Children's dolls inspired by the popular Wicked musical have inadvertently directed parents and children to an adult-themed website. The dolls, portraying the two iconic witches, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), were released by Mattel as part of their merchandise line celebrating the upcoming Wicked movie, which is based on the long-running Broadway sensation. However, a glaring error on the packaging has caused widespread concern.

Photos of the misprint began circulating online over the weekend, starting with a Reddit post on November 9. The concerned customer revealed that the back of the box, right above the barcode, listed the URL "www.wicked.com" instead of the intended "www.wickedmovie.com." The website in question, "wicked.com," is an adult site featuring explicit content, prompting immediate backlash from parents and consumers.

Mattel Issues an Apology and Advises Parents

In response, Mattel issued a public apology and addressed the error. Speaking to Variety, a company representative said: "Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel 'Wicked' collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this."

"Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information," Mattel added.

The company is working swiftly to prevent further distribution of the misprinted boxes.

Social Media Outcry and Collector Curiosity

Reactions to the incident have been mixed, with some expressing disbelief and outrage while others found humor in the blunder. "Omg that's so bad," one Reddit user wrote. Another commented, "I can't believe they would let this happen."

The error has also prompted curiosity among collectors, with one user jokingly noting, "They might end up being collectors' additions!"

Some speculated that the mistake was simply a case of miscommunication. "It's like the person who was assigned to packaging asked a coworker what the website was, and they both had no idea," another user quipped.

Initial Excitement Overshadowed by Controversy

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The release of the dolls had initially been a source of excitement for Wicked fans, especially after stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande shared their reactions to the figures on social media back in July. However, this incident has overshadowed the product's launch, leaving parents to grapple with a blunder that Mattel is scrambling to fix.

Tags
Wicked, Mattel