(WSVN) - A newborn’s photoshoot inspired by “A Christmas Story” is igniting debate online because the baby is posed with a fake gun.
Coffee Creek Studio in Indiana shared the picture on Facebook, showing the sleeping infant wearing the famous pink bunny suit from the 1983 holiday movie — complete with a miniature BB gun in his arms.
“Only 49 days until Christmas!! Ralphie loved his pink bunny suit I had made for him!” photographer Amy Haehl wrote in the caption. “Disclaimer – the BB gun is made of wood to ensure that he did NOT shoot his eye out during the creation of this photo.”
Despite her disclaimer, some on social media found the photo in poor taste.
“Unfollowing and unliking you. Extremely distasteful,” one user wrote in a now-deleted comment. “Guns are never ‘cute’, not even as a prop or movie reference. Disgusting. The gun culture in this country is a disgrace.”
Others, however, found the photo endearing, and encouraged Haehl to ignore the detractors.
“Adorable picture! Sorry people are hating on something that is so cute!” another user commented.
Haehl defended the photo in a statement on her Facebook page.
“This photo is not about a baby posed with a ‘gun’… it is about love, tradition, family, and happiness,” she wrote. “This movie has encouraged smiles, laughter, and happiness for 35 years. It also happened to be filmed right here in the midwest where I was born and raised.”
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