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By Amber Randall
A Washington D.C. restaurant took their “Pill Cosby” drink off the menu Monday after people claimed it perpetrated “rape culture.”
Diet Starts Monday, a pop-up restaurant, offered a full apology after pulling the drink, which included fake pill capsules, reports the DCist.
“This drink was not made with any intent to offend anyone, especially not victims of rape. We take full responsibility,” the restaurant said on its Twitter account. “The drink has since been removed from the menu and we apologize to anyone who felt offended by this.”
The drink, an obvious reference to the Bill Cosby rape scandal, was meant to bring awareness to how people can drug drinks, the restaurants owner explained to the Washingtonian.
Regardless of the restaurant’s intentions, people took to Twitter to complain about the drink and how it symbolized rape and offended women.
Hi @dietstartsmon__ your "Pill Cosby" drink perpetuates rape culture. It's gross.
Rape. Is. Not. Funny.
— Sophie Ellman-Golan (@EgSophie) May 22, 2017
Caitlin Gibson with The Washington Post tweeted sardonic dismay at the male creators of the drink.
"How shocking that the creators of the 'Pill Cosby' cocktail special are men" said no woman anywhere https://t.co/MjKYYfPDA7 pic.twitter.com/t3iC8XPSqa
— Caitlin Gibson (@CaitJGibson) May 22, 2017
Hey @dietstartsmon__ your new drink "Pill Cosby" isn't raising awareness of #rapeculture, it's perpetuating it. https://t.co/YNcq36wCSa
— Annie E. Clark (@aelizabethclark) May 22, 2017
may shock you to learn the three geniuses behind the Pill Cosby, an actual drink being actually served, are all men https://t.co/eNXfiGvuNE pic.twitter.com/lPVTfm8VsK
— Caty Green (@catygreen) May 22, 2017
The restaurant’s Yelp reviews also went down as people gave the restaurant a one star over its drink.
“Don’t give your money to a place that profits off rape jokes. More importantly, send a message to corporations that if they continue to normalize and poke fun at rape, their businesses will fail,” user Eileen C. wrote on the website.
Another user said the business was trying to make money off of a traumatic event.
“Do not give your money to establishments that profit off rape,” Katie H commented. “A cheeky ‘joke drink named after a serial rapist and abuser does not raise awareness of anything but the need for this place to be shut down. The owner has been told that the “Pill Cosby” reinforces and invites trauma, and doesn’t care.”