Pete Earley

(10-24-16) In a telephone conversation this morning with Alisa Bernard, director of advocacy for the International Bipolar Foundation, executives at Rubies Costume Company agreed to stop selling and to remove from its catalog the Razor Blade Suicide Scar Wound Latex Costume Make Up kit.

A regular reader of this blog, Alisa said executives expressed shock this morning when they arrived at their New York offices and found a barrage of complaints sent over the weekend because of this blog.

“Rubies has joined Walmart in dropping the product,” Alisa reported. “They were very apologetic.”

Does this put an end to Halloween outfits and accessories that marginalize individuals with mental illnesses?  Of course not. But I hope that your willingness to complain has caused top executives at both outlets to rethink products that stigmatize individuals dealing with mental disorders.

Thank you for raising your voice and thanks Alisa for making that call.
I’m not the only advocate who is trying to educate the public and company officials. The Mighty website and several blogger friends also joined in this campaign.

My friend and blogger,  Liz Long, also published a blog last week that I want to share with you.

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(10-24-16) TREASON is officially a national bestseller!

After selling out in 48 hours, it hit both The Washington Post and USA TODAY bestseller lists. (The New York Times list is a week behind the others.)

Hopefully, it will continue on the bestseller lists once inventory is restocked at Amazon on Oct. 27th. Thankfully, the book still is available at Barnes and Noble. 

Thank you so much for your support and for sharing my blog.

Here are the 15 winners of my share-the-blog-and-win-a-free-copy contest. If your name is on this winners’ list, please email me your address at pete@peteearley.com and I will mail you the autographed copy that you have won. (Don’t worry, I will not share your address with anyone.) In your email, also list the name (s) of anyone you want in the inscription.

Winners of Treason give away 

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(10-22-16) It’s confirmed, Walmart has pulled the Razor Blade Suicide Scar Wound Latex Costume Make Up. 

In an email, to Sarah Noelle Hammond, who first brought this to my attention, the company said:

“This costume is appalling and it was unacceptable for a third-party seller to list it on our marketplace. It clearly violated our prohibited items policy and we removed it when it was brought to our attention.”

As soon as Walmart pulled the item, other internet suppliers began issuing statements. Totally costumes said:

“Upon inspection we see that Walmart has listed the item incorrectly, making it highly offensive; but rest assured, the product is not listed this way on our direct site, or any other channel we use. We have put in a ticket with the Walmart Catalog team to have the item name and description of the listing modified right away. We are not sure why Walmart has it titled the way they do.”

Really, blaming Walmart.

C’mon. Have some guts. Before Totally Costumes took down its page, this is what it said about the item.

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Marc Beige (third from left) with his two siblings (on left) and co-owners of Rubie’s Costume Co.

(10-22-16) Four hours after posting a blog about Walmart’s Razor Blade Suicide Scar Wound Latex Costume Make Up, the offensive product has been removed from the store’s website.

In an email, to Sarah Noelle Hammond, who first brought this to my attention, the company said:

“This costume is appalling and it was unacceptable for a third-party seller to list it on our marketplace. It clearly violated our prohibited items policy and we removed it when it was brought to our attention.”

Now, let’s focus on the real culprit: Rubies Costume Company  which supplies the other stores. It bills itself as the world’s largest designer, manufacturer and distributor of Halloween costumes and accessories. It also notes that Rubies is a family owned and operated business celebrating 65 years. A quick glance at its online offerings shows a host of other stigmatizing Halloween offerings that marginalize folks, including “psycho” costumes.

 

 

The owner of Rubies is Howard Beige who was profiled in a recent article that described the company’s growth from a mom-and-pop shop into a thriving, $100 million mass-market juggernaut with the rise of the Halloween industry. Beige works out of the corporate office at 1770 Walt Whitman Road
Melville, New York 11747. Phone: 516-326-1500. Fax: 631-293-0043.  Customer service can be emailed here.

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PHOTO FROM WALMART INTERNET ADVERTISEMENT 

 

BREAKING NEWS.  Sarah Noelle Hammond, who first brought this to my attention, has received the following notice from Walmart. 

“This costume is appalling and it was unacceptable for a third-party seller to list it on our marketplace. It clearly violated our prohibited items policy and we removed it when it was brought to our attention.”

Thank you Walmart. Now let’s take this fight to the supplier, Rubies Costumes! 

(10-22-16) Walmart is selling a Halloween item that glorifies suicide!

Every October, companies and television programs stigmatize and marginalize individuals with mental disorders, but Walmart has hit a new low: selling “Razor Blade Suicide Scar Wound Latex Costume Make Up.

Would Doug McMillon, the president and chief executive officer of Walmart Stores, think it hilarious if his wife, Shelley, or one of their two sons slit their wrists?

Perhaps Mr. McMillion needs a bit of education.

• Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for ages 10-24.
• Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18.
• More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.
• In 2013, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs released a study that covered suicides from 1999 to 2010, which showed that roughly 22 veterans were committing suicide per day, or one every 65 minutes. Some sources suggest that this rate may be undercounting suicides.

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