Public Outrage Gets Anne Frank Halloween Costume Pulled

Americans are big fans of Halloween spending $9.1 billion each year the holiday rolls around. This year, the latest complaint about a costume is one being sold by HalloweenCostumes.com and it depicts clothing to look like holocaust survivor Anne Frank. Many people were outraged at the listing on the companies website.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yeah this seems super uncool. You seen this <a href="https://twitter.com/carlosgeADL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carlosgeADL</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/uhKS3g9b2J">pic.twitter.com/uhKS3g9b2J</a></p>&mdash; Jerod MacDonald-Evoy (@JerodMacEvoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerodMacEvoy/status/919709566769569792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yeah this seems super uncool. You seen this <a href="https://twitter.com/carlosgeADL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carlosgeADL</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/uhKS3g9b2J">pic.twitter.com/uhKS3g9b2J</a></p>&mdash; Jerod MacDonald-Evoy (@JerodMacEvoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerodMacEvoy/status/919709566769569792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Totally speechless. Just been shown this ad for an Anne Frank costume for Halloween. <a href="https://twitter.com/AnneFrankCenter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnneFrankCenter</a> you might want to have a word <a href="https://t.co/mu0t4lvY62">pic.twitter.com/mu0t4lvY62</a></p>&mdash; Jude Habib (@JudeHabib) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudeHabib/status/919682591745347586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>

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It seems that in 2017 there is something to offend anyone if you just look hard enough. That isn't to discredit any valid points brought up by concerned people such as the head of the Arizona chapter of the Anti-Defamation League who weighed in on the issue.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There r better ways 2 commemorate Anne Frank. This is not one. We should not trivialize her memory as a costume.</p>&mdash; carlosgeADL (@carlosgeADL) <a href="https://twitter.com/carlosgeADL/status/919722328719683584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>

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The website described the costume as a long sleeve blue button-up dress, a brown shoulder bag and a green beret listed as "Anne Frank costume for girls." Along with the description of the costume was a short bio that described Frank as a World War II hero adding "we can always learn from the struggles of history." The backlash from users on social media even prompted the retailer to remove the costume.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Retailers remove Anne Frank Halloween costume after backlash <a href="https://t.co/iw08pldAh5">https://t.co/iw08pldAh5</a></p>&mdash; TIME (@TIME) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME/status/920070400482082816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>

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The Public Relations Specialist of the company selling the Anne Frank costume, Ross Walker Smith, issued a public statement regarding the costume and the complains brought against it.

"We sell costumes not only for Halloween, but for many uses outside of the Halloween season, such as school projects and plays. We have passed along the feedback regarding this costume, and it has been removed from the website at this time."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://t.co/IdoB15TpRZ">pic.twitter.com/IdoB15TpRZ</a></p>&mdash; Ross Walker Smith 🎃 (@RossWalkerSmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/RossWalkerSmith/status/919720227696496642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>

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Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/10/15/anne-frank-halloween-costume-pulled-after-social-media-criticism/766809001/