Social media users have pointed out that in changing product names, Allen’s Lollies has just replaced one controversial name with another.
In an effort to move away from names that have caused offence to marginalised populations, Nestle has decided on new names for two Allen’s Lollies products.
The company says that Red Skins will be renamed as Red Ripper, and Chicos will become Cheekies.
Back in June, Nestle explained that they wanted to ensure “nothing we do marginalises our friends, neighbours and colleagues” by changing the names.
The company said it changed the names “due to overtones which are out of step with the company’s values”.
“We hope Australians will support the evolution of these two much-loved lollies — while the names are new, the lollies themselves remain unchanged,” said Nestle general manager confectionery Chris O’Donnell.
However, true crime enthusiasts have pointed out that the name ‘Red Ripper’, while now no longer offensive to Native American people, is unfortunately the nickname applied to a notorious Russian serial killer.
Andrei Chikatilo murdered and raped as many as 52 women over two decades before his execution in 1994.
One person wrote on Twitter: “I think they forgot to look up Red Ripper on Google.”
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