This letter, printed in today’s Daily Mail and copied below, is probably too good to be true. Sure, most Mail readers may hate inter-racial/varietal jiggery-pokery. And they may regard the site of lustful lemons and limes as a sign of the coming apocalypse. But how many Mail-ites would dub their spawn Benjamin ‘n’ Ofelia? Aren’t those names reserved for the offspring of Saddam-hugging, hemp-swaddled lefty pinkos?
Zest for Life: Don't worry, they're seedless
It’s probably a piece of stealth marketing from the chaps at Haribo. But I like to think uber-prude Simon Simpkins might really be out there, furiously bashing off letters of complaint to German tooth rotters, before furiously bashing off, erm…
MY SWEET WRAPPER LEAVES A SOUR TASTE
The other day, while doing our weekly shop, I bought for my two children, Benjamin & Ofelia, a packet of Haribo Maoam lemon-and-lime confectionery. It was only after I was leaving the check-out that I noticed the appalling illustration on the packaging.
This consists of a lemon and a lime locked in what appears to be a carnal encounter. The lime, who I assume to be the gentleman in this coupling, has a particularly lurid and distasteful expression on his face. I demanded to see the shop manager and during a heated exchange my wife became quite distressed and had to sit down in the car park. I was told to register my complaint with the manufacturer.
I’m glad I spotted this before my young children, who are both very sensitive. My wife and I have always tried to protect their innocence – and to think all our years of careful parenting could have been wrecked by a sweet rapper makes me livid.I received a reply from the company saying that the wrapper design had been introduced in Germany in 2002 with a view to making the fruit figures ‘more modern and lively’ to ‘better appeal to the consumer’.
It said: ‘At no point was it intended to create sexual images’ It has been shown to a number of children and adults of different age groups, none of whom has made any comments referring to sexual content. I consider this reply to be less than satisfactory. As a member of our local chruch, I’m now urging members of our flock to bycott Haribo products until this illustration is removed.
Simon Simpkins
Pontefract, West Yorks
Topical Fruit: Not welcome here
