Two cats offering you mandarin oranges seem to be the perfect CNY tote bag design, right?
Apparently not, as Malaysians took offence at the quote’s allusion to a vulgar Hokkien swear word.
“柑你拿” Bag Scarcity After Being Pulled Off Shelves
Gan Ni Na (“柑你拿”), when translated into English, means ‘Have some mandarin oranges’ in the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) context.
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It is also a pun that references the Hokkien vulgarity.
The canvas bag was sold at RM38, or about S$12.30. However, it was only sold for one day before the retailer announced it will no longer be on sale.
Pick Your Fighter: Funny and Cute VS Vulgar and Undignified?
The publishing company Mentor Publishing (大将出版社) had posted an apology on Facebook on 9 January. The company had always prioritised creativity and free expression, no matter how politically incorrect.
However, while the company thought it was funny and cute, the public labelled it vulgar and undignified.
The publisher will still ship the orders that have already been placed for the bag, but will not be accepting any new orders from 9 January.
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Replies under the Facebook post were divided, with some saying that the company did not need to try to please everyone and take the bag off shelves. Others admitted that the bag, while cute, could be offensive to the people you’re visiting, especially elders.
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Many also said that this bag was just a smart advertising tactic by the company, seeing as many news sites are reporting about this. Oops?
So if you were looking to get this bag for CNY, you can’t officially get it anymore.
Not The First Time This Pun Was Used On CNY Apparel
If you are looking for similarly controversial pieces for visiting relatives this year, I got your back.
A search for “柑你拿 tote bags” on Google would lead you to a multitude of pun-ny apparel as well.
Another company Pinkoi had released a tote bag in 2020 featuring a caricature holding two mandarin oranges with a banner proclaiming “柑你拿”.
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Local company Wetteeshirt is selling a handmade shirt depicting two hands offering two mandarin oranges with the words “柑你拿” printed below.
And if you’re looking for something less vulgar but still funny, Wetteeshirt has a variety of apparel that includes Hokkien/Singlish parodies of iconic branded shirts.
With only half a month left, remember to go shopping for CNY clothes soon!
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Featured Image: Facebook (Mentor Publishing)
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