Dolls produced by toy manufacturer Mattel have been recalled from vendors after discovery of an embarrassing misprint on the packaging.
Wicked is a film adaptation of a 1995 novel which had been turned into a stage play. It is set in the Oz world (of Wizard of Oz fame), and has particular appeal to children.
The dolls are intended to capitalise on this.
On the back of the packaging, a weblink for the movie is provided; however, the link, www.wicked.com takes the user to the website of an adult entertainment company, Wicked Pictures. The movie’s website is www.wickedmovie.com/.
A number of major retail outlets in the United States – including Target, Amazon and Walmart – removed the dolls from their inventories. It is not clear at present whether revised products would be made available.
Mattel commented: “We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information.”
Wicked Pictures is, ironically, known for producing pornographic parodies of mainstream productions.
[Image: Detail from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76911502]