Old Navy has removed a toddler shirt from its stores after the graphic tee sparked controversy online.
The shirt, which featured the saying “Young Aspiring Artist,” but had the word artist crossed out and replaced with professions like astronaut and president, got major backlash from online users who criticized the retailer for stifling children’s creativity. On Twitter and Facebook, comments poured in. “Hey Old Navy, what’s wrong with being an artist?” wrote one user. “The fact that Old Navy is saying that being an artist isn’t a respectable profession and promoting that in children’s clothing is ridiculous! They’re discouraging kids from expressing their creativity!” added another. And from one proud artist: “Thanks Old Navy for telling kids that art is a less viable career path than astronaut. Sincerely, A Working Artist.”
