Popular beauty brand Benefit were flooded with angry comments on Monday evening after releasing a tweet featuring the hashtag, #MakeAMovieAFatty.
Furious Twitter users were disgusted with the post which featured puns on film titles and claimed the brand was “Fat-Shaming”.
The tweet in question, which has now been deleted, followed the trending hashtag and included phrases such as “13 going on 30 stone”, “Fat and Furious” and “Grease-y”.
Becky Bedbug, a 27-year-old blogger who has worked with the brand previously said: “I’ve been a fan of Benefit for many years and I recommend them to everyone, so I was really disappointed in their tweets.
“The branding always seems so positive and inclusive. I was surprised to see them getting on board with the fat-shaming trend.
“When I messaged the company and suggested they delete the tweets, they replied saying they were just having fun with the hashtag. It was this response that offended me more than the original tweets. When they’d seen that their customers were disappointed they tried to justify it rather than apologising,
“I understand why they get involved with trending hashtags from a business point of view, but Benefit could easily have used the hashtag and turned it on its head, for example, by asking their followers to #MakeAMovieGorgeous.”
The brand retaliated to the tweets by claiming they were “not poking fun at anybody” before then releasing a apology claiming the company “joined a hashtag in bad taste”.
Lovely Benebabes. We always get involved in hashtags that are trending. We are not poking fun at anybody. #laughteristhebestcosmetic xx
— Benefit Cosmetics UK (@BenefitUK) July 6, 2015
We made a big mistake. We joined a hashtag in bad taste. We truly believe beauty comes in all shapes & sizes. Please accept our apology.
— Benefit Cosmetics UK (@BenefitUK) July 6, 2015
However some followers of the brand refused to accept their apologies.
apologising because we’re offended. Not because you partook in body shaming, because you’re being called on it https://t.co/LRfrD7duu5 — KillerQueen (@MissInformed11) July 6, 2015
. @BenefitUK unfortunately, a lot of #bbloggers like me will never use you again, and I’ll be telling my readers why – as will others.
— Lottie L’Amour (@Lottie_Lamour) July 7, 2015
You have a product called “They’re Real”. You know what else is real @BenefitUK ? Bullying and body shaming. #stopthehate#BoycottBenefit
— KillerQueen (@MissInformed11) July 6, 2015
Where do you stand on this matter? Was this a case of ‘”Fat-Shaming” or just a bit of a joke?
