Bar Owners Issue Apology After Insensitive ‘Pill Cosby’ Drink Goes Viral
There have been some drastically epic failures in 2017, and thanks to some questionably insensitive and repulsive lapse in judgement on behalf of bar owners in the nation’s capital, this year’s list of epic fails just got longer.
Diet Starts Monday, a Washington D.C. restaurant and bar, has come under national scrutiny after creating a cocktail that was garnished with empty pill capsules and listed on their menu as “Pill Cosby.”
The Washington D.C.-based retail, restaurant, and bar concept has been selling a magenta-hued $14 beverage made with Casa Noble Tequila, hibiscus syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, and according to the menu, “faux pills.”
It’s safe to argue that once The Internet started noticing the horrifically insensitive play-on “humor” about date rape, along with the complete disregard for the serious nature of criminal sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, no one was laughing.
Seriously.. Someone thought this was a great idea.. A drink called Pill Cosby.. With pills floating in it pic.twitter.com/S2beA8xdCk
— Jacques Michel 🇭🇹 (@Coach_JoX) May 22, 2017
#Drink at a #D.C. #Bar. The #Pill #Cosby. 100% Real, Tons of Backlash. #TheAmericanWay pic.twitter.com/pVJ3syq0Mo
— M.Rosenfeld MSW MRAS (@maevro) May 23, 2017
After the digital backlash, the owners of Diet Starts Monday announced the discontinuation of the drink and issued the following statement via Twitter on May 22.
We messed up. We’re extremely sorry. pic.twitter.com/hWTLd8LQOc
— Diet Starts Monday (@dietstartsmon__) May 22, 2017
Prior to the issued statement, Diet Starts Monday co-owner, David Gentry, said the drink was supposed to make people, “…be a little more aware,” of “drugging in bars,” according to The Washingtonian.
It’s unclear if this was a publicity stunt or just an idiotic marketing strategy. Nevertheless, people are upset at this extreme lack of judgement. Still, it does seem to coincide with the timeline of the case against Cosby, as the jury selection for his sexual assault trial has started.
As for the connection to Cosby, he stands accused of, “three felony counts of aggravated sexual assault,” according to The Washington Post, after several women claimed they were drugged and sexual assaulted by Cosby. The disgraced comedian will stand trial in June, after the jury selection process has completed.
