In the enchanting realm of Oz, all might be sunny and bright, but the scenario shifts drastically in the realm of Mattel, the toy giant. A recent blunder saw the company's dolls for the movie "Wicked" featuring a pornographic website URL on their packaging, an erroneous listing that replaced a closely resembling one meant for promoting the upcoming film adaptation of the renowned Broadway musical.
Mattel, the esteemed creator of Barbie and Hot Wheels, issued a statement on Sunday acknowledging a "misprint" on the doll packaging predominantly sold in the United States. They clarified that their intention was to direct consumers to the movie's official webpage, far from a site restricted solely to adults aged 18 and above. Ironically, these dolls are tailored for children aged four and above.
Mattel expressed profound regret, blaming the mix-up on an "unfortunate error" and vowing to take "prompt action." However, they refrained from divulging the specifics of how the mishap occurred or the measures they intended to undertake.
Early Monday, it remained uncertain how many of these mislabeled boxes had already reached the shelves. Mattel had yet to announce a recall or provide refunds to the affected customers.
Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the film is slated for release on November 22. Universal Pictures, the distributor, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
Mattel isn't the lone entity to have publicly confused one URL with another. Last week, Pope Francis inadvertently donned the hat of a New Orleans Saints fan by repeatedly using a hashtag meant for the football team, rather than the revered disciples of the Roman Catholic Church. "We cannot become #Saints with a frown," he penned. "We must possess hearts filled with joy to remain open to hope." When the Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, breaking a seven-game losing streak, some fans saw the victory as a divine intervention.
Similar URL fumbles have plagued the worlds of politics and media too. In 2019, an Italian cartoonist known as Albo, whose work includes erotic imagery, revealed on Twitter that hundreds had mistakenly identified him as Anthony Albanese, an Australian politician campaigning to lead the country's Labor Party.
Mr. Albanese won the election and now holds the position of prime minister. However, he is still occasionally mistaken for Albo. In April, for instance, Michael Rowland, a presenter at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, apologized after incorrectly attributing a comment about Elon Musk to the artist instead of Mr. Albanese.
