Hallmark's ugly sweater ornament stirs controversy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Greeting card giant Hallmark said Thursday that it shouldn't have changed the lyrics to "Deck the Halls" on a new holiday ornament that stirred a backlash from customers online.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based company has been defending itself after it began selling a miniaturized version of a tacky holiday sweater that changes the lyrics to the holiday carol. The ornament removes the word "gay" and emblazons the sweater with the phrase: "Don we now our FUN apparel!"

Critics took to Twitter and Hallmark's Facebook page, accusing the company of making a political statement by using the word "fun" to replace "gay." Some Facebook commenters said they would never again buy Hallmark merchandise and that the change amounted to the company rewriting Christmas classics in the name of political correctness. Others suggested removing the word "gay" demonstrated a homophobic bias.

The company initially responded by saying the multiple meanings attached to the word "gay" meant the sweater's lyrics would be "open to misinterpretation."

"The trend of wearing festively decorated Christmas sweaters to parties is all about fun, and this ornament is intended to play into that, so the planning team decided to say what we meant: 'fun.' That's the spirit we intended and the spirit in which we hope ornament buyers will take it."

The company updated its statement Thursday, saying it was surprised by the public's response and that it now realized it shouldn't have changed the lyrics.

"We've been surprised at the wide range of reactions expressed about the change of lyrics on this ornament, and we're sorry to have caused so much concern," the statement read. "We never intend to offend or make political statements with our products and in hindsight, we realize we shouldn't have changed the lyrics on the ornament."

But Hallmark spokeswoman Linda Odell said the company has no plans to stop selling the ornament.

View the original article here

Back to school ads stir up controversy

Canada’s Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has come under fire for a back to school advertising campaign that some call sexist and demeaning to women. The ads feature caricatures of girls next to statements like, “My favourite class? Shop!” “Mixing patterns-now that’s a science!” Also, “Social studies? Does posting my new boots on Facebook count?” The controversial ads sparked outrage, which was expressed on social media and in the press. Ramona Jennex, the Nova Scotia Education Minister told Global News, “I’m not pleased to see an ad campaign that would be stereotyping our young women and because, saying that the only thing that they would be interested in was shopping.” Still others like Debra Wells-Hopey, a certified image consultant, defend the ads calling them ironic. “Women, young ladies, girls going back to school today are far more sophisticated than many people may give them credit for and that they themselves too can see the irony, and the humor, the tongue-in-cheek-ness so to speak, of the ads.”

The advertisements ran for a week on radio, television, billboards and online before they were pulled by the shopping center. Mic Mac Mall’s marketing director, Rebecca Logan issued a statement of apology reading, “Mic Mac Mall is sincerely sorry for offending its customers. We’ve heard what our customers have to say and we understand why you’re angry. It was never intended to be offensive.” The mall also committed to donate $5000 to a local organization “that focuses on empowering girls” and is asking for the public’s help in identifying a deserving group.

The Canadian mall’s ads are not the only back to school campaigns under scrutiny. JC Penney recently took heat for their “First Day Look” campaign for returning students. Some said that the ad featuring a child sitting alone in the cafeteria because his clothes may not be cool enough, perpetuated bullying. JC Penney pulled the ad from their TV campaign and said that their marketing was not intended to trivialize or promote bullying.

Thoughts about a Kmart ad featuring the Minneapolis-based group Da Rich Kidzz, has viewers split. Some call the commercial “belittling and deplorable,” saying it racially profiles black kids by implying that all they do is “rap and dance.” But an equally vocal group say that Da Rich Kidzz are talented young positive rappers who rap about how much they love school, and that people are overreacting.

Opinion is clearly divided on these back-to-school ads. What do you think about the campaigns?

More information: Global News

View the original article here

Harrison Ford says drone controversy drew him to 'Ender's Game'

Harrison Ford at San Diego Comic-Con (Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
During an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, Harrison Ford said it was a real life political controversy that drew him to join the cast of the upcoming science fiction film, "Ender's Game."

The hugely popular book on which the film is based follows the adventures of a young boy named Ender who is enlisted by the military to combat a looming military threat.

"I was drawn to the complexity of the moral issues here," Ford said during his second-ever panel at the annual convention. "This book, which was written 28 years ago, imagined a world that has become an everyday reality today: the dilemma of drone warfare."

In the film, Ford portrays a Graff, a grizzled military commander who instructs Ender and other children recruited by the military to become future soldiers. "He is not much Ender's mentor as he is his manipulator," Ford said.

As with drone pilots, the character of Ender controls a fleet of unmanned ships that are sent into battle.

"The manipulation of young people and their specific talents for warfare was something that was really interesting to me," Ford added.

Despite the seriousness of his response, Ford did take a moment to show a lighter side when asked by a fan if his "Star Wars" character Han Solo would have been a good soldier in the world of "Ender's Game."

"I don't think Han Solo would be good in anybody's army, Ford said. "I think he's what we now call an independent contractor."

View the original article here

Controversy over naming cyclone after revered king

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's top meteorology official has apologized for naming a deadly cyclone after a king who built massive irrigation tanks well over a millennium ago and was venerated as a god.

Political leaders and a farmers' group have protested the naming of a cyclone after King Mahasen, who ruled Sri Lanka in the 4th century and built 16 large reservoirs. Cyclone Mahasen killed 18 people two weeks ago and forced 1 million others to evacuate in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

S.H. Kariyawasam, director general of the meteorology department, said Tuesday that he apologizes "if any insult was caused to King Mahasen or the country's proud history."

View the original article here