The irony of Target referring on Thursday to a plus-size dress as a mammal also called a sea cow was not lost on consumers, when regular sizes were called “dark heather gray.”
An irritated shopper tweeted what many saw as an insult. A Target spokeswoman said the store was sorry for "any discomfort" and never intended to offend. Spokeswoman Jessica Deede noted that this color, manatee gray, was "seasonal" at Target, and a check of the website revealed that many products came in manatee gray.
The gray marine mammals can grow up to 10 feet in length and weigh as much as 3,650 pounds.
Calling it an “unintended oversight,” Deede said the store is treating the offensive goof in product labeling as a “learning experience" it won't repeat.
The “manatee gray” version of the dress in question, Mossimo Women's Plus-Size Kimono Maxi Dress, no longer appears on Target’s website.
In the future, one hopes, Target will be more sensitive to the politics of obesity.
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