A gift firm that faced down the wrath of a woke mob has said it emerged stronger than ever, assuring customers that it will never “pander” to claims of offence being caused.
The Diabolical Gift People found itself at the centre of a row after some complained that one of their products – a novelty lunchbox – was insensitive.
The allegedly offending item was a small red bag, in the style of a medical accessory, bearing the text: “Human organs for transportation.”
While Diabolical has sold the product for three years, attention was recently drawn to the bag over the Christmas shopping period by some campaigners who considered it offensive to those who had received or are seeking organ transplants.
The lunchbox, pitched as an amusing way to stop the owners’ lunch being stolen, quickly gained attention in the media, with one organ transplant recipient branding it “upsetting and distasteful”.
One of the retailers stocking the item then announced they would be removing it from their shelves with “immediate effect” amid the row.
However, Diabolical declared they had “no intention of tweaking it or removing it from the market” and assured customers “there has never been, nor will there ever be, any intention to mock or diminish organ transplantation”.
The firm, which has operated for 27 years under the creedo of “creating something different”, sells a wide range of novelty gift products, ranging from the irreverent to downright outrageous.
The firm behind the bag, The Diabolical Gift People, refused to back down in the face of the outrage
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MARK SIMS PHOTOGRAPHY / DIABOLICAL GIFT PEOPLE
A spokesman told GB News: “Our founder made it his mission not to take life so seriously. That’s a message we want our company to convey, and it’s at the very core of why we do what we do.
“Society in general is quite divided at the moment. With rising bills, ongoing conflicts, and a constant stream of negative world events, the average consumer is grappling with uncertainty and stress.
“As a result, we feel that many are seeking moments of joy anywhere they can.
“As a company, we just think there should be more room for genuine humour out there. We’re not in the business of deliberately offending anyone – that’s not our objective.
“We don’t plan controversy; it’s just something that happens when you refuse to pander.
Diabolical sells a host of irreverent and outrageous products
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MARK SIMS PHOTOGRAPHY / DIABOLICAL GIFT PEOPLE
‘Our founder made it his mission not to take life so seriously,’ the company explained
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MARK SIMS PHOTOGRAPHY / DIABOLICAL GIFT PEOPLE
“But we’re never going to shy away from a product that makes people smile and laugh.”
Diabolical stressed their decision to face down the outrage was not just in the spirit of their founder, but had become essential to businesses like theirs.
“We’ve definitely seen significant changes over the past decade. The decline of independent gift stores has accelerated, and many major chains are cautious about potential backlash – sometimes it only takes one unhappy customer to trigger a social media reaction,” the spokesman told The People’s Channel.
“Many companies feel they can’t stand up for themselves because they’re worried about being ‘cancelled.’ We’re not one of those companies.
“If we stopped selling a product every time someone complained, we wouldn’t have a business left.
“Doing so would set a dangerous precedent whereby any novelty item could be removed simply because someone, somewhere, chooses to take offence.
“Retailers should not be pressured into abandoning products that are clearly understood and enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of consumers, particularly in an environment where cancel culture is increasingly out of control and stifling creativity and humour.”
Addressing those who had taken issue with the lunchbox, Diabolical told GB News: “Not all of our products are going to be for everyone, and that’s absolutely fine. You don’t have to buy it. Just move on.
“But that doesn’t mean that other people can’t like it, and just because one person doesn’t like a product doesn’t mean they get the right, they have the right to cancel it for everybody else.”
The human organs bag is now the company’s best-selling product
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MARK SIMS PHOTOGRAPHY / DIABOLICAL GIFT PEOPLEWhatever backlash Diabolical has received was quickly drowned out by a deluge of positive support for the firm and its stance.
Among those backing the company were some who had experienced the struggles of organ transplant, with one moving testimonial reading: “I’m bed-bound, on a ventilator, living in a care facility, on the verge of hospice. I find this lunch box absolutely hilarious. Humour is my coping mechanism.”
The support of the public in the wake of the row has been matched with booming business for Diabolical.
The organ transport lunchbox remains sold in all but one of the original retailers and tops the best seller category on the company’s website.
“Sales are stronger than ever… We have been truly enlightened by the overwhelming positive feedback, as this has empowered us to continue using the business model we started with all those years ago,” Diabolical’s spokesman enthused.
