For some consumers, one retail clothing company has put a whole new meaning on graphic tees. International clothing company, Primark, has pulled a "Walking Dead" t-Shirt off its shelves after consumers claimed the t-shirt was racist. The shirt featured a bloody bat wrapped in barbed wire. That same bat, Lucille, has become in its own right an iconic character on the show. But it wasn't the bloody weapon that was in question but rather the phase printed surrounding Lucille. The words, “Eeny meeny miny moe" were printed on the shirt. Ian Lucraft came across the shirt in a store in Sheffield, a city in England, and wrote Primark to denounce the shirt for the phrase's offensive history.
"It was fantastically offensive and I can only assume that no-one in the process of ordering it knew what they were doing or were aware of its subliminal messages," said Lucraft.
One the season 6 finale of "The Walking Dead," Negan, the brain bashing bad boy, recites the the rhyme followed by “catch a tiger by his toe.” Some earlier versions used the N-word in place of "tiger" prompting the complaints.
Primark responds to offensive 'Walking Dead' t-shirt
Lucraft's complaint resulted in Primark pulling the shirt off its stores. The Clothing Retailer issued this statement:
"The T-shirt in question is licensed merchandise for the US television series The Walking Dead, and the quote and image are taken directly from the show," the statement read.
The company said it did not intend to offend customers and sincerely apologizes. Lucraft said that the T-shirt's message has a history of assaulting black people in America.
Fans want 'Walking Dead' t-shirt back in stores
While the selling of the t-shirt was offensive to some, others want it back in stores. Fans of AMC's hit show know the phrase wasn't meant to be offensive.
This isn't the first time the gut wrenching TV series has stirred controversy. The gory season 7 premiere drew criticism from The Parents Television Council. The council said the level of violence in the episode crossed the line.
AMC's "The Walking Dead" is in its seventh season and airs Sundays at 9 p.m. PT.
