renth

And guess where? Australia's most redneck of states - QLD!

So what to BE'ers think? Racism or harmless fun?



http://www.news.com.au/national/blac...-1226361244641

eddie007

OMG... Are we allowed to say that word?????

Remember being told of the head of the Race Relations board hitting out at Robinsons jams when they did away with the badges... His daughter hadnt finished collecting the set... Irony? He wasnt white...

Penny45

They are all over NZ too. My pal was there over Easter and couldn't believe it. If this country wasn't so racist I'd call it harmless fun, but the stuff they say about the natives here is so awful I can't help thinking it's not a good idea.

scottishcelts

They've been here in the shops (QLD) the whole time I've been here, and from what I've been told by the locals, they've never left.

Turban Explorer

Just pointlessly provocative. I've heard plenty of references to the Aboriginals and the PNGers in FNQ as 'wogs' amongst a range of other things. Political correctness IS important if you want a long term change in attitudes.....

scottishcelts

Indeed. I was stunned when I first came across them, now I notice them everywhere here.

GarryP

A good thing.

Basically the designs of these dolls today isn't so much the minstrels version of 40 years ago, and the name got changed - so what you're left with is, a black skinned doll.

For the white skinned child that gives them white and black skinned dolls that they play with equally. For the black skinned child that gives them a doll that looks like them.

In short, too many adults looking back and thinking what they are told by PC zealots - the kids aren't so dumb.

Turban Explorer

Are you sure? Look at clothes. Hardly reflective of modern dress - in fact the blue and white gingham is very serving class...

GarryP

You have a serving class ?

Obviously more money than me, and wouldn't that be Thai dress today anyway?

It much more a problem with the 40-50 year olds and their perception of the world than it is with the toy and the kid that will play with them.

Turban Explorer

I'm thinking the outfits smack of stuff like Uncle Tom's Cabin surely?.... Shouldn't a progressive black doll be wearing the type of clothes a black person might wear the C21?

GarryP

Might like to look at this Google Image search :
http://www.google.com/search?q=gingh...w=1020&bih=886

And since when have dolls reflected contemporary society? Probably a good thing they don't, when you think about it.

moneypenny20

It's a harmless toy. If some adults want to see more in it they will, children who will be the ones playing with them won't. Children play with anything they can make a game out of. They couldn't care less what it's wearing or what colour it is. It's bullshit to make an issue of it.

Nice Guy

Some other dolls ones can purchase - are they racists as well?

Russian doll

Japanese doll

Chinese doll

Tongan doll

NZ doll


The list is endless.

Nice Guy

How about this one from Uganda....?

Used by a charitable organisation for the welfare of the Ugandan people, found here:

http://http://advancingthekingdom.org/about-3/

Turban Explorer

It doesn't matter a jot that Queensland Indigenous leaders have said they think they are offensive?!