For many young children, a Kinder egg is one of the best candies ever invented. When you're an adult, they kind lose their appeal, but as a kid they were inherently exciting. I used to remember getting really excited about the little toy inside them, wondering what it could be ... even though I'm pretty sure they were a clear choking hazard. But I digress.
However, this week a disgruntled parent from Australia was disturbed by what her child found when they cracked open their Kinder egg: a supposedly 'racist' toy that she shared a picture of on social media. Kimberly, who hails from Victoria, was outraged when she bought a Kinder egg for her 15-month old son Alexander. Upon opening it up, she discovered a white Kinder Egg figure holding three balloons which bore the letters "KKK" - seemingly a reference to the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.
In an interview with Australian parenting website Kidspot, Kimberly stated: "Initially we laughed in shock. It was kind of like, 'Are we seeing and reading this right?' As soon as you open the package the toy comes in two parts. One is the egg and the other is the balloons with 'KKK' written on them. As soon as you see them - you notice it ... This is a massive oversight that anyone could have seen. It's also hard to find something to say as the initials of Kinder Surprise aren't 'KKK'. It raises questions as to what the company supports and if this is subliminal marketing."
However, the company has since responded to the offensive product, writing: "We sincerely apologise for any offence caused due to the inference of how the three Ks read together on this toy. As detailed in the note to our consumer, initially it was designed with one balloon with a 'K' on it. However, two more were added to provide a more robust structure, as the safety and quality of our toys is of the utmost importance. We had absolutely no intention to make associations with the Ku Klux Klan and we truly apologise to our consumers for any unintentional offence caused. We do not support this organisation in any way."
Kinder's spokesperson added: "The K on the balloons was solely meant to represent Kinder. We can inform you this toy, which was part of a limited edition for Kinder's 50th birthday, has been discontinued. Stock from this toy range has also been withheld from the market and destroyed. Rest assured, we are revisiting our internal processes to ensure something like this cannot happen again. It was never intended for this toy to be offensive, and we would like to extend our sincerest apologies again. In addition, any consumer who has received the toy in question can contact our consumer services to arrange a replacement, if they wish."
Is Kimberly overreacting? Or does she have a right to be offended? I'm not sure personally, but I highly doubt that Kinder eggs are actually propaganda tools for white supremacists.
