The "sexy" costumes of the maid's tale were the most predictable outrage this year



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Who could have predicted that a "sexy" Halloween costume inspired from a series on women forced into sexual slavery would not play well?

On Thursday, the news announced that the lingerie shop and well-known costume supplier Yandy had launched a sensual bite inspired by The tale of the maid. On Friday, the online retailer had removed the garment and released a sheepish statement. This is only the last misstep in a series of dubious schemes aimed at turning the fervor surrounding this series into profits, just like the way feminism itself is often co-opted for monetary gains. . And no matter how many times this news cycle unfolds, it seems that companies still need to understand the point.

"Yandy has always been and will remain at the forefront to encourage our customers to" own your sexy, "said the company in its release. "We help our customers to be comfortable in their skin, no matter who they are or what they choose to wear. Our business ideology is based on the empowerment of women and the empowerment of women in general. In the last few hours it has become clear that our "Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume" is seen as a symbol of women's oppression rather than as an expression of women's empowerment. This is unfortunate because it was not our intention on any level. Our first inspiration for creating the piece has been to see its use in recent months as a powerful protest image. Given the sincere and sincere response, supported by many personal stories we have received, we remove the costume from our site. "

The statement, which lacks excuses, aims to make Yandy an ally in the struggle for women's empowerment – even trying to align her own marketing slogan "Own Your Sexy" on the struggle for women's sexual liberation . But do not forget that this is a men-owned company that specializes in the sexy transformation of movies, TV shows and the most popular events of every year, regardless of their taste. Yandy created "Sexy Cecil the Lion" and "Sexy Donald Trump,"And has also been in trouble for the culturally insensitive, sexualized Amerindian costumes.

Given the number of doubtful Tale of maidThe inspired products that have already come, it's hard to be surprised by Yandy's decision to make the costume in the first place.

The servant's tale is a property with obvious and powerful symbolic meaning. As Yandy herself pointed out, many women wore non-sexy maid outfits as they protested for women's rights while the current administration seems to be bringing the real world closer to Gilead's heartbreaking dystopia. As with any powerful symbol, the iconography of the series has also been used for less noble purposes, sometimes in an official capacity, and most often not. In a partnership with The Wing, for example, Hulu licensed pens labeled "the most dangerous weapon", as well as notebooks with the quote "One word after one word is a power". these unfortunate wines inspired by Tale of maid characters. Even the sexy outfits inspired by the maids are not new: in April, the clothing company Lunya was forced to pull silk pajamas bearing the name of Offred. The gross uses of this program's message and its most recognizable images are so frequent that BoJack Horseman predicted Sexy Halloween costumes inspired by the show before Twitter knows that of Yandy.

Yandy C.E.O. Chad (Yes, Chad) Horstman has indicated in the past that he was reluctant to cross a few lines; for the most part, the company avoids making fun of religious, whether they are Christians or not, and Horstman also said he would be reluctant to satire. Hillary Clinton. Just about everything, however, has always been a fair game. Thus, society probably knew, even hoped, that this costume would provoke controversy and increased publicity.

Maybe what she did not expect was the personal nature of the backlash. When a series comes to represent a heartbreaking reality that still permeates our culture, ruining lives and careers, it's hard to argue its lighter side – even though Halloween costumes are deliciously stupid and sexy.

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