Posted on 08/17/2009 3:02:49 PM PDT by 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.
Or just a capitol Z, for Zero! Lol.
Lol, spellcheck won’t correct any word that actually IS a word. Haven’t you ever made a mistake in writing ‘how’ or ‘has’ instead of the other because of the closeness of the ‘w’ and ‘s’ keys? Sometimes it puts a whole new meaning to what you write, heh.
Well, you’re saying something I’ve never heard because I’ve never been to Hollywood.
Gee, some people are just looking for something to complain about.
Doesn’t me, either! Growing up all the parents in my area called their kids “you little monkey!” and meant it as innocent mischief on the child’s behalf, that makes a parent laugh. Being cute or cleaver in other words.
I agree. PC or not, that doll would never have gotten past me.
In Chinese history, there may or may not be a racist connection between the depiction of monkeys and blacks but, in American history, there certainly is.
Any American that claims that, in America, a doll depicting a human black child named "Lil Monkey" surrounded by monkey dolls or a doll depicting a human black child named "Lil Coon" surrounded by raccoons dolls does not bring up images of historically racist depictions of blacks is either blowing smoke or totally ignorant of American history.
That was my point. A simple "Properties" check.
Also, I've had 3 pics pulled on FR in the last week, that I have posted MANY TIMES BEFORE on FR with NO PROBLEM, and then 3 in less than a week, and my Photobucket goes nuts AT THE SAME TIME......
I agree.....FR DOS attacks, and THESE are causing me FR problems within the last week also....
OK....Back to "regular" FR programmimg!!
[bring up images of historically racist depictions of blacks is either blowing smoke or totally ignorant of American history.]
You said it all Polybius!!
[I agree.....FR DOS attacks, and THESE are causing me FR problems within the last week also....]
Welllll, Obama recently said that ‘the stars are in alignment’ - but he obviously didn’t mean ‘for you’, lol!
Surprised about your three pictures being pulled, lol, maybe D.U. infiltrated our Mods!
Okay, so switch the outfits on the dolls. Put the monkey outfit on the white doll and the panda outfit on the black one. Unless there’s some racial connotation with pandas.
[switch the outfits on the dolls]
Exactly! AND I imagine that is just what the toy company will do so it doesn’t suffer any losses.
I thought it might be Giuliani.
** I thought monkey was a term they used for Bush. **
- - -
Yep!
Plenty of stuff of “Bush Chimp” on Google Images!
It always puzzled me why somalians, w africans and many AAs are muslim.
I can’t believe anyone is offended by stuffed animals with (gasp) names! Are all monkeys going to be pulled from the toy market?
Ok I take it back, I had to google for the picture. I really thought it was a stuff animal. The pic on the thread (assuming there is one) didn’t show up on my phone. WoW I don’t know what to say except that someone clearly didn’t think about their marketing plan.
:-p
That considered, I can't imagine how or why the corporate decision was made to market these dolls; it just makes no sense.
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