Target veered out of the politically correct lane the retailer likes to travel in with a Father’s Day card featuring a black couple that included the phrase “Baby Daddy.”
The controversy was prompted by social media users such as Takeisha Saunders, who shared a photo of the card on Facebook.
“”You CANNOT be serious Target!!!! Really!!!?!!!!? This was the only Father’s Day card that featured a black couple!!!!!!” Saunders wrote, including a series of hashtags.
And while Target’s not as concerned about how some female customers may feel about sharing a bathroom with men who say they feel like a woman, the company was quick to pull the cards and apologize over the incident.
“We want all guests to feel welcomed and respected when they shop at Target,” Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas said in a statement, according to USA Today. “We were made aware of some concerns about this card last week and are working with our vendor to have it removed from Target stores. We appreciate the feedback and apologize. It’s never our intent to offend any of our guests with the products we sell.”
The card is from American Greetings, and the company said it will be pulled from all retailers, USA Today reported. Promising it will do “better in the future,” the company also apologized “for any offense we’ve caused.”
“This particular card was created for, and addressed to, a loving husband — which the inside copy makes clear,” American Greetings said in a release. “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.”
The message inside the card supports this assertion:
The greeting card company also issued an apology online.
Thank you for raising this concern and bringing it to our attention. This card was intended to be a playful husband card, but we have notified the product team that it missed the mark. Please accept our sincerest apologies and know we will do better in the future.
— American Greetings (@amgreetings) June 13, 2018
But in the post-Obama racially hypersensitive atmosphere, an apology alone will not suffice for some:
No flowery language for the apology? Come on, guys. Shameful all around. https://t.co/J83jXfNifu
— Marcus Collins (@marctothec) June 15, 2018
@amgreetings I would love to know how many people of color were on that marketing team. You might want to do some research on microaggressions and train that team. #solutionsnotexcuses https://t.co/sHLKxiLw76
— Julie Daniels (@JustJulieD) June 15, 2018
Your apology is late & lame
Where are the Baby Daddy cards with Caucasians?
There aren’t any?But you thought this was ok & ‘playful’
— Randette Brown (@Randette_Brown) June 14, 2018
Here’s a sampling of other responses from Twitter, both pro and con:
So this is what @Target thinks about black families, that we have baby daddy’s and not father, SMH, this is why we have to start pulling our resources because we have to separate, come in to UNITY , and help ourselves and own our own stores pic.twitter.com/oUi852Uy1b
— Taliah (@taliahpasha) June 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/mzmoe4/status/1006935865635901440
Pretty sure the term “baby daddy” can be applied to any racial demographic.
— Christina De Cicco (@xtinad9) June 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/bre_mtb/status/1007333222424989698
Target’s never ending battle to be relevant yet not offensive while almost everyone is offended by literally everything : Dont worry, I liked your “baby daddy Father’s Day cards” and thought your marketing was clever. @Target
— 𝒢𝑒𝓁 ❣️ (@LttleGel) June 15, 2018
So people offended that Target selling “baby daddy” Father’s Day cards? It was a joke, like some of these dudes y’all fool with. You laid down wit the clown you’d think y’all would have a sense of humor by now 🤷🏿♂️
— Lamar Jackson (@LDJackson_) June 14, 2018
Maybe Baby Daddy’s need to step up and use condoms, pay child support and be FATHERS.
— CJ Bell (@CJBell007) June 14, 2018
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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