via The Trouble with Spikol. There’s a donut shop in Northern California that uses mental illness and an insane asylum as it’s theme. Here’s a sampling of news stories from Fox News,  AOL, and  ABC News. In addition to naming donuts after various mental illnesses and brain conditions (e.g. “bipolar donut” and “massive head trauma,” the latter of which has incensed veterans groups), the store also has a “padded cell” and “group therapy room” where one can consume the donuts, and offers customers the chance to be photographed in a straightjacket.  What fun (not)!

What annoys me the most is that the company calls itself  “progressive” — sorry, if you don’t get why persons with mental illness and mental health advocates are offended, you’re not progressive.  Would you have a donut called “little black Sambo”?  I don’t think so.

Liz argues that there are more important things to be concerned about than donuts.  But isn’t battling stigma and fighting for better health care, legal rights, and so forth all part of the same movement?  Here’s an excellent article from Stigmanet that puts this is in the context of campus mental health issues.

So, q’est-ce que c’est? (what is it) — offensive marketing campaign or not?

Added later:  more on protests, from Media Dis&Dat.