Lobster Emoji Redesigned to be 'Anatomically Correct' After Maine Backlash

A new lobster emoji had to be redesigned after residents in Maine got crabby.On Feb. 7, the [...]

By Allison Schonter

A new lobster emoji had to be redesigned after residents in Maine got crabby.

On Feb. 7, the Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit governing body responsible for determining which emojis get added annually, released proposed images of the 157 new emojis set to be made available this year. While the list includes spot-on images of a peacock, fire extinguisher, and salt shaker, residents of Maine had a bone to pick when it came to the lobster emoji, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Residents of the Pine Tree State, a state which is also known for its lobsters, were quick to point out the anatomical inaccuracy in the proposed emoji. Whereas the Unicode Consortium's lobster emoji only had eight legs, in real life, lobsters have a total of 10 legs.

Emojipedia, the site responsible for creating emojis, took note of the backlash and quickly changed course, introducing a new, improved, and anatomically correct lobster emoji.

"Presenting a lobster with the correct number of legs," Emojipedia tweeted.

"I have to say that I'm a bit embarrassed we didn't get the leg count right the first time, but I'm happy it was brought to our attention so quickly!" Jeremy Burge, chief emoji officer at Emojipedia, wrote in an email. "I hope to visit Maine one day and will be sure to make liberal use of the lobster emoji when I do."

The lobster wasn't the only emoji that social media took issue with. The proposed skateboard emoji faced criticsm from professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who claimed that it looked like a skateboard from the '80s rather than 2018. Users also took issue with the DNA double helix emoji, which was shown to be left handed rather than right handed.

The updated lobster emoji, along with the 156 other emojis, is expected to be made available later this year.

Photo credit: Facebook, Twitter / @Mycoastalway

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