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SEXISM

‘Sexist’ Swedish semla changes name

A Swedish bakery which thought it would be a good idea to name a smaller and cheaper version of the country's traditional pre-Lent period cream bun “the girl semla” has been forced to rename its invention after it whipped up a furious storm on social media.

'Sexist' Swedish semla changes name
Critics have accused the name of the semla 'sexist' and 'disgusting'. Photo: Lars Pehrson /SVD /TT

The almond paste-filled cream bun stirred up emotions Friday after a bakery in southern Sweden aimed its miniature version of the popular calorie bomb at women, calling the sized-down delight “the girl semla”.

Critics immediately took to social networks to express their outrage, calling it “disgusting” and “sexist”.

“I think this is a good example of how you, without any real intention, still manage to oppress women,” a person who spotted the offending bun in the bakery’s shop window told Swedish daily Sydsvenskan.

The head of the bakery, Ida Kristensson, first tried to defend the choice of name for the miniature bun, but finally gave in to the criticism.

“The name was never meant to encourage or apply guilt (on women), which in itself would have been contradictory seeing we’re running a bakery. But of course I take your well-founded criticism to heart and I apologise. As of tomorrow, our tiny semla will be named ‘the mini semla’,” she wrote on Facebook late Friday evening.