Photo: Candice Ward / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Build-A-Bear Workshop has always been a family-friendly place where a child can create a stuffed animal of their choosing and get all kinds of accessories for it, and that hasn’t changed. But the company is trying something a little different for Valentine’s Day this year that’s just for the adults and not everyone is happy about it. Their new “After Dark” collection is a little too PG-13 for some critics and they’re taking to social media to vent.
The line is being targeted to “kidults,” grown-ups who are into toys, and it features animals wearing more risque attire. The “After Dark” collection, which is in the “Bear Cave” section of the site, even asks users to confirm that they’re over 18 before clicking in. Once they do, they’ll see:
- A lion wearing a Hugh Heffner-style robe while holding a champagne bottle and a glass
- A dog dressed in a matching bra and undies with a chocolate-covered strawberry print
- A monkey in a tuxedo collar and cufflinks wearing satin boxers with hearts on them
- Animals dressed in PJs, a black slip dress, leopard print boxers and gold strappy heels
- Accessories include a shirt that reads “Zaddy” - slang for an attractive older man, another shirt that reads “You Turn Me On” and one with “Don’t Want None Unless You’ve Got Buns Hun” on it
While it’s harmless grown-up fun for a lot of fans, others have shared their outrage, including:
London-based marketing strategist Alice Waterman-Hale, who tweeted, “Please excuse me whilst I am violently sick.”
- “IS THIS NOT FOR CHILDREN????,” asks one user on Instagram, while another questions, “Build-A-Bear, are you in heat?”
- And another Instagram user simply asks, “What is happening at the BAB headquarters?”
Check it out at NY Post