While we will always believe that practicality and the ingenuity of those responsible for creating products will drive the sale of goods, we cannot downplay the shock appeal that some items have to fringe audiences. Walmart recently had a reminder of that allure and made sure to remove the item from its Canadian website, denying shoppers a chance to buy a sweater emblazoned with a Santa-like figure, the text “Let It Snow” and a whole lot of cocaine.
https://twitter.com/HurrbaSousJohn/status/1203353309396029440?s=20
We always appreciate a solid ugly Christmas sweater, but this one took “ugly” to a new level, especially through its product description, which removed whatever ambiguity might otherwise have remained as to what kind of snow the sweater was referencing:
We all know how snow works. It’s white, powdery and the best snow comes straight from South America. That’s bad news for jolly old St. Nick, who lives far away in the North Pole. That’s why Santa really likes to savor the moment when he gets his hands on some quality, grade A, Colombian snow. He packs it in perfect lines on his coffee table and then takes a big whiff to smell the high quality aroma of the snow. It’s exactly what he needs to get inspired for Christmas Eve. This Men’s Let It Snow Ugly Christmas Sweater captures that moment when Santa is finally ready to enjoy that sweet, imported snow.
Subtle!
As the Washington Post reported, the suggestive garment had company in being removed from Walmart’s Canadian site, with Walmart noting that it had been listed by a third-party seller. While the world has developed a relaxed stance on marijuana use, cocaine, to quote musician Rick James, is a hell of a drug, and something not to joke about. Walmart acknowledged that when it removed the ‘Let It Snow’ top, but, according to Business Insider, the pro-coke sweater lives on via Amazon.
Controversial apparel has come across our eyes many times, always inducing a what-were-they-thinking reaction. While we could look to diminish its importance by saying that “only” a few people with curious affinities are buying the merchandise, there are enough of those individuals to lead companies to pull products and, frankly, for controversy seekers to keep marketing the low-on-taste, high-on-shock-value “goods.” As Amazon’s recently ridiculed Auschwitz merchandise proved, no topic is off limits for those who are looking to cater to their circle of supporters, leading us to think that before the year is up, we will likely see at least one more story that centers on the pursuit of money to the detriment of dignity.
