Accused of Insensitivity Toward the Mentally Ill, British Retailer Removes ‘Psycho’ Signs

The British retailer Missguided has removed controversial signs from its shops that critics claim were offensive to people with mental illness.

The backlash began when a Twitter user noted a Misguided sign saying, “I’m a psychotic mess but at least my eyebrows look good.” She tweeted a photo, along with a dictionary entry that said “psychotic” was synonymous with “severely mentally ill.”

She also filed a written complaint with the retailer.

This wasn’t the first time someone had raised questions about this sign at Misguided’s shops.

But in the days after Christmas, the pile-on grew.

A spokesperson for Missguided said the controversial signs had been removed, but she declined to offer further comment.

Meanwhile, one Twitter user pointed out some online hypocrisy: The same person who took umbrage with Missguided’s use of “psychotic” had regularly used the adjective “insane.”

Jillian Kay Melchior writes for Heat Street and is a fellow for the Steamboat Institute and the Independent Women’s Forum.