It seems as if Australian consumers are in a sensitive place right now. First, retail giants K-Mart and Target both banned Grand Theft Auto V from being sold due to 'violence against women' (which is just plain untrue). Following that, angry and/or sarcastic GTA fans created a Change.Org counter-petition to have the Bible removed from the retailers' shelves. Now, in a plot twist that would make M. Night Shyamalan proud, it seems like one of the stores itself is under attack.
Another Change.Org petition has appeared, this time aimed at Target and its advertising. Not any one ad in particular, mind you, but Target itself. The petition states that "the Target name and logo is offensive and promotes violence within the community by encouraging people to aim at and shoot things."
The petition goes on to say that "It is a gross violation of our visual right not to be accosted by their inflammatory and aggressive marketing technique." This is likely a response by GTA fans against the chain for censoring the popular video game.
Even so, it seems like those who are signing the petition are less than sincere. For instance, one comment from Mitchell Gobbledeegook reads, "I'm signing because every time I walk past a Target store and see the logo I get the urge to mow down innocents with an AK-47. Please change your logo so I don't."
Another comment states that "When people see the target logo I am afraid that the children will think of gender inequality - the target obviously representing the receiving female whose only job is to receive the male 'arrow.' Disgusting that such a logo is allowed to be spread across buses and Television."
There may be a few people who can create controversy out of nowhere, but at least humanity can rely on the internet to make them all look stupid.
