Last week, Target was under fire after news that they were selling a Christmas sweater that said OCD: Obsessive Christmas Disorder. Many people started complaining to Target about how insensitive they were being, and that this illness is not a joke. Still, Target refused to stop selling the sweater. They issued an apology to those offended, but that’s it.
Dear Target,
Up until now, I had been someone who enjoyed your store. I always went for the Target Exclusive albums of my favorite artists, and then got sidetracked along the way by all of the great deals in the store. Target had become even more important to me when I went to college, due to the fact that it was close to campus.
I was ecstatic when Target announced they were getting rid of the boys and girls sections, and making it into one giant children’s section. It was a very needed change, between the fact that girls and boys both like things deemed “not normal” for their gender (why are minions exclusive to boys and Disney exclusive to girls?), but also the fact that terms like genderqueer, non-binary, and genderfluid are becoming more known today.
There was a giant uproar when Target did this, and I wish the same were happening with this OCD sweater. OCD is a serious mental illness that should not be joked about like this. If we allow this to be something that’s okay, what’s next? An Easter sweater about anxiety? A New Year’s Eve sweater about schizophrenia? A Valentine’s Day sweater about depression?
As someone who is affected by mental illness and is a very strong activist for destigmatizing it, the sweater is just sickening. Once again we are the butt of the joke, exploited for money. Many people don’t understand OCD as it is, and this sweater is just going to make it worse.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not “perfectionism.” It is not “being too tidy.” You are not “just a little OCD” because something is disorganized. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as “feeling the need to check things repeatedly, or having certain thoughts or perform routines and rituals over and over. The thoughts and rituals associated with OCD cause distress and get in the way of daily life.” While people not suffering from OCD may have obsessions and routines or rituals, they are not as repetitive or extreme as someone who suffers from OCD.
Now, when I started reading up on opinions of the sweater, I found some responses of people telling us to stop being so sensitive. They claimed that it’s funny; some even went as far as to say Obsessive Christmas Disorder is real.
Now, Target, if you could see me right now, you could see that I’m looking at the invisible camera, as if I’m on the show The Office.
If anyone wants to truly help the mentally ill community, we need you to stop treating us like a joke. Target, you are only hindering the process of destigmatizing mental illness when you do something like this.
And, after doing some research, this isn’t the only “scandal” you’ve had regarding clothing. Not only have you had a pregnant model pose for a plus size dress, but you’ve also labeled a plus size dress as “manatee gray” while the same exact dress in a smaller size was called “dark heather gray”. Along with those instances, we can’t forget about the bikini photoshopping and the credit card hack. All of this has happened within the last two years, Target, what the heck?
Considering your company is acting like a big baby and thinking they did nothing wrong, I know it’s no use to ask for the sweaters to stop being sold. When other people demanded it, you issued a flimsy apology for causing “discomfort” and decided to keep selling them.
Because of something so childish, you’ve lost a loyal customer. Congrats!
HCXO,
Madison