Do these fun straws throw you for a loop? Kentucky mother, Andrea Bailey was beyond bothered when the box of straws she bought for her 3-year-old daughter, Ashlynn contained some that resembled penises.
She told her local news station, WSAZ:
“There are two of them that are shaped like the male private area,” said Bailey. “I called Wal-Mart and they very rude with me about it. They acted like I was lying, like I was making it all up. You know, I would never make something up like that, especially about my little girl. But, that's just how they treated me and it’s just not right.”
Though Wal-Mart pulled the product from its shelves and offered the mom a refund, she said it's not about the money, but she wants to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Do you agree with this mama's stance or think she's overreacting?
7 For All Mankind
Ruco Line
sweatyBetty
It looks like a bell to me! I think that mom is overreacting. It's not like the kid can make it out to be some kind of phallic symbol.
1Yes, they look like penises (kind of) if you are an adult and freakishly looking anywhere for anything penis shaped to take away from your kids.
But its kids using them! They won't think dirty things when they use twisty straws..they are just excited to have twisty straws!
2kristyy-exactly! They look more like bells than a creepy candy-colored representation of a penis.
3They look like straws for a bachlorette party to me.
I wouldn't put up a fuss about the straws. That's a little extreme for my personality. I'd probably take them from the kid, show them to my husband and have a good laugh.
4Why buy them in the first place if you think they look like penises? Just to make a big deal about it?
5It depends on the age,i say 6 and up is fine.
6Hell I love those things!!
It looks like a penis. Not a bell. Totally inappropriate.
7Hilarious...they do look like penises!
8a bell was my first thought before I even read the entire post. I do think it is an over reaction on the moms part. I agree with kimdangirl, just take them away from the child and go laugh about it.
9They definitely look like a bell. I don't know why she had to raise such a public fuss. How hard is it to just take them away and never buy them again. Also don't straws usually come in see through packaging or have pictures of the shape so she would have been aware of the shape before hand?
10I think the fact that she said that they were shaped like "male private part" instead of penis says a lot about her personality and maybe her modesty. Just say penis...there is nothing bad about that word
11"Just say penis...there is nothing bad about that word"
12I totally agree!!!! I think every kid should know the proper words for each "vagina", "penis", "breasts", etc. You don't make up words for your knee or elbow why do that for penis, breasts, and vagina?
oh and as far as the straws. I can see that they look like a penis, but I don't think I'd have a problem with my kids having them. We (as adults) make it 'dirty'.
13looks like a rocket ship. she's over reacting and yeah, calling a penis "male private parts" about sums it up i think.
14I originally thought that it looked like a bell, though honestly, I can see it looking like a penis. However... that's because I'm an adult with dirty mind. A little kid isn't going to think it looks like one.
15Um GET OVER IT. I wouldn't have taken a second look at those if I hadn't read the post. People are too sensitive, the kid's not going to notice and if you don't want them to have the straws, then take them away. They're a waste of your money anyway.
Also, what is this woman, four years old? It's a penis, not a "private part". I wonder what she called it in the bedroom, ha.
16Seriously, the straw looks like the "Taco Bell" bell! I don't think ANY toddler would look at the straw and say, "Hey, that looks like a penis." (And so what if that did happen?)
If I happened upon a twisty straw that looked phallic, I would just remove it from my kid's collection, show it to my husband and all my friends and giggle about it. Didn't this mom have more important things to worry about than a straw??
17Wow, what is wrong with that woman that that was her first thought? Not that it was a hat shape, or a bell shape? Oh, Lord help her if the comedy shows hear about this...
18My first reaction? Oh I remember those straws! But when I saw the gripe about them, I looked closer and saw the odd shape. Yeah they do look like male genitalia, but unless your kid sees the resemblance too...leave it be. Not a big deal. There are phallic symbols everywhere!
19Looks like a pear to me, until I read the quote I didn't understand what it was all about.
20You can twist almost any simple shape into something 'not kid appropriate', there was no need to make a fuss about it imo.
If people are so bent out of shape over a twisty straw maybe being shaped like a Penis why don't we get rid of anything else that could be phallic, " Sorry France, but the Eiffel Tower is phallic so you're going to have to get rid of it, oh and any tall buildings are going to have to go, because I'm afraid looking at it will pervert my children." My goodness, I think people are looking for an excuse to complain about something.
21You've got to be kidding me. It is straw and frankly looks nothing like what the mother claims it is. Like most other posters, I see a bell. I doubt the child noticed what it was and if you are so offended by what your mind thinks it looks like then why make a big deal about it. Now kids can definitely know what it looks like. Ridiculous.
22you know, a young child would think it looks like a rocket ship, but it would make all the adults in the room uncomfortable.
23I see the penis shape. And I would totally throw it away- not because I didn't want my daughter to have it, but because it would totally disturb me to see my daughter sucking on it.
Who calls Walmart and asks them to recall an item because they didn't like it?
24Bell to me also. I was like which one is the penis???
25Too_Posh
with your '"people are too bent out of shape over this"! Love it.
26Yeah, lighten up mom- just take them away from your kid. My mind wouldn't have even gone there if she hadn't pointed it out.
Yeah, if I realized what this looked like I would probably first be mortified about my daughter drinking from it then have a good laugh with my husband and TOSS them.
I can see were the mom is coming from. But it looks like a rocket to me. That is what first popped into my head.
27If you don't like them, don't buy them. I think it's just something you shrug off. Not a big deal. I'm SURE the kids didn't notice at all.
28I voted before I read the article. I thought they looked like bells too. Now ya'll have my head in the gutter...haha. I agree with kimdangirl...they DO look like bachelorette party straws!
29I didn't even notice till someone said it looked like a p****. You people have dirty minds:). I'm really surprised I didn't notice.
30I love the woman's reaction "I want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else".... huh? I guess my level of outrage is directed at other injustices in this world
Sure, once you point it out it looks like a penis but like others have pointed out... this woman's reaction is a wee bit over the top
Love Too_Posh and JessieM's posts!!
31silly!
32If I had seen that straw, I would have never thought it was dirty. Looks more like a bell.
33Perception is unique to the individual, and this one's a classic Victorian. Wonder how she feels when her kid eats a banana?
34I thought it looked like a rocket ship too. And what's the big deal?? Kids don't see certain body parts as sexual like adults do, just as merely body parts. And why couldn't she just take them away and throw them out. So she was out a couple bucks. Get a life lady.
35I must be the next level of perverted because I was trying to make out a vagina on the other one! o_O
36
nettefairy!!!
37That is the most simplified looking penis I've ever seen. I hope no one makes a straw with a large circle and smaller one inside of it because that mom might say it's a boob. Some people have too much time on their hands.
38it's a straw!!!
this lady went a lil overboard in my opinion....
39"I hope no one makes a straw with a large circle and smaller one inside of it because that mom might say it's a boob."
Now that was too funny acaladoobie 
and so true. That woman just wanted to have 15 minutes of fame in more than just her local
newspaper. Give me a break.
40And don't most straws come in clear packages anyway? Of course they DO, they ALWAYS have people. And this lady knew it. She saw an opportunity to put Walmart out there in the news for something that was NOT really bad.
She probably wants more than just a refund when it comes to money. Next she'll say that her child saw it and now needs therapy, in which Walmart now needs to pay her a few thousand up front for. Again, give me, give most of us a serious break with this joke.
Again, those straws came in CLEAR packaging, therefore she could have left them at the store where she saw them, IF she really wanted too.
41All I could see was male parts! Terrible
42As Smoochy would say "It's a... rocket ship!"
That mom needs to relax!
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