Martha Stewart built an empire that was synonymous with taste and knowing how to make things look good. However, her Halloween costume, which she unveiled on social media, should probably have stayed in the drafts. The lifestyle mogul faced intense backlash after dressing up as a homeless person. Unsurprisingly, no one was impressed.
Martha noted the negative response, and instead of apologizing sincerely for the mishap, she only complicated the situation by explaining that she meant to raise awareness about homelessness with her post. While that may have been her intention, the execution left a lot to be desired. Add to that the fact that her post also promoted her QVC candle range, and it just left a bad taste in people’s mouths.
Martha acknowledged her mistake, but the acknowledgement came after the intense backlash. And while her initial response and follow-up may have been sincere, they don’t necessarily address the real problem. For someone with her wealth, experience, and influence, you would think she would know better. In the end, actions speak louder than words. The only real way Martha can turn this around is to actually do what she said she was trying to do in the first place.
Why Martha Stewart’s homeless Halloween costume struck a nerve
Halloween costumes have been looked at with a more critical eye recently. In the past several years, people have been told not to turn another’s culture or race (or suffering) into a Halloween schtick. This is one of the reasons Martha’s costume idea fell flat.
First of all, it wasn’t really done well. Some netizens even questioned if the post was the result of AI, claiming that the Martha they know would have executed it better. Even her clipboard sign, which read, “I am hungry. Feed me,” looked awful. Not to mention the tone deaf message.
The costume itself received a lot of criticism, but the timing that made it even more horrendous. Homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity are always a major problem. But right now, in the current economy, it’s a serious threat that more and more people are facing. They aren’t abstract issues for wealthy people to don for an evening as a Halloween party gag.
Families are struggling to afford necessities, and so many people are facing housing insecurity. For someone who has spent decades building a lifestyle brand around luxury and entertaining, pretending to experience homelessness for Halloween was absolutely going to invite some uncomfortable questions.
There’s something particularly terrible about a multimillionaire cosplaying as someone who can’t afford food. Plus, for someone who claimed to want to raise awareness for homelessness, it certainly said a lot that her caption on the post was about her candle range at QVC. It didn’t mention the homelessness problems at all. Nor did it provide resources or ways for people to help.
Martha Stewart’s first response made the controversy worse
Martha’s costume was a severe misjudgment. And her first attempt to address the issue was far from a damage control masterclass. If anything, her PR team should have vetted the statement better. She said she was “distressed” at how the costume left some “offended.”
Martha spoke to Page Six and explained that the outfit was meant to raise awareness of homelessness, which she described as one of America’s greatest ongoing crises. She also reiterated that she cared deeply about the problem and has spent considerable time supporting charities to help combat it.
All of that is well and good, but it sounded more like she was being defensive as opposed to understanding. It was giving, “I’m sorry you were offended” as opposed to “I’m sorry I did something offensive.” There’s a difference between being upset that people misunderstood a joke and recognizing why the joke itself was hurtful.
The ironic thing is that Martha never needed a holiday or a costume to draw attention to the homelessness problem. With her platform and resources, she could do this at any time and without the insensitive outfit.
Martha Stewart’s second apology is a start, but actions matter more
To her credit, Martha could have just left it at that. But she decided to acknowledge that her first response may have been lacking. She took to Instagram to add, “It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up.” Martha admitted that her initial statement did not go far enough and recognized that so many people are struggling financially before finally calling her costume “insensitive and not funny” and then finally saying she was very sorry.
That is worlds better than her first statement that claimed people misunderstood her actual intentions. However, it doesn’t erase the original misstep. Netizens recognized her more sincere apology, but many still called on her to put her words into action.
Actress Indya Moore was among those who challenged Martha to do more. In a comment on Instagram, Indya said Martha’s excuse was “not believable” and said it appeared that the guru was “using the anger of people who have actually been hungry as proof your costume worked.”
She also challenged Martha to stop defending herself and use her platform to support meaningful actions and solutions to end poverty. She added that Martha and her wealthy friends could probably make a huge dent in the homeless and poverty crisis in their areas if they really wanted to. Indya also shared actual organizations that can help.
This is the perfect time for Martha to walk the walk. She doesn’t need to end the homeless crisis on her own, of course, but putting her words into action can show her sincerity. Martha has the resources and influence to help bring attention to organizations doing the work. She could use her considerable platform to encourage donations, highlight community initiatives, or support programs providing food and housing assistance.
In the end, if she really means it, Martha can turn this controversy into a moment of awareness and do something about the problem she claimed she wanted to highlight.
This story originally appeared on Realitytea
