I had heard over the weekend that this existed, but until now I hadn’t seen it. But even now that I have seen it, I still can’t believe that I’ve seen it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZmM-2gj5Gc
In the television spot, a Miracle Mattress employee, identified by the Dallas Morning News as manager Cherise Bonanno, along with two male employees, tells the audience the store is commemorating 9/11 with a sale on all mattresses for a “twin price.” Behind them, mattresses are stacked in side-by-side piles mimicking the World Trade Center towers that fell after being struck by planes piloted by terrorists.
When Bonanno throws her arms up and says, “Store-wide sale, all day long,” the two men behind her fall back into the mattress piles, making them collapse. After screaming in mock horror, Bonanno turns back to the camera and says, “We’ll never forget”:
You’ll be shocked, shocked I say to learn that some people have a problem with this and that because stupidity isn’t limited to mattress salesfolk, those salesfolk have been receiving death threats. Seriously everyone, don’t do that. It helps nothing and honestly makes you come off even worse than those you’re wanting to do away with.
As for the salesfolk, what the fuck, guys? If this were a joke you put together for a marketing class to illustrate what not to ever, ever do, fine. But believing sincerely that it would be a good way to sell mattresses anywhere but especially in a state like Texas? You’re out of your goddamn minds. After New York, Texas runs a close second on the list of places I would totally never want to run an ad like this, and nothing in Texas even got hit by a plane that day. They have patriots and guns there. Lots of ’em. Selling a few boxsprings isn’t worth the risk of running afoul of them.
The company’s owner and the local management have since apologized and have pledged to donate 30 percent of 9/11 weekend sales to the 9/11 Foundation. That’s gonna be the smallest check ever, I’m afraid.
