Psycho Donut Shop Mocks Disability for Fun and Profit

Are economic times really so bad that we now have a donut shop whose business plan is a mashup between fatty sweets, a theme park, and a mental institution? Apparently so.

The Psycho Donut Shop opened last month, and uses "a lighthearted insane asylum theme," according to this story in the San Jose Mercury News.

Several disability groups took exception to the donut shop whose profits come from stigmatizing, stereotyping and from poking fun at folks with disabling conditions. The advocacy groups authored a letter to the editor which ran in the IndyBayTimes.

I'm trying to imagine an immature, amoral, insensitive marketing team on a sugar high who wondered what type of themed playland would draw adults and profits to their donut shop.

I'll bet this is how the brainstorm session went.

"Let's see, what would be fun for adults?"

"Well, there's always pornography."

"No good, that's what the internet is for. Besides, how would we get the chocolate off the magazines?"

"We could make it a baseball fantasy camp then."

"I really don't think so, we'd hafta sell steriods, not cinnamon buns."

"Ok, I got it. For donuts? A cop theme. It could be like the roll call room, or lockup, or something."

"Interesting. What else?"

"Well, let's see, we could make it a Haunted House. Those are popular."

"Almost, but it only works during Halloween."

"I know, let's make it a Mental Ward. It's like taking the best of the Cop idea -- with the lockup and the guards -- and mixing it with the psycho stuff from the Haunted House."

"Yeah, a Mental Ward. That's it."

"But wait, won't people be upset?"

"Look there's always people who are just too sensitive. I'll bet if we had a Lunch Lynch, or a Potato Pogram, or Internment Camp Sushi, someone would get on our case about that, too. All we're doing is having fun, being lighthearted, and showing people a good time."

"Yeah, and maybe if we just mess with the disabled, that makes it even more fun."

"Right."

"So maybe we'll offer Autistic Appetizers? HIV Hot Dogs? Quadriplegic Quesadillas?"

"Sure! But let's see how the donuts work first."

Wait, isn't this a skit on the Comedy Channel? No. This is real, and it's here in our community.

The Merc piece says the donut shop founders got the idea after playing racquetball. I didn't know anyone still played that sport. The founders appear to be stuck in the attitudes of the past.

The donut shop has gimmicks like a photo-op in a strait-jacket, a "group therapy" seating section, and even has the employees serve customers while wearing labcoats and nurses outfits. The founders also consulted with pastry chefs to form a menu which includes donut creations like Massive Brain Trauma.

This is wrong.

As one commenter on the Justice For All disability rights blog asked, "Would those of you saying that a little humor is ok feel the same way if the theme of the donut shop was one of a slave plantation?"

No, of course we wouldn't be okay with it, and we'd shut the place down.

The owners of the shop say they were just trying to have fun, but a principle of comedy is that you poke fun at the powerful, not the weak.

Disenfranchisement is not funny. Illness, suffering, and prejudice are not funny. And ignorance causes suffering. So the way you work with that through comedic themes is by satirizing those individuals and institutions responsible for social ills. The social ill isn't disability, the social ill is stigmatization. So let's target those who use prejudice, ignorance or stigmatization to disenfranchise the vulnerable and to enrich themselves.

Good comedy mocks those who cause suffering. Good comedy does not mock those who are suffering. And neither does good business.

When these business owners mock, stigmatize and poke fun at mental illness or head trauma -- and invite others to join in -- this is social oppression for fun and profit. And it's wrong.

Don't support them.

The founders need to go back to the racquetball court and re-think their entire game plan.