An inflatable female doll “reminiscent of a blow-up sex toy” was yanked from the shelves of West Chester University’s (Pennsylvania) bookstore yesterday after — you guessed it — complaints “from students and others on social media.”
Despite the fact that the doll, only six inches tall and a leftover “gag gift” from Valentine’s Day, was clearly not a sex toy, the protests were not mollified.
Oh, and a male version of the doll was also on the shelves back in February — but it sold out.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
Critics said the $7.99 doll, which is labeled “the perfect female specimen,” and its package promotes rape culture and the objectification of women.
“Non-talking, no headaches, disposable or reusable (you choose to dump or not),” reads the front of the package. On the back, pictures instruct the user to punch the package with a fist and “hit hard” to inflate.
The doll exists in a world where women are actually objectified, silenced, and punched, said sexologist Jill McDevitt, a former West Chester resident (and former contributor to philly.com). She posted a photo of the doll’s package on her Facebook page after a West Chester student sent it to her.
“[T]o have this product sold on a college campus breeds a culture in which this type of behavior toward women is normal, and even cute or funny,” she said.
Irissa Baxter, a graduate student (who’s apparently enrolled in Humorless Studies), is organizing students to express their outrage at “this concept existing on [the] campus,” which is “inappropriate and insensitive.”
“You’re literally punching a representation of a woman to get it to work,” Baxter said. “The perfect female specimen . . . wouldn’t talk [and] you could punch her. That’s the idea this is sending.”
As noted, the male version of the doll had sold out. There is no mention of what its packaging said.
WCU spokeswoman Loretta MacAlpine said “There was never any intent to promote anything other than a joke for Valentine’s Day.”
Don’t worry, Ms. MacAlpine. Most people get that.
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