Target's recent sweater sale is upsetting many shoppers who accuse the chain store of trivializing and making light of mental illness. The Christmas sweater in bright red features the letters "OCD" in large green fonts on the front, then right below it are the words "Obsessive Christmas Disorder."
The clothing item is part of the retailer's newest Ugly Christmas Sweater collection, which Target unveils during the holidays as a "tongue-in-cheek tradition making fun of garish Yuletide attire," according to The Chicago Tribune.
The OCD sweater was already in stores since mid-October and was originally sold for $27.99. The sweater was marked down to $22.40 this week, and it's also listed on Target's website, ABC News reported.
Customers have demanding that the store remove the item from its inventory, with some tweeting their outrage over Target's OCD sweater.
#OCD isn't anything to joke around about @Target. #MentalHealth isn't anything to joke around about-period. #Fail pic.twitter.com/BxazBXxVvc
— Rebecca (@Beccajane_27) November 8, 2015
I'm calling on @Target to remove the #OCD sweater! Please RT if you stand for #mentalhealth @IOCDF pic.twitter.com/w9bqqsWtSC
— Kaila Sekula (@coca_kaila) November 11, 2015
@Target OCD is a real disorder that people struggle with, not something to joke about for the sake of a funny holiday sweater
— holy neon tangerine (@tvlitrz) October 27, 2015
@Target You think it's okay to mock mental disorders by putting "OCD: Obsessive Christmas Disorder" on a sweater? Disgusting
— jam (@jamietwd17) November 6, 2015
Over 2.2 million Americans suffer from OCD, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. "[When] understanding the severity of OCD as mental illness, one might better understand the distaste that sufferers and significant others in their lives might have for this particular sweater," said psychotherapist Antoinette D'Orazio, via Today.
However, Target insists that the sweater remain in stores. "We never want to disappoint our guests and we apologize for any discomfort," said Target in a statement, according to The Kansas City Star. "We currently do not have plans to remove this sweater."
