KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A J.C. Penney ad is under fire by some parents because they say it promotes bullying. But others say they don’t see what the big deal is.
It’s a commercial by department store J.C. Penney for Arizona Jeans. Soon-to-be parents like Britty Towell and Benjamin Towell seem okay with it, until the lunch room scene.
That’s where a mom is heard narrating over a crowded cafeteria, “I’ve been told this stuff could make or break your entire year.” Soon after a student is seen alone, with cricket noises.
“I definitely wouldn’t want my kids seeing that and thinking, ‘Mom we need to go to J.C. Penney so I could make sure that I’m not alone at the lunch table,'” Britty Towell said.
Director of the Kansas Bullying Prevention Program, Randy Wiler, said a scene from the lunch room appears to be no accident. Wiler said it’s actually insensitive.
“The lunch room is the fourth highest hot spot in Kansas where bullying happens and the fact that kids who bully are just looking for an excuse. If clothing could be one of those excuses that’s what they’ll use,” Wiler said.
Wiler also said as kids return to school, that is when bullying incidents are most frequent.
But not everyone FOX 4 showed the commercial to thinks it’s bad. We showed parent Diane Scott.
“Oh, bullying? No, I didn’t see that,” Scott said. She said it was just another advertisement to her.
J.C. Penney sent FOX 4 a statement in an email saying:
Our intent was not to trivialize or promote bullying. At J.C. Penney, we’re committed to carrying a broad range of styles that let kids express their individuality and make a positive first impression. Our marketing is meant to inspire kids to create and reveal their look as they head back to school this season. The ad is part of a handful of back to school TV ads we are airing this season. It aired earlier this summer as scheduled but is not currently part of our TV campaign.
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