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| Clothes store Joy angers mental health campaigners with Twitter exchange on bipolar disorders | Clothes store Joy angers mental health campaigners with Twitter exchange on bipolar disorders |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A store chain is facing a social media backlash and calls for a boycott after it angered mental health campaigners by appearing to mock bipolar disorders. | A store chain is facing a social media backlash and calls for a boycott after it angered mental health campaigners by appearing to mock bipolar disorders. |
| Joy, a clothes chain with 26 shops nationwide, was sent an image of a greeting card it stocks in one of its London stores, which a Twitter user found offensive. | |
| Appealing to the store, the customer said the card, which had “don’t get mad, take lithium” scrawled on it, was “offensive to people with bipolar disorder”. | |
| In response, Joy replied: “Then if you know anyone with bipolar disorder, don't buy it for them. PROBLEM SOLVED.” | In response, Joy replied: “Then if you know anyone with bipolar disorder, don't buy it for them. PROBLEM SOLVED.” |
| When asked about the people with bipolar who may go in shopping for themselves, the shop said: “They'll like it one minute and hate it the next?” | When asked about the people with bipolar who may go in shopping for themselves, the shop said: “They'll like it one minute and hate it the next?” |
| In response to a question asking about the people “with bipolar disorder who see this in your store”, Joy said: | In response to a question asking about the people “with bipolar disorder who see this in your store”, Joy said: |
| The seemingly off-the-cuff remarks were immediately censured as “shocking”, “disgusting” and “offensive stereotyping”, while a hashtag entitled #joycott called for a rejection of the retailer. | The seemingly off-the-cuff remarks were immediately censured as “shocking”, “disgusting” and “offensive stereotyping”, while a hashtag entitled #joycott called for a rejection of the retailer. |
| One Twitter user said: "I'm more appalled by your stigmatising responses than the card itself. I hope you're ashamed of yourself." | One Twitter user said: "I'm more appalled by your stigmatising responses than the card itself. I hope you're ashamed of yourself." |
| YouTube vlogger Alfie Deyes, 21, said: "This is not only a disgusting card to sell, but a VERY unprofessional way to speak to someone! Just no." | YouTube vlogger Alfie Deyes, 21, said: "This is not only a disgusting card to sell, but a VERY unprofessional way to speak to someone! Just no." |
| This afternoon, Joy apologised for the incident, saying that it often tries to be “irreverent” but sometimes gets it wrong. | This afternoon, Joy apologised for the incident, saying that it often tries to be “irreverent” but sometimes gets it wrong. |
| They said: “We at JOY like to start conversations and create dialogue, we try to be irreverent, sometimes we get it wrong. Please accept our apologies.” | They said: “We at JOY like to start conversations and create dialogue, we try to be irreverent, sometimes we get it wrong. Please accept our apologies.” |
| We at JOY like to start conversations and create dialogue, we try to be irreverent, sometimes we get it wrong. Please accept our apologies. | We at JOY like to start conversations and create dialogue, we try to be irreverent, sometimes we get it wrong. Please accept our apologies. |
| Twitter users had also raised the incident with mental health charity Bipolar UK, who said it would be following the matter up with Joy “asap”, while others said the humour was a better way of dealing with mental health issues. | Twitter users had also raised the incident with mental health charity Bipolar UK, who said it would be following the matter up with Joy “asap”, while others said the humour was a better way of dealing with mental health issues. |
| Humor is a much more effective way of tackling mental health issues but do carry on screeching | Humor is a much more effective way of tackling mental health issues but do carry on screeching |
| Joy has a large number of its stores in London, but is also found in Glasgow, Guernsey, Sheffield and Brighton. | Joy has a large number of its stores in London, but is also found in Glasgow, Guernsey, Sheffield and Brighton. |
| Joy and Bipolar UK have been contacted by The Independent for comment. | Joy and Bipolar UK have been contacted by The Independent for comment. |