Corporate insensitivity perpetuates stigma

If a large corporation published an ad or commercial that minimized the severity of cancer, heart disease, MS, or any other disability, millions of people would be “up in arms”, calling and writing to complain. It would even make the national news with public pressure for a retraction and apology.

Well, guess what? That is exactly what Kmart has done with their new “Surprise” commercial. I won’t give them the satisfaction of a link to their commercial. You will have to do that search for yourself. However, I will quote the offensive line, so you can get an understanding of why my migraine friends and I find this offensive. The premise of the commercial is to promote their new in-store pharmacy as a feature people would be surprised to discover. It features a husband and wife divulging “secrets” the other will be surprised to know. The woman says, “and I don’t really have migraines”, implying that she has been lying to him and/or faking migraines.

We have enough problems with the public minimizing or disbelieving us as it is. Migraines are trivialized — something to be made fun of. There are still millions of people who honestly believe most of us are “making it up”, lying to get out of work, or have emotional problems.

We have friends dying because even doctors won’t take them seriously!

This isn’t funny. It’s offensive, insensitive, and irresponsible advertising. KMart should immediately issue a press release with a formal apology to the 36 million migraine patients who struggle every day to make their lives as normal as possible despite horrific pain, humiliation, and stigma.

If you’d like to register your complaints, please send them directly KMart or its parent company, Sears Holdings.

Sears Holdings Corporation
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
Phone: (847) 286-2500

Sears Executive Office
Phone: (847) 286-2500

Kmart
Phone: (866) 562-7848
Email: help@customerservice.kmart.com

More news & updates about this issue:
Migraine Stigma – KMart and Sears are Feeding It
Migraine and other headache disorders are not something to joke about!
Petition | Kmart: Remove the Pharmacy Surprise ad from airplay and issue an apology