Game of Groans: Food Shopping

Think about an object, an activity, or a cultural phenomenon you really don’t like. Now write a post (tongue-in-cheek or not – your call) about why it’s the best thing ever.

–Daily Post

Food shopping is one of the most completely boring and mind-numbing experiences that I have to do every week.

BUT…

I often forget how lucky I am to be able to afford to buy my own food.  There are many different shops within a reasonable distance to my house, and I am free to choose which of them I will go to each week. I don’t have to walk for hours to get to my shops  – my local supermarket is a quick 10-minute walk from my doorstep. I am also spoilt for choice when it comes to the meat, vegetables, fruits and even milk I can buy.  I am able to just buy my food. I don’t have to go out and catch or harvest my food. I just have to drive or walk into any supermarket and pick out what I want. The products are carefully prepared, packed and laid out in shelves that are labelled. I am spoiled.

Despite the ever-increasing prices of goods and the boring nature of food shopping, I really should stop moaning.

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More groans:

Daily Prompt

Tucked into a corner

The ambitious drifter

Serendipity

Psychologist Mimi

Silently heard once

Jittery goat

Kate Murray

All things cute and beautiful

Sue’s trifles

Prairie view

Chronicles of an Anglo-Swiss

Renew joy

Advertisement

UK Supermarkets Asda and Tesco Apologise for Disgraceful and Offensive Costume

UK supermarket giant Asda has apologised for their hugely inappropriate halloween costume marketed as the ‘Mental Patient Fancy Dress Costume’  which featured fake blood, a mask and a fake meat cleaver. They have withdrawn the sale of the said product and pledged to donate £25,000 to Charity Mind after they were bombarded with tweets from offended individuals such as ex-footballer Stan Collymore and charities such as Rethink Mental Illness.

Tesco, who had a similarly absurd ‘psycho ward’ costume (boiler suit, mask and machete) also withdrew their product subsequently and like Asda, have issued offical apologies.

As an advocate for teaching mental health awareness and diversity, I am hugely offended and horrified by the sale and  advertisement of the costumes. We are still living in an age where people with mental illnesses are stigmatized, and stupid publicity stunts such as this is totally unacceptable. Not only does it fuel the negative stereotype but it also gives the masses an opportunity to publicly mock those who are living with mental illnesses. I am sure that they are aware of the fact that several people have killed themselves because they could not live with the stigma.

In addition, neither of these costumes accurately depict people with mental illness. Having visited many psychiatric wards and mental institutions, and having worked with people with psychiatric conditions, I have not seen anyone who dressed and looked like the pictures on Asda’s and Tesco’s  advertisements. The mentally ill need support, understanding and acceptance. They certainly do not need any public mockery such as this. Apologies and donations are not enough.