Beware of the teddy bear

Oh, this is not just any bear …. it’s the “Crazy for you” bear.

Crazy for you Bear

From Brit Hume’s “The Grapevine” segment on Fox, we read that the Vermont chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill wants the Vermont Teddy Bear company to pull this bear from the shelves, saying the bear “stigmatizes” the mentally ill.

The bear, called the “Crazy for You Bear,” is dressed in a white straight jacket with a heart, and comes with papers that say, “Can’t Eat, Can’t Sleep … Diagnosis: Crazy for You!”

In a stunning display of political correctness gone awry, Vermont Governor James Douglas agrees that the bears are in “poor taste” and also that:

“If it were my choice it would have never been offered in the first place,” Douglas said during his weekly news conference. “Mental health is very serious. We should not stigmatize it further with these marketing efforts.”

He stopped short of calling for an outright ban.

A letter, signed by three mental health groups and Vermont Rep. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, read:

“We are frankly very surprised and disappointed that Vermont Teddy Bear Co. has decided to choose profit margin over public sensitivity. Despite your acknowledgment that it was an ‘edgy’ marketing strategy and that it is offensive to some people, you are moving ahead with the product.”

The story goes on to say that Elizabeth Robert, Vermont Teddy Bear’s CEO, has agreed to meet with the mental health advocates. But as of this point, the company will still sell the bear, despite the ‘controversy.’

To purchase this bear, click here.