|
Protest Outside Crayon Factory Turns Colorful, 8 Charged
SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
Among local children, the ColorFun factory has been a landmark for nearly three decades, manufacturing crayons and modeling compounds within the building's colorful exterior. No child could imagine that today the factory would provide a backdrop to a frenzied scuffle between adults.
The seeds for discord were sown last month when the ColorFun company issued a press release announcing a new line of crayons. Among the colors was one called "Soaking Wet White", which was described as being the color of a white T-shirt once it gets soaked with water.
ColorFun officials claimed that the slightly more mature theme of the names was an attempt to broaden their products' appeal beyond the traditional children's market. Other colors in this controversial collection include Platinum Blonde Yellow, Blood Red, Maggot Gray, and Hemp Brown.
If ColorFun wanted attention, they got it, as the special interest group Women Against Sexual Permissiveness (WASP) quickly organized a demonstration to be held outside the factory.
Our reporter spoke to one of the protesters about the reason behind the demonstration.
"Why am we protesting? You have to ask? The thought processes that created this color are simply reprehensible. There's the utter sexism of women having their shirts soaked to display their breasts, making them objects and nullifying their humanity. Then there's the racism of "Soaked Shirt White" - why not soak the shirt of a woman of color? This crayon is wrong on so many levels."
At least fifty people marched outside the building, carrying banners under the watchful eyes of Halcyon police. The protest remained peaceful until the arrival of a small group of women. Dressed in the sexy outfits of the Cutie Pie restaurant chain, the women held up banners promoting the opening of a new location.
According to police, the presence of the colorfully garbed young women soon attracted a crowd of interested males. The presence of the Cutie Pie employees also raised the ire of a few WASP members, who left their own protest to yell at the women. The shouting match quickly turned physical, with members of both groups getting involved in the melee.
"One minute, we've got two groups peacefully doing their things, the next minute, we've got a cat fight," said a police officer, who wished to remain anonymous. "The problem is that those Cutie Pie outfits aren't really made for brawling. As soon as the girls started to fall out of their tops, we had a situation on our hands."
As the mostly male crowd jostled for a better view of the melee, some of them got involved with police officers.
"I guess you can't blame guys for wanting a closer look, but when I tell someone to stand back and he doesn't, I'm hauling his butt to jail," said an officer.
A man who was taping the Cutie Pie waitresses reportedly had his video camera destroyed.
Five squad cars were called in to quell the situation. Eight people were charged, including two Cutie Pie employees and three WASP members.
Members of both sides were outraged.
"It's simply shameless that Cutie Pie wanted to promote their own brand of sexist exploitation at our demonstration," said a WASP member. "I feel sorry for women who need to earn a living wearing skimpy outfits and serving drinks to drunken sex-crazed louts."
"They started it! We were just letting people know about the new location, and these women starting hitting us. They're jealous that they don't have the bodies to wear our outfits", said a Cutie Pie waitress. "That's why they're so hung up over a silly thing like a crayon color. I think wet T-shirts are sexy!"
ColorFun officials declined to comment, but a plant foreman came out to watch the melee. When asked for a comment, he was happy to oblige.
"I don't get it. With all the problems in our world today, how can these people get so worked up over crayons?"
Return to Articles Main Page
|
