Obama Mask Listed As "Terrorist Costume" On Amazon

Oxdown Gazette:

I had heard from a friend that searching on Amazon.com for "terrorist costume" would yield but one costume -- a Barack Obama mask.

Figuring it was a joke, I had to try it for myself. After entering "terrorist costume" in to the "Apparel & Accessories" search box at Amazon, however, the search results were less than funny. Sure enough, there was but one result, a Barack Obama mask selling for $49.95.

...

Since this story has been making a buzz on teh internets, Amazon.com has fixed the "terrorist" listing. I wonder if they will issue an apology?

Read the whole story: Oxdown Gazette

Comments

[twokidsonecat]

The most terrorizing thing about that mask is the price. Geesh!

[rg2006milw]

Hello from Amazon.com.

Thank you for contacting us with your concern about the search results for the Barack Obama Halloween mask.

We'd like you to know that the search result for that item was modified by an Amazon.com customer using a "tagging" feature available on our website. The result was not provided by an Amazon employee or an Amazon search algorithm.

The search tag was removed quickly after it was discovered.

We have fixed the problem and apologize for any offense it created.

Thank you for contacting us.

[jrjoyrae]

Here is the e-mail I just sent to Amazon:

I will not be patronizing Amazon.com this year...

after news that an Amazon.com retailer listed a Barack Obama halloween mask under the tags "terrorist costume".

If Amazon does not have a way to monitor their vendors and the way they tag items... then they NEED to come up with one.

This is sickening that it could happen... in light of the divisiveness facing our country... and how many false rumors have been spread regarding Senator Obama... that Amazon.com (a well respected and massively utilized shopping site) would allow something like this to happen.

Please take steps to make sure something like this does not happen again...

and MAYBE I will patronize your site for Christmas purchases next year...

This year... my money goes somewhere else.

[NickOLess]

jrjoyrae: I'm sorry if I sound flip, but did you actually READ the post you responded to? The retailer DID NOT tag the mask with "terrorist": that was done by an Amazon shopper. You could have done it yourself. It requires no special access. ANYONE can do it, and we are INVITED to do it by Amazon.

Amazon's method is to allow shoppers to tag products with keywords so that other shoppers can find products more easily. But they went one better and responded to the complaints by removing the publicly-generated tag -- a tag, by the way, that was entered by a single person (that was the numeral 1 next to the tag -- one person added that tag).

So now, do we slam Amazon for censorship because they removed the tag that a shopper saw fit to add to the product?

Maybe we should go back to top-down media, like TV, where users aren't allowed any form of input, because sometimes people say stupid things....

[twokidsonecat]

I stopped using amazon anyway. One christmas i bought a bunch of stuff from a bunch of different Amazon sellers, and I ended up with a ton of shipping prices. I didn't like it. I received one or two items at a time from various shops. I'd rather get it all in one box from one place.

[Iconox805]

Good grief people, I guess common sense isn't so common anymore.

Any customer can add a search tag to an item to make it easier for future customers to find. Someone added terrorist costume to the mask, clearly not Amazon.

But go ahead and keep believing whatever story the media spins it as like the sheep that you are, because we all know the biggest online shopping website in the world, based in one of the most liberal cities in the world (seattle) wants to alienate half its customers. People amaze me.

[ericdallas]

"Any customer can add a search tag" ----- Come on folks, stop making excuse for Amazon. It is their technology, their website, that allowed people to misuse it and propagate hate. They should be held accountable.

I urge people to punish them by taking your business else where. We can't let people get away with these kind of antics.

Boycott Amazon

[Iconox805]

What excuses am I making? That's what they said what happened and apologized for, and that's what did happen.

What exactly do you propose? Boycotting a company for having a tag feature that was abused? What happens when a customer puts something listed as a terrorist costume on Ebay? Or a customer puts up a sign in a department store labeling something as a terrorist costume? Things that have nothing to do with the retailer, but with a customer.

The staff removes the tag is what happens, apologizes to anyone that asks for it even though they didn't do it, and try to prevent it from happening again because they've never had it happen before which is EXACTLY WHAT AMAZON DID.

This company is based in one of the most Democratic cities in the world, there was no conservative bribe conspiracy, no intentionally losing Obama books conspiracy (wow on that one), if anything the strong majority of them are probably Democrats themselves supporting Obama, that's what Seattle is known for. It was some kid exploiting a feature that they immediately fixed when they found out of.

Seriously grow up people. You're adults, act like one. Get an actual world issue to get involved about, not some kid exploiting a feature where Amazon did all the right things to fix. Good grief what is the population coming to.

[NickOLess]

Let's boycott HuffPo while we're at it, because some people log on here and call Obama a terrorist.

Let's all do The Knee Jerk!

[twokidsonecat]

Any sympathy to people who don't use Amazon? It's not like it use to be. In fact it's changed considerably since they began years ago.

[neurologymatters]

In addiition to boycotting Amazon, contact stores that sell on their website. I just contacted Target. If they do not stop affliating with Amazon, I will not buy anything from Target.

[tdorrance]

Maybe that explains why Amazon supposedly "lost" my order that included the two Obama books a few months ago. It took numerous contacts with them and a lot of strong comments from me before they decided to "ship" my order again. I had ordered from them for years and this was the first order I had a problem with. After that experience, I had already decided I was finished with them. This only confirms that I made the right decision.

[msjimmied]

I thought an earlier post said it was taken down...nope, it;s still there. I just sent them a strongly worded email. I would suggest everyone does the same. I am also returning the 2 books I just bought. Darn! Now I will have to find another supplier...so be it,

[chittychitty]

I emailed them as well.
The link to email Amazon, even if you don't have account:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/general-questions.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=508510&type=email&skip=true#csTop

[jmcallahan]

Just found the Obama mask on Amazon & it is still listed as a terrorist costume but the seller is a '3rd party' named Newbury Comics (Newbury Comics Store Front). Amazon is amiss for not taking this product off their website or doing a better job of policing their website, but they are not the direct sellers.

[barbaricus]

haha too funny, another freudian slip by the citizenry

[Tiredofpoliticsasusual]

Amazon has just lost my business forever! I am going to send the linked story to everyone in my e-mail address book and ask them to spread around a nationwide boycott of Amazon. This type of blatant racism is disgusting!

[KSinTN]

Are we going to be seeing a mask for the "B" girl on Amazon.com? Or how about those to awful neo-nazi kids whose murder plot was uncovered today? Did anyone see an Osmam bin Laden mask? I didn't! If this isn't hate mongering I don't know what is!!!

[ericdallas]

Yes it now show John McCain.....Amazon is doing this to possibly diffuse the situation. Too late, damage is already done. Amazon has showed their "True" colors already.

I hold Amazon 100% responsible for their irresponsible behavior for allowing people to hijack their website to promote hate.

Boycott Amazon.

[MrPragmatic]

Oh please, lighten up! Let's march and boycott!! Silly.

[ericdallas]

Lighten up? Are you suggesting it is Ok to let public companies use their resources to spread false information to promote hate in our society? Are you suggesting that we should continue to give our business so that they can continue to with the irresponsible behavior? Are you suggesting it is Ok to Facilitate the promotion of a sworn in United States Senator and a presidential candidate as a terrorist? Not in my books. Amazon acted irresponsibly and did not put in enough over sight to prevent such incidents. I am not saying that go out in the streets and march and block streets or something. What I am saying is that we should take our business else where as amazon is a irresponsible company that does not deserve our business.

[ericdallas]

Lets get this straight, Amazon is is not a blog site it is a publicly traded company. Amazon is selling products that suggest that a sworn in United States Senator (a public servant) and a presidential candidate is a terrorist.

I am not so sure that Amazon stock holders will be thrilled when they learn about this. This will destroy the public image of this company.

And please don’t try to make excuses for Amazon like the tagging is done by users etc. It is their website, their technology and their servers that is promoting this hate. They are 100% responsible for this. If they can’t manage their website then maybe they should not be in the business of selling products online.

Boycott Amazon. Don't give them a penny of your business. Spread the word around.

[NickOLess]

The product makes no such claim: the user-generated tag did. Boycotting Amazon and/or the manufacturer is a mindless, knee-jerk reaction which may not hurt Amazon much but could wipe out a small time manufacturer.

With millions of products for sale, there is no way Amazon could possibly monitor all Tags and Reviews. So what you are insisting is that Amazon remove ALL user-generated feedback from their site, including not just Tags but Reviews as well (since one could easily abuse that, too.)

The fact is that Tags ARE user-generated, exactly like our posts on HuffPo. So let's boycott HuffPo because they allow stupid people to post whatever they want.

Either we get free speech and have to put up with a few imbeciles, or we can all go back to top-down media like TV. Personally, I'm all for free speech, even if some of it is retarded.

[twokidsonecat]

I think it's important that you share the information you know about oneline shopping. With this many responses, it's obvious people are uninformed. Good teachers are very patient.

[blytzd]

Now it shows J McC so i guess it works both ways, lol

[peggyleg]

You won't see any conservatives outrages over the McCain mask because we know McCain isn't a terrorits...the Libs aren't too sure about BO though, as shown by all the "outrage".hahaha

[roald]

Perhaps it's because McCain has not been improperly and disrespectfully portrayed as a terrorist. Liberals have too much class to point out the terrorist ties of John McCain.

[Quaoar]

We're far surer that Obama isn't tied to terrorists than we are about McCain and his minions.

[DShawn233]

I hope this story makes it to the MSM level and Amazon sales and stocks go the way of the stock market

[LarBear]

DShawn233...

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/amazon/archives/152650.asp?from=blog_last3

This was done by a Seller on Amazon, NOT Amazon...

[rzan1]

Why did they allow the seller to sell this item on their site?

[chittychitty]

that link says that the tags have been removed by Amazon, but the mask is still listed under "terrorist costume" and 'arab costume".

Although the item was not listed by Amazon but by a seller, it is Amazon's responsibility to rectify the situation.

[1will]

That's discraceful.
It should list under "Friend of terrorist costume."

[dct1999]

McCain and G. Gordon Liddy

[1will]

How many bombs did Liddy plant?