The Vermont Teddy Bear folks have come up with a new bear for Valentine's Day: the Crazy for You Bear.

Dressed in a white straight jacket embroidered with a red heart, this Bear is a great gift for someone you’re crazy about. He even comes with a “Commitment Report” stating “Can’t Eat, Can’t Sleep, My Heart’s Racing. Diagnosis – Crazy for You!” Trust us. She’ll go nuts over this Bear!

It's a clever idea that's good for a little chuckle. But it's apparently not cute, clever or funny to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. According to an Associated Press report in the Kansas City Star:

Mental health advocates believe the bear is "a tasteless use of marketing that stigmatizes persons with mental illness," Jerry Goessel, the executive director of the Vermont chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, wrote to the Shelburne-based company.

"A strait jacket is not a symbol that we want to associate with sales of a teddy bear for loved ones over Valentine's Day," Goessel said. "And the use of commitment papers, legal documents committing an individual to involuntary treatment, is not something to be taken casually."

Puh-leeze! What bad effect do you people think this bear is going to have on the mentally ill folks you supposedly represent? Get your heads screwed on straight, sit down and shut up. You're making fools of yourselves.

Sheesh.

Oh, and if anyone from the Vermont Teddy Bear Company is reading this, please bring this bear back every year, year after year. It's a great idea, and you shouldn't let these malcontents who have no clue about reality influence how you run your business.