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,040
ya know if it was just painted black and carved i dont think anyone woudl have a problem. but its the white paint for the mouth that had me looking sideways
 
TAJ

TAJ

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
12,446
Weird that they even colored the mouth at all. Weird as in suspect.
Just lighting the inside would highlight the mouth shape, like it does on every other one.
 
Kewlmyc

Kewlmyc

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
26,682
Yeah, I don't get this one. I'm guessing someone wanted either the white paint to stick out in the dark against the dark pumpkin, or didn't want to carve a pumpkin.
 
AnansiThePersona

AnansiThePersona

Started a revolution but the mic was unplugged
Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,682
Yeah.....this is hilariously silly. Come on y'all. I came into the thread expecting some real shit.
 
Volimar

Volimar

volunteer forum janitor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,313
From the title I thought people were overreacting, but having seen them... They do evoke that imagery. Why have the teeth at all? Make them holes like normal jack o' lantern decorations.
 
BlkSquirtle

BlkSquirtle

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 26, 2017
948
Kewlmyc said:
Yeah, I don't get this one. I'm guessing someone wanted either the white paint to stick out in the dark against the dark pumpkin, or didn't want to carve a pumpkin.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I think its the second one honestly.

I'm black and it doesnt look very blackface to me personally, but I'm not going to bat for it either.
 
TAJ

TAJ

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
12,446
Kewlmyc said:
Yeah, I don't get this one. I'm guessing someone wanted either the white paint to stick out in the dark against the dark pumpkin, or didn't want to carve a pumpkin.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

White paint isn't going to stick out in the dark. When you watch a movie in a theater the "black" parts are a white surface.
You know what sticks out in the dark? Fire.
 
voOsh

voOsh

Member
Apr 5, 2018
1,665
I honestly would not have thought anything was wrong with those jack-o-lanterns. I mean they are decorations. Maybe I'm a dick. In any event if people feel uncomfortable with them I support them being removed from sale.
 
Pickle

Pickle

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
772
Scary how little it takes to condemn when its such a far stretch. Theres no lips on them, this aint blackface its just a contrasting black/white pumpkin... black ghosts with white eyes and a smile are everywhere on Halloween, is that also getting pulled from shelves?
 
DoradoWinston

DoradoWinston

Member
Apr 9, 2019
6,106
For people saying why not carve them and put a flame.

Could be because the pumpkin will start to rot much faster, also because it's a company they probably don't want the risk of an open flame.
 
Lionheart

Lionheart

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,839
This doesn't seem racist at all. I wouldn't buy one but if I saw it in person I would think it looks cool.
 
uncelestial

uncelestial

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,060
San Francisco, CA, USA
Really, the regional director of the NAACP is commenting on this?

I think we're all familiar with racist cartoons, but... Is this one? Are we all under the impression that orange jack o' lanterns represent white people, then? Are we supposed to personify jack o' lanterns as people, like, at all? Is there a stereotype of black people where they have triangles for their eyes and noses?

I mean, these reactions happen on a gut level and it's better to respond sensitively regardless of whether "I see it" or any logical basis really... But, it does seem like a stretch, and not worthy of the time of a regional director of the NAACP given that BB&B is pulling it.
 
Last edited:
Tochtli79

Tochtli79

Member
Jun 27, 2019
5,777
Mexico City
I mean, I don't see how that's blackface? I don't want to sound insensitive but is anything that literally is just a face that is coloured black potentially racist? Or am I missing context? I just don't see any of the typical racist facial features that are part of blackface cartoons.
 
TAJ

TAJ

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
12,446
DoradoWinston said:
For people saying why not carve them and put a flame.

Could be because the pumpkin will start to rot much faster, also because it's a company they probably don't want the risk of an open flame.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

People who are afraid of a little flame are generally going to use flickering LED candles.
I'm not sure how they managed to survive before, though.
 
Trevelyan

Trevelyan

User requested permanent ban
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,196
Yeah, I'm going with no. What other color are you supposed to use on black? White stands out the most, especially at night. This is being way too sensitive, in my opinion.
 
Ensoul

Ensoul

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,348
Hmm I always thought black and orange were Halloween related colors but I guess not. I mean I would get this if the face was black and the rest of the pumpkin was not but I don't see how an entire black pumpkin is raciest.
 
DoradoWinston

DoradoWinston

Member
Apr 9, 2019
6,106
TAJ said:
People who are afraid of a little flame are generally going to use flickering LED candles.
I'm not sure how they managed to survive before, though.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
True led could work, you would still have the problem of a pumpkin that's just gonna start rotting faster.

Honestly tho it was probably done just because it's easier lol
 
steejee

steejee

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,604
I have a black and grey fake jack o' lantern that has orange facial features, they could have just done that.
 
msdstc

msdstc

Member
Nov 6, 2017
6,874
I think it's a stretch, but if it makes people feel uncomfortable it's best to pull it. Im not sure which features here are stereotypical here outside of the contrast. There are basically no exaggerated or human type features it's all sharp triangles and shapes.
 
Faenix1

Faenix1

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,114
Canada
Ensoul said:
Hmm I always thought black and orange were Halloween related colors but I guess not. I mean I would get if the face was black and the rest of the pumpkin was not but I don't see how an entire black pumpkin is raciest.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

They are, but I guess if the face is made with white its suddenly bad? ..this has me lost.
 
Light-Bringer

Light-Bringer

Self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 21, 2019
16
I guess someone thought it was offensive to them and that's okay.

For me, personally? It's just a pumpkin in a different colour scheme.
 
excelsiorlef

excelsiorlef

Bad Praxis
Member
Oct 25, 2017
73,316
Literally it looks like this face

Blackface.jpg
 
Van Bur3n

Van Bur3n

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
26,089
If it was found offensive, then take it down. It's just black pumpkin. You'll survive your Halloween without a black pumpkin.
 

Deleted member 48897

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 22, 2018
13,623
It's not the worst, most racialized imagery I've seen, but...it's not great. I'm not too surprised folks complained.
 
The Grizz

The Grizz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,450
If you have to ask yourself if something may be conceived as racially insensitive; just don't do it.
 
Mona

Mona

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
26,151
it does have a certain quality to it, dunno if its crossing the line, but it can see the line from where its standing
 
Allietraa

Allietraa

Prophet of Truth
Member
Mar 13, 2019
1,895
My mind didnt immediately go there but if you just slapped some red lips on it, it wouldnt even be debatable so probably for the best
 
take_marsh

take_marsh

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,253
I think that's stretch, but just change the white paint to orange paint (or just pumpkin base) and you're golden.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.