Blessed may be the fruit, but Lot18’s collection of The Handmaid’s Tale wine, which was produced in conjunction with MGM, was most certainly not anointed.
On Tuesday, July 10, the online wine retailer announced that a line of wine based on the popular Hulu drama was available for purchase just in time to view the season 2 finale on July 11, but just hours later, the company chose to pull the drinks after facing intense online backlash.
The collection, which had consisted of three libations inspired by Handmaid’s characters Offred, (Elisabeth Moss) Ofglen (Alexis Bledel) and Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) has been wiped from the Lot18 website.
The retailer confirmed to Vulture the trio of Handmaid’s Tale wines is no longer for sale, though Offred’s “seductive and appealing” pinot noir is currently listed as sold out.
Though the collection was probably meant to be a lighthearted and fun take on the heavy show, many online did not find it amusing to release spirits named after women and girls as young as 15 who are forced to reproduce against their will in a dystopian society.
VinePair.com called the collection “one of the most bizarre and ill-conceived product announcements of the year,” and more outraged feedback soon followed. Take a look at some of the additional responses below:
Hey @hulu I had some better ideas for merchandising! Handmaid’s Tale the pepper spray. Handmaid’s Tale the IUD. Handmaid’s Tale the enormous donation to the National Network of Abortion Funds. https://t.co/gIRH62wdyf
— Jess Zimmerman (@j_zimms) July 10, 2018
“Can you turn rape into marketing copy?” “Sure, you bet.” “Great, it’s for Handmaid’s Tale wine.” “Haha, love it.” pic.twitter.com/9089Cveu0G
— Margaret Lyons (@margeincharge) July 10, 2018
Bet it tastes like suppression…yum.
— Sher Ren (@SherrySPARKLES) July 10, 2018
Does it come pre-roofied? Jesus
— Derp Digler (@DiglerDerp) July 12, 2018
Glad to see The Handmaid’s Tale wine canceled. Any wine named after sex slaves with a product description that includes “you may as well give in,” is dead to me. https://t.co/6Rh0P74aa1
— Nicole Clark (@nicalexiac) July 11, 2018
Finally a product that combines everything I hate: wine, marketing, unbridled capitalism, and authoritarian patriarchal dystopias where women are chattel! https://t.co/Hd7242e2nR
— andi zeisler (@andizeisler) July 10, 2018
Agreed. Not feelin this wine marketing insult at all.
— Karol Ruiz (@KR_KnowUrRights) July 11, 2018
Crazy they thought that would be good marketing.
— Crow (@sistercrow) July 11, 2018
