Until 11:00 AM Tuesday morning, Walmart had a section on its website called “Fat Girl Costumes.” Let me be clear: this wasn’t a costume section for thin people who think it’s cute to dress up as fat girls on Halloween. This is a section of costumes for overweight (fat) women.
Yes, really. See the screenshot below.
WTF, Walmart?
Anna Merlan at Jezebel, who broke the story,?suggested that it may have been a “joke” by a developer who forgot (or not) to remove it. Because the disease that is obesity is so freakin’ hilarious. She (and we) thought it was just some strange brand or joke or….we don’t know. But alas, our worst fear was indeed true. See below.
If you’re not a fat girl but would like to dress up as one, try the Fat Tinkerbell costume — complete with really fat belly. Or maybe Tinkerbell is pregnant…
Or maybe just a plain ole’ fat suit.
Walmart issued a statement to BuzzFeed:
?We first heard about it this morning ? our teams immediately engaged, we’re working to remove it as soon as possible and make sure it never happens again,? Walmart spokesman Ravi Jariwala said.
?This never should have been on our site. It is unacceptable, and we apologize,? Jariwala added. ?We are working to remove it as soon as possible and ensure this never happens again.?
The original URL?–?http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/fat-girl-costumes –?directs to the new, more politically-correct link.
And there’s this, from BuzzFeed:
Below is my beautiful friend, Terri, who has a huge collection of awesome Halloween costumes. She gave me permission to use her photo. Walmart? Bite us.
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Tiffany Willis is a fifth-generation Texan and the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.