US cancer society blogger apologizes for 'callous' comment on Bald Barbie

Washington, Jan 19 (ANI): A blogger who wrote that the Bald Barbie movement could "do more harm than good for kids and parents" has apologized after catching the wrath of the nearly 130,000 people who have joined a social media campaign urging Mattel to make a bald Barbie.

Andrew Becker, a director of media relations for the American Cancer Society, posted his controversial blog on the American Cancer Society's website called "Bald Barbie Demand Is an Over-Reach."

"If they are mass marketed, many of these dolls will end up in the hands of girls who luckily aren't likely to be touched by cancer in themselves or their mothers. But could they end up being terrorized by the prospect of it in a far outsized proportion to their realistic chances? There is no reason to create this sort of fear," ABC News quoted Becker as writing.

Outraged supporters of the Bald Barbie campaign took to the cancer society's Facebook page, demanding that Becker be fired. Someone named Chanda called Becker's blog post "callous talk."

"There are little girls and little boys out there feeling like they no longer fit in - they no longer have children in their class they can relate to," she wrote.

Becker took down his offending blog and replaced it with an apology.

"When I set out to write, I wanted to raise questions about activism and social media around disease. I did not mean to imply that I or the American Cancer Society believes that sick children are not important," he wrote.

But Becker's response did not appease.

"He does not know who he messed with. An apology on their blog is not enough. We won't stop until there is equity in funding for childhood cancer, and this man has a new job!" a commenter named Mindy wrote. (ANI)