Martha Stewart has apologised twice for dressing as a homeless person for Halloween, in a post promoting her candles. Fair backlash, or an overreaction?
The photo showed her in tattered clothes and dirt make-up with a sign reading "I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!", in an Instagram post about her QVC candles. She deleted it and first said it was meant to raise awareness of homelessness, then said that statement didn't go far enough and called the costume "insensitive and not funny".
What happened
Stewart, 85, posted a photo of herself in tattered clothing, with make-up made to look like dirt and a clipboard sign reading "I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!". It was the third slide in an Instagram carousel captioned "My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!". After criticism she deleted the post. She first said the costume was meant to bring awareness to homelessness, that she was distressed it had offended people, and pointed to her charity work. In a second Instagram statement she said her earlier statement "didn't go far enough", called the costume "insensitive and not funny" and said sorry.
Why people disagree
Critics say a wealthy celebrity dressing as someone hungry and homeless, in a post selling candles, turns real hardship into a joke; many called it out of touch, and some felt the first statement made it worse. Defenders say she meant no harm, point to her philanthropy, including Feeding America, note that she apologised within days, and argue that people are too easily offended by Halloween costumes.
What's still unclear
Whether the awareness explanation was sincere or came after the fact; whether QVC or other partners respond; and where the line now sits for costumes that depict real-life hardship rather than fictional characters.
Sources
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