Dinner Plate Hurts Woman's Feelings

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 2:42 am

Macy's Pulls Plates with 'Mom Jeans' vs 'Skinny Jeans' Portion Sizes After Backlash

by Hannah Chubb (tee hee!)

A line of decorative plates has been pulled from Macy’s stores after the company received complaints that they conveyed a body shaming message.

The controversial plates had a diagram written on top with portion sizes measured as either “skinny jeans,” “favorite jeans” or “mom jeans.”

Alie Ward, a writer and podcast host, ignited the conversation after she tagged Macy’s in a tweet on Sunday. “How can I get these plates from @Macys banned in all 50 states,” she wrote beside a photo she took of the dishes in a display at the Macy’s flagship store in New York City.

“Macy’s just casually promoting eating disorders and body shaming,” one Twitter user responded to Ward. “MOM JEANS FOREVER.”

Within hours, Macy’s had reached out to Ward on Twitter, letting her know that they would be pulling the product as soon as possible. “Hi, Alie — we appreciate you sharing this with us and agree that we missed the mark on this product,” Macy’s wrote. “It will be removed from all STORY at Macy’s locations.”

STORY at Macy’s is a brick-and-mortar retail initiative in which small businesses are given space in-store to sell their products that follow a certain theme. The plates, created by a company called Pourtions, were for sale in STORY at Macy’s. They were never available online on the Macy’s website.

Though they were pulled from Macy’s, the plates are still available on Pourtions website, where they are being sold for $9.50 each. The product description on the website reads, “There’s nothing like broken-in, faded, ripped-in-the-right-place jeans. They look great, and more importantly, they fit great. So, keep your eye on the middle circle and you’ll always be in fashion.”

Complete with plates, bowls, wine glasses and more, Pourtions describes their product collection as “a humorous + healthy way to watch what you eat + drink.” Other controversial product messages include the measurements of “on the lips” vs. “on the hips” on a wine glass; “feed me” vs. “feed bag” on an appetizer plate; and “manicotti” vs. “man overboard” on a pasta bowl.

While many body-positive Twitter users were happy with Macys’ decision to pull the product, other Twitter users criticized Ward for speaking out. “If you don’t like them, don’t buy them,” wrote one person. “The world doesn’t revolve around you. Sit down.”

My guess is that Alie Ward and her supporters have too much on their plates....

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 2:58 am

This protest from Alie Ward?

You'd think the young woman with a CBS show called "Did I Mention Invention" would applaud the resourcefulness and innovation behind such a product.

I wonder how much she weighs?

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 3:16 am

It's a classic case of thin white guilt.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 2:30 pm

No, it's a classic case of who in the hell did they think would buy these plates, etc.? Does anyone really want china labeled with portion sizes, whether amusingly presented or not?

MajGenl.Meade · Post by **MajGenl.Meade** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 3:30 pm

Big RR wrote:No, it's a classic case of who in the hell did they think would buy these plates, etc.? Does anyone really want china labeled with portion sizes, whether amusingly presented or not?

I dunno - but isn't that the point of selling stuff? If people buy it, fine. If they don't, it's ditched.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 3:53 pm

Prhaps, but before beings produced in large quantities and released, most products are test marketed so you don't have to ditch that much of the produced product. It doesn't look like that's what happened here--more like they had to recall the product from release. I could be wrong, though.

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:48 pm

Someone in purchasing/merchandising thought it was "cute" and was too thick to recognize that it would be insulting to a huge swath of Macy's customer base. Then someone with the sense to recognize that insulting customers isn't a brilliant marketing strategy had them pulled.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:38 pm

True, but I sincerely wonder how someone like that would rise to a decision making level in purchasing or merchandising. I know I am sometimes surmised by what does and does not sell, but being able to predict this would be that person's job.

Sue U · Post by **Sue U** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:56 pm

Big RR wrote:True, but I sincerely wonder how someone like that would rise to a decision making level in purchasing or merchandising. I know I am sometimes surmised by what does and does not sell, but being able to predict this would be that person's job.

Well, as the OP says:

STORY at Macy’s is a brick-and-mortar retail initiative in which small businesses are given space in-store to sell their products that follow a certain theme.

Once you look at the background of the Story concept, you can see how this marketing blunder occurred. From Forbes, April 15 2019:

Last week Macy's launched Story concept shops in 36 stores across the United States. The new "narrative-driven retail experience" occupies about 1,500 square feet in most stores. The move comes less than a year after Macy's acquired the Story brand and made its founder, Rachel Shechtman, its brand experience officer. This is the latest step in Macy's attempts to become more relevant and remarkable after years of declining market share and lackluster profitability

Similar to the original Story boutique that opened in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood in 2011 , Story at Macy's will focus on one merchandising theme at a time, and completely change every few months. The first installation is called "Color" and features some 400 curated products from brands like MAC Cosmetics, Crayola, and Levi’s Kids, as well as dozens of other small business partners. More than 300 color-themed community events are planned to help customer activation. In a press release Jeff Gennette, Macy’s, Inc. chairman and chief executive officer, commented that “the discovery-led, narrative experience of Story gives new customers a fresh reason to visit our stores and gives the current Macy’s customer even more reason to come back again and again throughout the year.”

In a Forbes post last year after the Story acquisition was announced I expressed two fundamental concerns about the new partnership. One was whether Shechtman and team were going have the room to truly innovate and to do so quickly. My fear was that Macy's historically go-slow culture might stifle the necessary creativity and decisiveness. The fact that Story at Macy's is a fully realized and well-executed concept that was brought to life in less than a year is encouraging. Credit should be given to Gennette for his willingness to experiment aggressively.

Source: Forbes.com

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:13 pm

That makes more sense; thanks Sue.

One principle of marketing is that "there's an ass for every seat", so I'm not surprised Pourtion can still sell the plates on its site as mentioned in the OP (and I'm sure this controversy helps sales a lot). But it looks like Macys, in its quest to be innovative and fast, backs away from full consideration of ideas. While I can see this being a niche product on a website of a cutting edge (in terms of trends) company, I just don't see it working on the shelves of a mainline store like Macys, which has to be more neutral in its appeal.

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:48 pm

If those plates are body shaming and people shouldn't be allowed to buy them, then Levi's needs to stop making "skinny" jeans and other clothing manufacturers need to quit marketing clothing for "full figured" people. "Fat Tuesday" needs to be renamed and Slimfast needs to be taken off the market. Many people might be offended and potentially suffer permanent psychological damage if they were to see these products being marketed in a store window.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:58 pm

Taking up the gauntlet there, Joe.

But you're right, it is pretty silly; just a way for a podcaster to get some free publicity, and enhance their reputation as one of the fabled "influencers".

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:33 pm

The plate in question:

And JG... there's a fat chance that anyone will conform to your request.

Lord Jim · Post by **Lord Jim** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:44 pm

just a way for a podcaster to get some free publicity, and enhance there reputation as one of the fabled "influencers".

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:02 am

You know, at first glance the word "influencer" looks like it might refer to someone who spreads the influenza virus.
But I guess it's still a better sounding word than "huckster", "shill", or "toady" ¹ .
——————
¹ — In 17th-century Europe, a toadeater was a showman's assistant whose job was to make the boss look good. The toadeater would eat (or pretend to eat) what were supposed to be poisonous toads. His or her charlatan master would then "save" the toad-afflicted assistant by expelling the poison. It's little wonder that such assistants became symbolic of extreme subservience, and that 'toadeater' became a word for any obsequious underling. By the early 1800s, it had been shortened and altered to 'toady', our current term for a servile self-seeker.

-"BB"-

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