M&S launches new range of Harry Potter merch, proving cancel culture really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
Marks & Spencer’s new range of Harry Potter chocolate (Image: M&S)
M&S has launched a range of Harry Potter chocolate and clothing for the festive season, proving once again that cancel culture really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The official Wizarding World chocolate range includes chocolate frogs, wands and golden snitch. As an additional tie-in to the film franchise, an M&S clothing range also boasts official Harry Potter hats, scarves and pyjamas for children.
M&S’ decision to capitalise on the Harry Potter brand comes after a year which has seen author JK Rowling’s reputation take a battering, following her numerous, heavily criticised statements on trans lives.
Rowling’s views on trans people have seen many former fans boycott the once-beloved films, auctioning merchandise, covering up tattoos and removing her books from shelves.
However, though defenders of the author (and Rowling herself) have bemoaned a so-called “cancel culture”, her IP continues to rake in cash, with her most recent book topping UK charts and a Harry Potter game poised to do the same upon its release next year.
M&S held an NHS rainbow sale during Pride Month.
M&S previously attracted criticism after the proceeds of products bearing the Pride rainbow — and sold during Pride month — went not to LGBT+ causes, but to the NHS.
Seeing the familiar six-striped Pride flag being used in the rainbow sale’s marketing, Twitter users accused Marks & Spencer of “piggybacking off the current trend of ‘rebranding’ the Pride colours as NHS symbol and capitalising on it”.
“So….we just going to pretend you didn’t rebrand your LGBT+ creative to appeal to a more socially/culturally relevant audience right now?” one commented. “COVID or no COVID, it’s still Pride Month. And you should be ashamed.”
And last year’s “LGBT sandwich” (lettuce, guacamole, bacon and tomato) was similarly judged to be in poor taste as customers roundly mocked the idea online.
“M&S threw the first artisanal sandwich at Stonewall,” was the running joke on Twitter.
PinkNews reached out to M&S for comment but received no reply at the time of publication.
