Target Pulls Whitney Houston Joke Card

There are the usual greeting cards for birthdays, get-well wishes and holidays. And then, at Target, there was this one: “Next time you think of dating a bad boy, consider Whitney Houston. That’s all I’m going to say.” Suggested Reading February 2026 Books By Black Authors We Can’t Wait to Read The Sad Reason Teddy…

There are the usual greeting cards for birthdays, get-well wishes and holidays. And then, at Target, there was this one: “Next time you think of dating a bad boy, consider Whitney Houston. That’s all I’m going to say.”

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It’s hard to imagine the appropriate occasion for this message (a mean-spirited breakup condolence?), but maybe it was funny while Whitney Houston was alive … maybe.

Since the singer’s death, Target has, not surprisingly, pulled the greeting card from its shelves, Clutch magazine reports. 

Is it just that it’s too soon for this type of joke? Or is the time never right for making light of someone’s public struggles? Weigh in the comments. Plus, let us know whether you agree with The Root’s editor-at-large Nsenga Burton’s take on why “a 14-year relationship and all of its complexities would be reduced to a ‘bad boy meets good girl and destroys her life’ narrative.”

Read more at Clutch magazine.

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