Current Events > Bed Bath and Beyond pulls controversial 'blackface' pumpkins from shelves

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https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/bed-bath-beyond-pulls-controversial-black-jack-o-lanterns-from-shelves

Retailer Bed Bath & Beyond have removed their black jack-o-lanterns from store shelves after receiving complaints that they were a form of blackface.

News 12 reports that the all-black pumpkins with two white eyes were on display at a law firm in Nyack, New York as decoration for Halloween. Community members complained and the law firm Feerick Nugent MacCartney removed them. The firm said they did not mean to offend anyone.

"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.

Wilbur Aldridge with the NAACP said that the black jack-o-lanterns are "an extreme lack of sensitivity."

"By now I would believe everyone [would] know that anything in blackface is offensive," he said in a statement. "Equally as offensive is that a retail store would have such an item in [their] inventory for general purchase.

USA TODAY reported that the pumpkins, which were only available online, had been removed from the retailer's website.

What do you think?

they're fucking pumpkins

Halloween is black and orange. Do we get rid of everything black now?
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I really doubt that was in any way shape or form blackface.
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Soggy_Pocket posted...

Halloween is black and orange. Do we get rid of everything black now?

This. And I feel like black people aren't even the main ones who reported it. While this is silly, I do appreciate that society showed they aren't on board with things that could be deemed racist.

Maybe one day when all people realize we are literally just bags of flesh on a space rock and your skin color is meaningless, then racism won't exist and people can wear costumes of black people at Halloween parties, have black Jack-O Lanterns etc.
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utterly ridiculous.

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I've very offended and BB&B should be publicly shamed and court ordered to pay reparations to those directly hurt by this despicable act of bigotry and intolerance.
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DarthAragorn posted...

they're fucking pumpkins

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I have two black pumpkins I pull out every October. They're just pumpkins. People who whine about literally everything are annoying af.
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They are literally the classic triangle eyes and jagged teeth pumpkins, but painted black with an orange interior
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Soggy_Pocket posted...

They are literally the classic triangle eyes and jagged teeth pumpkins, but painted black with an orange interior

If this is the case, then yes, I can see how that is racist, but I would need to see a picture of them since there wasn't one in the posted article.
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This clearly need to be investigated so we can truly serve justice if these were indeed racist pumpkins.
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The-Apostle posted...

Soggy_Pocket posted...

They are literally the classic triangle eyes and jagged teeth pumpkins, but painted black with an orange interior

If this is the case, then yes, I can see how that is racist, but I would need to see a picture of them since there wasn't one in the posted article.

Yeah there is, at the top.

https://images.app.goo.gl/5p2SRtwZiMZ5SKFv5

Here dude. There is nothing racist about it.
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Soggy_Pocket posted...

https://images.app.goo.gl/5p2SRtwZiMZ5SKFv5

Here dude. There is nothing racist about it.

How could you post that here and not expect to get marked.
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Soggy_Pocket posted...

https://images.app.goo.gl/5p2SRtwZiMZ5SKFv5

Here dude. There is nothing racist about it.

I don't know. Those are faces and they are black...

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Bruh fucking wut
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So painted black pumpkins are offensive now... Interesting
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Now if they named them Black O Lanterns then maaaaaaaybe.
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I don't that's a blackface pumpkin. I understand why some would think it is because any majority black face with a lighter color mouth/eyes will draw that comparison.

A blackface pumpkin would still be bad and you'd still have people defending it with "it's just a pumpkin" because they don't actually think racism is bad.
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Why are people defending these clearly racist pumpkins?! They should be in prison rotting into pumpkin spiced lattes.

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legendary_zell posted...

A blackface pumpkin would still be bad and you'd still have people defending it with "it's just a pumpkin" because they don't actually think racism is bad.

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SquantoZ posted...

Why are people defending these clearly racist pumpkins?! They should be in prison rotting into pumpkin spiced lattes.

BPM man, BPM.
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It is official. Pumpkins are racist
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This is what they mean when they say that people dismiss actual racism because even benign things such as this get deemed as racist, huh

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Can we fuck over squash next? I hate 'em.
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wat
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I think they look pretty cool tbh

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Wasn't there another retailer this year selling pumpkins actually evocative of blackface? Like painted dark but with big lips and white eyes? THAT was sketchy. These are literally classic jack o lantern faces with black pumpkins. Wtf even.

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Dyinglegacy posted...

This is what they mean when they say that people dismiss actual racism because even benign things such as this get deemed as racist, huh

This has never made sense. You don't have to do that. No one is forcing anyone to do that. It doesn't even make sense. If it's silly and it's not racism then ignore it, don't blind yourself to the entire concept.

The people that do this have either been taught extremely immature ways of dealing with people not being perfect or they're using it as an excuse to ignore social issues or to contribute to them.
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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.

Couldnt this company just tell this someone to (Oh, I dont know) maybe not be a dumbass?

Edit: for context, the firm was using black pumpkins from BB&B.
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Dyinglegacy posted...

This is what they mean when they say that people dismiss actual racism because even benign things such as this get deemed as racist, huh

Disgusting, isn't it? Being called racist used to mean something. Now it's literally just white noise.

Blackface is no joke, but getting mad at black pumpkins? I could understand if there were goofy smiles to accompany it or something, but these look like standard jack-o-lanterns with inverted color schemes.

HypnoCoosh posted...

This clearly need to be investigated so we can truly serve justice if these were indeed racist pumpkins.

Hope you aren't trying to be funny. Because it's not working.

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CosmicShadows posted...

HypnoCoosh posted...

This clearly need to be investigated so we can truly serve justice if these were indeed racist pumpkins.

Hope you aren't trying to be funny. Because it's not working.

Serious as a heart attack. This is an outrage of corporate bigotry, injustice and ultimately institutional racism.
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legendary_zell posted...

This has never made sense. You don't have to do that. No one is forcing anyone to do that. It doesn't even make sense. If it's silly and it's not racism then ignore it, don't blind yourself to the entire concept.

The people that do this have either been taught extremely immature ways of dealing with people not being perfect or they're using it as an excuse to ignore social issues or to contribute to them.

I could see how someone could witness a few scenarios similar to this and then not even investigate the next time they hear about something racist happening. Repeat instances can cause people to slowly become desensitized and go "oh, they always complain that something is racist *eye rolls*".

It just depends on the person, really. Some may begin to care less and less, while others might remain stoic.


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Annihilated posted...

Disgusting, isn't it? Being called racist used to mean something. Now it's literally just white noise.

I still think it's serious, but now I have to actually look and go "but is this REALLY racism, or just da ess jay dubs version of racism?"

Where as before trump, racism had a rigid meaning. I mean, it still does to me. I still follow the classic meaning of what racism is, and it is a serious danger. That is to say, a person who believes a race of people are inferior. If that belief takes hold, then that opens the door to these types treating other humans as literal animals. This cannot be allowed to happen.

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Even I think this is a stretch

shockthemonkey posted...

Hambo the Hog posted...

Wasn't there another retailer this year selling pumpkins actually evocative of blackface? Like painted dark but with big lips and white eyes? THAT was sketchy. These are literally classic jack o lantern faces with black pumpkins. Wtf even.

Yeah thats what I was expecting when I opened this topic, Ive seen those ones and theyre definitely minstrel characters.

Yeah, those are totally racist. So like if the pic was just a stock photo of black pumpkins and not at all what they sold, then its possible thats what these were also. But if it was just black pumpkins then its ridiculous.
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Dyinglegacy posted...

legendary_zell posted...

This has never made sense. You don't have to do that. No one is forcing anyone to do that. It doesn't even make sense. If it's silly and it's not racism then ignore it, don't blind yourself to the entire concept.

The people that do this have either been taught extremely immature ways of dealing with people not being perfect or they're using it as an excuse to ignore social issues or to contribute to them.

I could see how someone could witness a few scenarios similar to this and then not even investigate the next time they hear about something racist happening. Repeat instances can cause people to slowly become desensitized and go "oh, they always complain that something is racist *eye rolls*".

It just depends on the person, really. Some may begin to care less and less, while others might remain stoic.

To do that requires not taking racism seriously and not understanding history or current society. Racism still affects people's lives dramatically on a daily basis so focus on that. If that's not people's response, then society failed them and the people who will be casually ignored.
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legendary_zell posted...

To do that requires not taking racism seriously and not understanding history or current society.

Not necessarily. It's like the boy who cried wolf scenario. You could take something very seriously, but after so many times, it's just the boy crying wolf again.

It's not the right way to be, obviously, and one should always put serious issues like racism under scrutiny.

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