Costco Pulls "Lil Monkey" Doll Off Shelves

KTLA ^ | August 14, 2009

[South40]

"Lil' Monkey Doll

LOS ANGELES -- Costco has pulled a controversial doll from its shelves after customers complained it was racist.

The doll is called 'Cuddle with Me" manufactured by BrassKey Keepsakes. It's the headband that is causing the controversy. It reads "Lil' Monkey." The doll is also surrounded by stuffed monkeys. The white doll counterpart on store shelves is surrounded by pandas, with a hat that reads 'Pretty Panda.'

Mary Gustoff, CEO of Brasskey Keepsakes, said the company has apologized for the mistake, and never intended it to be racist.

"It's so unfortunate because now it's portrayed as a purposeful act to be disrespectful and that's not true. We really apologize. We don't think in that way. We don't operate in that kind of thinking. We have a really diverse, family operated company that's been around for 28 years. What would we have to gain for heaven's sake?"

Costco is also apologizing for the mistake.

Many customers complained the doll was a reference to the term "monkey" which has been used in the past by racists to denegrate African Americans.

[Lmo56]

Reminds me of THIS classic SNL skit ...

Racist Word Association Interview

Written by: Paul Mooney

Interviewer.....Chevy Chase
Mr. Wilson.....Richard Pryor

http://vodpod.com/watch/1244570-chevy-chase-richard-pryor-snl

BTW:

Costco obviously missed what happened after Howard Cosell called Alvin Garrett of the Washington Redskins a “lil monkey” while he was making a GREAT play on Monday Night Football ...

[BerryDingle]

No one can tell me that the whole company was oblivious to this! Who was the “genius” who thought that the black doll should be “lil monkey”? Sheesh! It is offensive. No one ought to lose sleep over this... but yes I can see how it is offensive.

I would never realize that was racist unless I was taught good old American racism first. The dolls were probably made in China or somewhere where they haven't been taught our form of racism.

[decimon]

Made in China or not, it was somebody’s idea to create it and I would think most people would try not to make a monkey reference to a Black doll.

I agree. PC or not, that doll would never have gotten past me.

[editor-surveyor]

Costco is stupid.

[FrdmLvr]

The Chinese are very racist. You should hear the things they would say about black people in Chinese.

You should hear the things Arabs say about blacks in Arabic. I used to know many Arab students in college in the mid-70's(a long story) and everytime a black would walk by they would crack jokes in Arabic and laugh. I asked them what they were laughing about one time and they told me they were making jokes about the black guy and they said they admitted they did not like them.

[editor-surveyor]

But you’ve always been PC to the core.

[TigersEye]

Many customers complained the doll was a reference to the term "monkey" which has been used in the past by racists to denegrate African Americans.

Yeah, obviously.

[DryFly]

What idiot of an executive heard the design pitch, saw the product and said, Great idea, boys, let's get 'em in the stores before the Christmas rush!

[muir_redwoods]

Well, there a job opening for a merchandise buyer at Costco.

[FrdmLvr]

ROTFLMAO!

[DCPatriot]

Political Correctness has nothing to do with it.

This is common sense.

[musicman]

I have NEVER had an Obama one "deleted" until 2 days ago.

The origional was named Obama ED Liagra.

The "new one" is named Obama Liagra.

It's STILL there.

I have 2 other "ED's" in sub-catagories that DIDN'T get "deleted", as they were not the "last uploaded pic" in the category, and were uploaded once before these last 10 days.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but most of the "deleted" pics were "most recently uploaded" (you know that little window in the upper left that shows about the last 5 or so you uploaded).

This has just REALLY started within the last week or so. SOMEBODY must be "reporting" these pics, if they aren't being "keyworded" or it could be a combination of the two!!

After the "flag@be-a-snitch-for-obamassiah.com", and TOTAL UPROAR by the leftists over the joker pics, I'm starting to even "SLEEP WITH" my tin-foil hat on.

[CaliforniaCon]

Re: “Is that supposed to be Hillary?”

*********

I think it’s supposed to be Hillary. But who’s the guy on the right? Is that Rush? I can’t think who else it could be. It looks a little like him, post-diet.

[potlatch]

Me neither, and it got by all inspectors too!

It almost seems like a plot, ya think?? LOLOL

[CaliforniaCon]

re: “Many customers complained the doll was a reference to the term “monkey” which has been used in the past by racists to denegrate African Americans.”

You said:

“Yeah, obviously.”

********

Here in the extreme tolerance of leftist Hollywood, TV execs sometimes have been heard referring to black TV sitcoms as “monkey shows.” I’m just sayin’..........

[editor-surveyor]

"I do name most Obama things with his name or the ‘O-’."

Change the O to a Q.

[potlatch]

[SOMEBODY must be “reporting” these pics, if they aren't being “keyworded” or it could be a combination of the two!!]

That's a possibility but who would go to the trouble of reporting it to them? Have to be a real Obama fan. We saw hundreds of Bush-chimp photos and I never thought of reporting it to PhotoBucket.

I have a little ‘naked’ person gif that is running away and I put Obama’s head on it and they deleted it. I wasn't surprised at that one even though it showed just a butt, lol.

I don't much doubt anything that happens anymore. Look how slow our forum has been, DOS attacks for almost a week lately.

[editor-surveyor]

Common sense to be offended? - Makes no sense to me.

[snarks_when_bored]

They named it after Alvin Garrett?

We're old, huh?

[CaliforniaCon]

At first I thought that guy on the right was supposed to be Rush but now I think it’s Rudy Giuliani!