Some parents of kids with food allergies think so.
The new Peter Rabbit film stars James Corden and features Peter fighting with Mr. McGregor’s rabbit-hating nephew.
According to Fortune:
“This nephew, as it turns out, has a blackberry allergy, a weakness Peter and his accomplices exploit in one battle scene. The rabbits pelt the younger Mr. McGregor with the berries and one goes into his mouth, causing him to go into anaphylactic shock and administer an EpiPen to himself.
“Parents and advocacy groups have taken exception to this portrayal, calling it “allergy bullying” and saying it mocks allergy sufferers. The CEO of Allergy UK told The Telegraph the scene is irresponsible as it doesn’t portray the life-threatening danger of allergies and anaphylactic shock. On Saturday, the U.S.-based Food Allergy Research & Education organization warned on its Facebook page that the scene “might be upsetting” for viewers who have allergies.”
What would Beatrix Potter say?
People took to Twitter to voice their dismay:
Sony Pictures has since apologized:
“Food allergies are a serious issue,” Sony said in an emailed press release yesterday. “Our film should not have made light of Peter Rabbit’s archnemesis, Mr. McGregor, being allergic to blackberries, even in a cartoonish, slapstick way. We sincerely regret not being more aware and sensitive to this issue, and we truly apologize.”
What do you think?