A junk removal company in New York faced criticism after one of its advertisements led viewers to believe that it was allegedly promoting violence against women.
The situation began after an Albany resident spotted a billboard advertisement for a company called Joey’s Junk Removal. The billboard featured a man carrying a rug over his shoulder, but the advertisement quickly drew criticism because a woman was rolled inside the rug, with her legs sticking out.
Along with the controversial image, the billboard read, “Throwing out everything but the spouse.” The resident who took the picture also said they no longer planned to do business with the company because of the advertisement. “Seen by the intersection of Fuller and Railroad Ave after the roundabout. I have talked and texted with the owner in the past inquiring about rates and after seeing this ad, I’m not calling back,” they wrote.
The billboard was viewed as controversial because its imagery appeared to depict a woman being disposed of like unwanted trash. The sight of a man carrying a rug with a woman’s legs sticking out, combined with the line “Throwing out everything but the spouse,” led some viewers to interpret the advertisement as making light of violence against women. Critics argued that the combination of the image and wording could evoke the idea of a woman being killed or hidden inside a rug, making the joke uncomfortable and inappropriate to them.
Junk Removal Company Apologizes
The owners of Joey’s Junk Removal apologized for the billboard, acknowledging that although it was intended as a “lighthearted joke,” they now recognize that it was “in poor taste” and could be interpreted as making light of domestic violence. They said they took down the advertisement after seeing the community’s response and stressed that they “do not condone violence against women, men, or any spouses.” The owners also said they were “deeply sorry” to those who were upset by the ad and accepted responsibility for the decision to publish it.
The husband added that the controversy was particularly painful because he grew up in a domestic violence household with an abusive father who was violent toward his mother, siblings, and him. He said being accused of promoting or condoning domestic violence was “mortifying.” While acknowledging people’s right to criticize the advertisement, he said his family had received threats and that some former customers had also been harassed. He concluded by saying the business had heard the community’s concerns and would “aim to do better” moving forward.
The company’s apology was later shared on Reddit, where some people said they accepted it while others claimed that the owner was liking controversial comments under the post. One comment claimed, “He’s liking comments about ‘[expletive] liberals’ so I don’t believe him.” A screenshot also appeared to show the company’s Facebook page liking a comment that said, “Don’t know what the post was, but I say, put it back up. [Expletive] sensitivity. Haha.” It remains unclear whether the company plans to provide further clarification or issue another apology as criticism of the advertisement continues.
Viewers Criticize New York Company Over Controversial Ad
The billboard advertisement sparked reactions online. Many viewers, particularly locals, quickly criticized the New York junk removal company over the advertisement. Some believed the ad made light of violence against women. “This is actually really disturbing. Spousal hatred has been normalized for far too long, not the mention rise in domestic violence cases. Feels like the ad is trying to market to a specific kind of man who just hate their wives,” one person wrote. Another person said, “Okay so.. remove everything but the wife is getting tossed. But the wife is rolled up in a carpet??? Nothing here makes sense and it’s very obvious this dude is his own marketing team with no input.”
More people continued criticizing the company over the advertisement. “It’s giving: I don’t see women as people and think AI art is art,” one person said. Another person wrote, “Ok. I’m glad I’m not the only one who was disturbed by this.” Someone else added, “Honestly 10/10 advertising. The man is clearly a creep and really stupid. Will completely avoid using his business.”
Ultimately, the controversy shows just how quickly an attempt at edgy humor can backfire when it touches on something as serious as violence against women. Whatever the company intended with the billboard, many viewers clearly felt the joke crossed a line, leaving them disturbed rather than amused.
