Bath & Body Works ignited a firestorm of customer complaints after the retailer released a scented Christmas candle perceived as being racially offensive.
The candle, nicknamed the “klandle” on social media, featured a snowflake design apparently resembling to some customers the white hoods worn by members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK is a white supremacist hate group which emerged in America after the Civil War, according to NBC News.
Each spindle of the snowflake depicted on the three-wick candle had two holes on either side, which looked like eyeholes of the notorious KKK outfit, consumers claimed, citing images of the product show. (RELATED: FTX Felon Heading To Prison Celebrates ‘New Position’ On LinkedIn And The ‘Congratulations’ Pour In)
A Klandle is crazy… #tmz pic.twitter.com/cWFIQ8aiIW
— Conley Patillo (@ConleyPatillo) October 12, 2024
Bath & Body Works removed the “Snowed In” scented candle from their website and apologized in a statement to TMZ.
“We are committed to listening to our teams and customers and committed to fixing any mistakes we make—even those that are unintentional like this one. We apologize to anyone we’ve offended and are swiftly working to have this item removed and [are] evaluating our process [going] forward,” a Bath & Body Works spokesperson said, the outlet reported.
One X (formerly known as Twitter) user commented she is “done with the internet” after learning the seemingly KKK hood-like design bore the “klandle” nickname.
They called the “racist” Bath & Body works candle a klandle 😭😭 I’m done with the internet
— Hibachi Snoot♡ (@ImWithTheBull) October 11, 2024
“Bath & Body Works needs to fire all the people who approved this candle artwork,” another X user wrote with a face palm emoji.
Bath & Body Works needs to fire all the people who approved this candle artwork 🤦🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/jkHpVtN503
— Ash (@ash_like_whoa) October 8, 2024
“Maybe you need some minorities reviewing these items too,” another X user remarked.
Maybe you need some minorities reviewing these items too…
Bath & Body Works Apologizes And Pulls Candle Depicting KKK Hood-Like Design #Design #Marketing #Amazonhttps://t.co/2YEQYXNCYs— Dianne Bradley (@DianneB80114328) October 11, 2024
Other X users criticized the company for removing the candle, with one calling those outraged “too fucking soft.”
Y’all too fucking soft … like fr. Making bath and body works remove a candle cause the ENLARGED snowflake looks like “ kkk hoods. “
But won’t cancel / remove the real problem which is degeneracy…— ཐིཋྀ (@dtheactivizt) October 11, 2024
I’m so sorry to your company that someone looked at that snowflake and thought it was the hood from the KKK. These people don’t even know American history or even where the KKK originated so I’m very sorry that your candle had to be taken off for that.
— Bee39 (@Bee3913) October 12, 2024
“These people don’t even know American history or even where the KKK originated so I’m very sorry that your candle had to be taken off for that,” one X user commented.