When your heart can't find the words, you would hope a card will convey your feelings for those you care about most. Unfortunately, this Father's Day card featuring the words "Baby Daddy" obtrusively scrawled across an image of a black couple was not suitable for the task.
Target clearly missed the mark by signing off on the card's racial insensitivity. The giant retailer issued an apology and yanked the offensive card from their stores after a barrage of customer complaints.
The term "Baby Daddy" is used to refer to a father who is not married to the mother of his child and is hardly used as a term of affection.
Target faced a few issues while making amends in advance of the approaching holiday. They weren't quick enough.
The retailer responded and apologized on their Twitter page.
American Greetings, the company that created the card, also issued an apology.
This particular card was created for, and addressed to, a loving husband — which the inside copy makes clear. However, we now see that the front page, taken out of context, can communicate an unintentional meaning that we are strongly against perpetuating and is not consistent with our company purpose and values. We should do better in the future, and we will. We have notified our store merchandisers to remove the card from the shelves and apologize for any offense we've caused.
How did the card get the approval for sale in Target stores? One user had a theory.
@M_R_Cox pointed out that the phrase doesn't pay a respectable tribute to fathers, regardless of ethnic background.
H/T - HuffingtonPost, Twitter
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