Adult female top in Eco Lifestyle pack has repeating "K K K" pattern. Seriously?
I am asking EA to remove this top from the game due to the repeating "K K K" pattern on it. (Please note, I am only using spaces in between the K's to avoid this post potentially being flagged and removed without it being seen.)
This top can be found in Create-A-Sim for female Sims in the new Eco Lifestyle expansion pack. If anyone can't view the image, it resembles a cropped sweater over another shirt. The shirt on the bottom layer features a blatant repeating "K K K" pattern on it. If you filter Packs to Eco Lifestyle and Fashion Choice to Feminine, it's the 5th top shown. There are a total of three different color variations displaying this pattern. There are also six other variations that don't feature any offensive pattern.
Displaying "K K K" on clothing is unacceptable at all times (unless the message on the clothing is denouncing and disparaging the hate group), but it is especially offensive right now, considering the massive protests against the brutal violence and discrimination toward Black people in the U.S. and all around the world.
One could argue that this was a mistake, or that the pattern is meant to be an abstract shape and not the letter K repeating, because the bottom right part of the K is slightly shorter and curved inward. Even if it was not intentional, it still looks too much like a K for comfort. One could also argue that since the pattern repeats indefinitely, it's not meant to be a reference to the actual K K K hate group. But notice how in each diagonal line of K's, only three full K's are visible. The remaining K's at the top or bottom of each line are cut off. If you rotate the Sim in CAS, there is no instance where you see more than three full K's in a line, and the only times instances when there are less than three K's in a line are at each side seam of the shirt (which would usually be obscured by the Sim's arms). So even though the pattern repeats, it still strongly invites the brain to read it as "K K K".
Even if this was unintentional, it is unbelievably tone deaf of the developers to see this pattern and how much it clearly looks like a repeating K, and then choose to keep it in the game anyway. Surely this item had to have been reviewed by multiple people while the game was in development. How could none of them have noticed the obvious "K K K" print? I noticed it right away. And if it was noticed in development, how did no one consider how offensive it is and have the compassion and tact to remove it? Virtually everyone in the U.S. and in many other countries is aware that the Ku Klux Klan is a violent, racist hate group. There is no excuse for its inclusion in the game.
I implore EA/The Sims 4 to remove this top or replace the "K K K" pattern with a different print immediately. If any and all items containing this "K K K" print are not removed, I request information on how to receive a full refund for the pack (which the website won't allow me to do currently), and will not purchase any EA products in the future.
I was really excited about this pack, but my heart sank as soon as I saw this racist item in the game. I've played the Sims since the very first Sims game was released; it's almost a part of my identity at this point. But I am fully prepared to stop playing my all-time favorite game franchise if this is not rectified. Please don't let your players down. Please do the right thing and remove this item and publicly apologize for allowing it to be included in the first place. Even if it was a mistake. Own up to your mistakes, apologize for them, and grow from them.
If anyone can direct me to a better way to contact EA or the Sims team about this matter, so that I may speak to an actual person, I would greatly appreciate your help. I checked the "Contact Us" page, but it doesn't have a category that I can click on that fits this situation. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me with that.