Bad bun
Bad bun Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

On Sunday, Sony Pictures and the makers of the new film Peter Rabbit apologized for what some viewers see as insensitivity towards people with allergies.

The drama started after the movie (which grossed $25 million over the weekend) premiered last week. In one scene, Peter, who sounds like a real bun's rights activist, gangs up with his animal friends and pelts nemesis Tom McGregor with blackberries. McGregor, as Peter well fucking knows, is highly allergic to blackberries, and when one lands in his mouth, McGregor is forced to inject himself with an EpiPen. (Spoiler alert: The human survives and the rabbit is not charged with felony aggravated assault, which shows you just how much "justice" there is in this world.)

Instead of thanking Sony Pictures for the inclusion, parents of kids with allergies called for a boycott of the film.






Naturally, there was a backlash to the backlash.




In a statement, Sony, along with the film's writers, producers, and director said, “Food allergies are a serious issue. Our film should not have made light of Peter Rabbit’s archnemesis, Mr. McGregor, being allergic to blackberries, even in a cartoonish, slapstick way.... We sincerely regret not being more aware and sensitive to this issue, and we truly apologize."

According to group Food Allergy Research and Education, each year around 200,000 people are hospitalized for allergic reactions to food, but mortality is exceedingly rare: a 2017 study found that while up to 5 percent of the population of the U.S. has experienced anaphylaxis, or an acute allergic reation, "fatal anaphylaxis constitutes less than 1% of total mortality risk." When fatal food reactions do occur, however, they tend to get outsized media attention, such as the 2016 case of a 20-year-old woman who was allergic to peanuts and died after kissing her boyfriend.

In response to the kerfuffle, Peter Rabbit creator Beatrix Potter asked "What's Twitter?" and then rolled back over in her grave.