Doll Pulled as Racially Insensitive

[Freeland]

Costco is pulling some "Cuddle With Me" baby dolls from its store shelves because some people find the dolls offensive. The chain is apologizing for stocking the dolls that some customers have said are racially insensitive.

A stockpile of "Cuddle With Me" baby dolls that used to be sold in Costco stores now sit in the back of stores labeled "Do Not Sell." They will be shipped back to the vendor.

The brown-skinned doll is surrounded by monkeys, and wears a hat labeled 'lil monkey.' The white doll counterpart on store shelves is surrounded by pandas, with a hat that reads 'pretty panda.'

A Costco corporate employee said that John Taylor, of Greensboro, N.C., initiated complaints calling the doll racially offensive. He recently purchased the black doll at a North Carolina Costco store.

Arthur Jackson, vice president of general administration for Costco, told MyFox8 that all versions of the doll were immediately yanked from store shelves about a week and a half ago, as they began to receive other complaints. A chain letter circulated that encouraged consumers to call Costco and have product number "404860" removed from stores.

Jackson stated, "We offer our sincere apology to anyone who was offended. That was surely never our intent."

[jillh10]

PC gone mad