"Find the hidden word": Offensive Walmart shirt controversy explained as clothing item sparks frenzy online

A t-shirt in Walmart has sparked netizen's fury after text written on it went viral on social media. The shirt had "RE" written in upper case with words like "cycle," "use," "new," and "think" written in a smaller case. The t-shirt was removed from stores after customers complained that an inappropriate word was printed on it. The company also issued a statement about the t-shirt claiming that it wasn't intentional.

However, the controversial Walmart t-shirt has gone viral on social media, with one picture of getting over 2.5 million views in just a few days. A Twitter user shared a picture of the t-shirt and asked users to "find the hidden word" in it.

Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, as soon as the news reached Walmart, they removed the t-shirt and issued a statement saying:

“This was not intentional, and the T-shirt has been removed.”

The now-controversial Walmart t-shirt was designed by George, a fashion brand owned by Walmart. It was only available in the brand's Canadian stores and was being sold for $5 before it was removed from the shelves.

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Walmart's shirt receives immense backlash for offensive content on it

Walmart recently came under fire for selling offensive t-shirts in its Canadian stores. It featured a mistake in its printing design which led to it having a vulgar word on it, sparking fury among customers who found it to be in poor taste.

However, others took a more lighthearted approach to the situation and flooded social media with hilarious comments about the Walmart shirt. Needless to say, that caused some uproar online, which made headlines. All this resulted in a mixed response from the netizens.

Social media users reacted to the viral shirt at the retail store that created controversy on the internet. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users reacted to the viral shirt at the retail store that created controversy on the internet. (Image via Twitter)

Social media users reacted to the viral shirt at the retail store that created controversy on the internet. (Image via Twitter)

Meanwhile, there were also people who believed in conspiracy theories and claimed that the presence of the offensive word on the t-shirt wasn't an accident but a deliberate act. While Walmart has removed the t-shirt from its stores, several people have expressed their desire to purchase it.

However, the unavailability of the item at the retail giant's outlets led to a flood of links being shared on social media. The links directed shoppers to other online retailers like Amazon that offer comparable shirts featuring the same text and design.

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Revisiting the dog bite fiasco in Home Depot

However, this isn't the only incident of retail stores being under fire in recent times. In March 2023, a distressing incident took place at a Home Depot in Colorado, where a customer was bitten by a dog while shopping.

According to the police, the customer was visiting the Evergreen Home Depot when the owner of a dog requested that they pet the animal and give it a treat.

Social media users infuriated as a dog bites a customer at Home Depot, and the pet owner flees the scene. (Image via Jefferson Country Sheriff's Office)

Although the customer agreed, the situation took a turn for the worse when the dog bit them in the face, causing significant bleeding. As store employees tended to the victim's injuries, the dog's owner absconded with the animal. Police also revealed that the victim suffered severe injuries and will require facial surgery.

Nonetheless, law enforcement officials have now identified the dog owner as they were captured on surveillance cameras. While the two incidents are proof of how quickly news spread around on social media, people also called out Home Depot for the incident, despite the store employees helping out the injured person.