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(CNN) – A supermarket chain in China apologized for apparently displaying a graphic in one of its stores that used derogatory language to refer to women in oversized clothing as “rotten” and “terrible.”
A photo of the sign, which appeared in an RT-Mart store, went viral this week on Chinese social media, where posts about it on the Twitter-like Weibo platform racked up more than four million views.
The sign was labeled a “women’s suggested size chart” and showed the different heights and weights associated with clothing sizes. Each size also included an adjective used to describe it: the small sizes were “thin” and the medium sizes were “beautiful”, while the large sizes were “rotten” or “terrible” and the XXL sizes were “extremely terrible”.
The size guide was intended for women between the ages of 18 and 35, according to the poster.
CNN Business has not independently verified the photo and it is unclear which store submitted the controversial size chart. However, RT-Mart apologized “deeply” for the incident on Thursday in a statement posted on its Weibo account.
“After the incident, RT-Mart thoroughly inspected all RT-Mart stores immediately,” the company said. “After the investigation, it was confirmed that such an incident occurred in a store, and the headquarters has quickly requested the store to remove all signs.”
The controversy has reignited criticism of pervasive sexism in Chinese society, particularly around the pressure exerted on women to see themselves in a certain way.
Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater gender equality in a speech to the United Nations, and a government spokesman quoted an often-repeated saying: “women hold up half the sky” to highlight the commitment of China with the cause when asked about this issue earlier this year. week.
The incident also comes as the Chinese government is launching an anti-food waste campaign across the country in an attempt to ensure food security for the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people. To encourage people to eat less, restaurants have been accused of behaviors that embarrass fat consumers, including weighing customers before eating and then recommending meals based on their results.
A Weibo user said that the sign’s existence was an indictment of a broader culture of discrimination against women within the company.
“As long as there was a member of staff questioning this, it would have been impossible to publish it,” the commenter said. Another said that whoever wrote that older women were “rotten” had a “rotten mind.”
China Women’s News, which is operated by the Communist Party-affiliated Federation of China Women, said on its official Weibo that the graphic was “detestable.”
“Do not lose respect to get attention. Advertising and marketing should reflect corporate values and cultural image. A responsible company should not do marketing in this way. Learn the lesson!” the group said.
RT-Mart is based in Taiwan, but has 416 supermarkets in mainland China. He said he will strengthen his internal management to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future.
– CNN’s Beijing office contributed to this report.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “The supermarket in China apologizes for the table labeling women who wear larger sizes as ‘rotten’ and ‘terrible'”.
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