Last Sunday, Corbin went with his family to celebrate his birthday at a Chuck E. Cheese’s eatery. He even got to pose for a picture with the restaurant’s namesake rodent. But when Corbin’s parents got home and uploaded the pictures to Facebook, they noticed something peculiar; it looked like nice ol’ Chuck was flipping off the camera.

Corbin’s father Jesse tells Consumerist that the family took their concerns about the photo to Chuck E. Cheese’s HQ but were given the brush-off. “If they had just said ‘We’re sorry’ it would have ended right there,” he says.

A rep for the eatery tells the Las Cruces Sun-News that things are not what they appear to be in the photo.

“He has big wide paws, like a glove, and they’re lumpy and not clearly defined,” the rep says about the mascot’s costume. “His glove is a thumb and three fingers, so what you see is his index finger extended — not his middle finger.”

Jesse, who maintains a sense of humor about the situation, tells Consumerist that — if it was wardrobe-related — Chuck E. Cheese’s might want to rethink its costume design or how they tell employees inside those costumes to pose for the camera.

He explains to Consumerist that his intention in going public with the photo was to stir up some debate and maybe make some other parents more aware for when it comes time to take their kids’ photos with the big mouse.

Thanks to cyberpenguin for the tip!

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.