Obama Chia Pet Pulled From Stores

Walgreen's stores in Tampa and Chicago have pulled the "Chia Obama" from their shelves, after some customers complained the plants were racist.

According to Walgreens spokesman Robert Elfinger, Walgreen's store managers can choose products to market in their own stores. But, after the store's higher-ups began receiving complaints, they ordered the chia pets off the shelves.

The Obama Chia also made a brief appearance on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange last week.

The Chia Obama will still be available at chiaobama.com.

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Comments

[GrainOSand]

Hillarious, typical of the capitalistic mindset, but a bad idea...in poor taste is what it is, to have the president with a Chia fro, that would be like featuring the White House on MTV Cribs -- Tacky.

[Yuseff Hilton]

I can see SNL doing an Obama (w/Tracy Morgan as Obama) White House/Cribs skit...it would proably be hilarous, and everyone involved would probably promptly find themselves unemployed! Rightly (IMO) or wrongly, it´s nice that some people can laugh about such things, but it is alway a bad thing to perpetuate ANY stereotype.

[GrainOSand]

Exactly and absolutely!

[buckbuck11]

...or a "Pimp my Ride" show on Obama's limousine....

[planetjeffy]

I love tacky, kitschy, whatever...

So does everyone else. I tried to order it but they are out. Bad publicity is good publicity.

[vinny]

psst. obama is black.

[donbrown]

Correction: Half black/half white. Obama is Hapa.

[Mdazes]

Half black/half white since he became President. Before he was just black.

[HappyMarsden]

You know what this means, right? BUY THEM RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!!

They are going to be worth a hell of a lot on eBay some day.

[nicole473]

It may or may not be actually racist, but I would guess that it was created with the intent of disrespecting Obama. I very much doubt that there was a Bush chia pet.

Chia pets are truly tacky in any case.

[Copeword]

I thought chias were suppose to be Christmas and birthday gifts.

[iRob08]

iRob 08 *shrugs shoulders and laughs*

[MsIrisMG]

Can you imagine how mortified his children would be if someone brought that thing to school?

[lisakaz2]

I'd kinda laugh and think it stoopid.

[MsIrisMG]

Just because you would doesn't mean THEY would.

[rocketman69]

Better than one of those creepy bobble-head things.

[MsIrisMG]

Doesn't even look like him - hasn't had that much hair since high school. There's no accounting for taste, I guess.

[CommonSenseMom]

Everyone wants a piece of the Obama popularity and this goes WAY too far.

This is just plain tacky and disrespectful (but not rac.ist).

Tacky Tacky Tacky.

[liberalrebuttal]

Aw come on moderator. My last comment was funny. I know you laughed.

;p

[CrzyRussell]

Stupid, tacky but in no way racist.

[Yalegirl03]

I agree, I did not see it as racist but as tacky and a bit disrespectful.

[Jack45]

I just sent the following note to Joseph Enterprises. I cannot think of a tackier product to begin with; however, this version takes the cake.

Please cease and desist. From an old white guy, this seems like a very racist, opportunistic marketing scheme. May I respectfully ask you to remove all product from your web-sites, catalogs, retailers, and any other channels.

I don't know your politics, of course, but I certainly suspect they may be right of center. Do yourself a favor and avoid further condemnation. These are tough times and there should be some sense of propriety. Did you, for example, market a ChiaBush... and I leave the depiction to your imagination?

Thanks!

[MsLiz]

ChiaBush. LOL

[poiuyty]

Can you get a whole set with Michlle and the two kids included?

[bonnmot]

Sorry. I saw the ad for the 'Chia-Obama' for the first time late last night, was thunderstruck by how absolutely appalling the product was, and, was sure I'd dreamt the whole thing this morning when I woke up. I'm a middle-aged white woman, and believe me, although maybe this 'tribute' may not have been intended to offend, it is unbelievably offensive. Wouldn't the 'Chia-Bush' have been more appropriate, considering the botanical nature of the Chia line? Just wondering.