One way to cool down is with delicious ice cream. But after a recent Facebook joke, numerous people in Japan probably don’t feel like getting ice cream from this Japanese convenience store chain.
Originally from the United States, Lawson is now one of the largest franchise chains in Japan, where it’s now owned and operated.
Over the weekend, a Facebook user uploaded photos of a man encased in a Lawson’s ice cream refrigerator with the note “How much is this human?”
Apparently, this was supposed to be a joke — like, that the human was for sale at Lawson? It’s somewhat unclear and not very funny.
Online in Japan, many people were not amused to see the man sprawled all over ice cream. Later, someone noticed (see below) that the man appeared to be very excited about the whole thing.
The text asks if you’d like another helping.
“This is unsanitary,” wrote one 2ch. “Well, I’m not buying ice cream at Lawson,” wrote another. On 2ch, Japan’s largest web forum, net users began sleuthing to find this shop’s address and owner.
Online, there were reports that the man in the ice cream case was the son of this Lawson franchise’s owner. The name of the franchise’s owner supposedly appeared on the original Facebook post.
This is reportedly the ice cream case in question! As you can see, the ice cream treats are individually wrapped, sure, but laying on them can damage the inventory and even, due to body heat, cause them to melt. It’s not as bad as, say, some of the horrible antics American food service has seen, but the stunt was incredibly disrespectful. And nobody wants ice cream boners. Nobody.
Lawson’s HQ was not amused and earlier today, it issued a press release stating that an employee at a Kochi City franchise climbed into the shop’s ice cream case and uploaded photos online.
Continuing, Lawson stated that this incident violated the franchise agreement and that it was cancelling its contract with this franchise, making staff terminations, and finally, closing this Lawson’s branch. Lawson also apologised for the incident.
There’s one word for Lawson’s swift and decisive action: good.
ゆとり 「ローソンのアイス冷凍庫に入ってみたw」 → 炎上 [2ch]
コンビニでフザけた画像うpした店がFC契約解除される [2ch]
コンビニ店員がアイスの冷蔵ケース内で寝転ぶ写真、Facebookに ローソンが謝罪、FC契約解除 [IT Media]
Comments
12 responses to “Stupid Facebook ‘Joke’ Leads To Swift Ice Cream Justice”
funny thing is, is if that was a girl in a bikini, hot, big boobs and so on, everyones tune would change so quickly and would want to buy icecream from there.
Reads article…disgusted…
Reads this…giggity…
EQUALITY! 😀
Double standards
Yes, how unsanitary for someone to be touching the outside of a package of food. Something that couldn’t possibly be already unsanitary from its journey from the factory to the store, not to mention the part where I always like to lick the outside of my food packaging :/
Can I come and sleep in your pantry then? I’m house trained.
Sure thing. It’ll probably be pretty uncomfortable though, it’s kinda cramped in there.
lol how agro does Brian sound in this article??? Did someone punch his kitten or something?
Ice cream is serious business.
Actually that is pretty funny.
The staff being laid off, not so much, but “How much for this human?” with some kid in a ice cream freezer is actually pretty hilarious.
A lot of people are wailing on you Brian, and I just want to clarify that I’m not trying to do that to, I just genuinely found it quite funny.
I think the third image summarises Brian’s career.
Well, the Japanese are notoriously fussy about hygiene, so I can understand the disgust.
Realistically, though? He was probably in there for a minute or so for the photo and all of the ice cream is wrapped so it should be no big deal.
I feel sorry for the franchise owner who probably thought he had a novel way of promoting the brand yet will now likely be shunned by a lot of customers for essentially a non-issue.