In the latest groan-worthy news, a New Mexico restaurant has found itself in hot water after selling “Black Olives Matter” merchandise.
ABC affiliate KOAT reports that after posting an ill-advised “Black Olives Matter” billboard last month, Paisano’s Italian restaurant has taken the slogan one step further by selling t-shirts and hats brandishing the same slogan, promoting a new black olive tapenade dish.
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“It’s just something to do that’s kind of fun now,” owner Rick Camuglia told the station, adding that he has gotten orders from overseas. “It’s a little bit different than selling pasta.”
The merch, which ranges from $20 to $25, has (understandably) been met with disapproval from activists, who say that the slogan trivializes the movement.
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“Many people are very much against any kind of usage of that term or playing on that term or punning on that term because people’s lives are at stake,” University of New Mexico professor and Black Lives Matter activist Finnie Coleman said.
What do you think of the merchandise? Are you offended by it, or is it simply a harmless joke? Let us know!
