Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Supermarket Chain Pulls Chocolate Ducks After The Labeling Is Criticized As 'Racist'

Supermarket Chain Pulls Chocolate Ducks After The Labeling Is Criticized As 'Racist'
@Farooqelx/Twitter, @livia_aliberti/Twitter

British supermarket chain, Waitrose & Partners, were slammed for an unfortunate label on a box of chocolate ducklings for Easter.

The trio of chocolates comes in three varieties and colors, but Waitrose was forced to pull them from shelves after accusations of the candy being racist.


The white chocolate duckling was called "fluffy," the milk chocolate one was called "crispy," and the dark chocolate was called "ugly," which many interpreted as being "racist."

This Twitter user saw the label and immediately questioned Waitrose's marketing strategy after overhearing a complaint.

"Crispy, Fluffy and Ugly - trio of Easter ducklings at #waitrose . Ugly is the dark one on the right. Overheard women saying "this is not right" , I agree, doesn't look good at all. Thousands of other options... why #ugly?????"


People cried foul over what they perceived was racist.



Others were furious about an overly sensitized public.


Others laughed over the ridiculous accusation.




The grocery chain most likely referenced the "Ugly Duckling" by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen to package their product, but customers missed seeing the association.

In the song, a brown duck is mocked by the other ducklings for looking different from the others.

The lyrics go:

"There once was an ugly duckling, with feathers all stubby and brown, and the other birds said in so many words, get out of town."

The duck later discovers after shedding his brown feathers that he is a beautiful white swan.

Many argued that the reference to the Hans Christian Andersen's song was too obvious to miss.








A Waitrose spokesperson issued a statement and explained that the stores corrected the issue with all new packaging.

"We are very sorry for any upset caused by the name of this product, it was absolutely not our intention to cause any offense. We removed the product from sale several weeks ago while we changed the labeling and our ducklings are now back on sale."

What a marketing nightmare. It was clearly an honest mistake, but in today's sensitive world, everything is risky. Even "white duck, yellow duck."

What are your thoughts?

Happy Easter.

More from Trending

Screenshot of Molly Ringwald; Donald Trump
@mollyringwald/Instagram; Win McNamee/Getty Images

Molly Ringwald Urges Fans To Speak Out Against ICE And 'Fascist' Trump In Powerful Video

Actor Molly Ringwald—best known for her roles as a member of the "Brat Pack" in films like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club—denounced President Donald Trump and ICE, telling fans she "can’t stay silent and neither should you."

Ringwald, speaking out mere days after ICE agents murdered ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, told her followers in a post on Instagram that she had previously "been so proud to be an American but right now this is a fascist government.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Liam Conejo Ramos receiving pilot wings
@johnquinones/Instagram

5-Year-Old Boy Abducted By ICE Gets Wings From Pilot On Flight Home To Minneapolis In Sweet Viral Video

5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken to an ICE detention facility in Texas along with his father, finally returned home to Minneapolis on Sunday and received his pilot wings thanks to Delta Air Lines pilots on the flight from San Antonio.

Ramos and his father were abducted by ICE agents on their way home from preschool in the Minneapolis area last month; Ramos is the fourth student from the Columbia Heights School District to be swept up in the Trump administration's nationwide immigration crackdown.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Carlson in pink jacket and Carlson from interview
MPR News

Woman In Pink Jacket Who Filmed Alex Pretti's Murder Speaks Out In Emotional Interview

Stella Carlson, better known online as the "woman in the pink jacket" who recorded the murder of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, is urging Americans not to let ICE "intimidate" them.

Calls for an investigation have intensified from across the political spectrum after analysis of multiple videos showed ICE officers removing a handgun from Pretti—a weapon that authorities said Pretti was permitted to carry but was not handling at the time—before fatally shooting him.

Keep ReadingShow less
A photo of purse with "See you later" and a waving hand
Photo by Junseong Lee on Unsplash

People Break Down The Real Reason They Stopped Liking Someone But Never Told Them

Not every relationship is a forever deal.

Sometimes it's best to just let people go.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jordin Sparks; Halle Berry
Gary Gershoff/Getty Images; Kate Green/Amazon MGM Studios/Sony Pictures Entertainment/Getty Images

Fans Defend Jordin Sparks After She Publicly Asks Halle Berry To Read Her Screenplay About Menopause

You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take, and singer Jordin Sparks put that philosophy into action at the end of January.

Halle Berry has been a household name in Hollywood for the last few decades, and now in the middle of her life, she's loudly advocating for increased representation and awareness around women's health and women's experiences, especially what happens to a woman's body during perimenopause and menopause.

Keep ReadingShow less