Under Pressure From Civil Rights Activists, Amazon Discounts Caucasian “Little Mommy Play All Day” Dolls Over Black, Latino Ones
Amazon.com is raising eyebrows after discounting a white version of a popular children’s doll to a price far below that of its black and Latino counterparts. The move comes after a similar case last year drew outrage from civil rights activists. In that instance, Walmart was accused of racism for selling black Barbie dolls at half the cost of white ones. Liberal critics claimed that the retail chain was engaging in a discriminatory practice and the story made headlines across the nation. A lengthy investigation by MSNBC followed and Walmart settled the dispute by reversing its policies on racialist doll pricing.
The particular product now in question is no stranger to controversy. In 2008, another toy in Fischer Price’s bestselling “Little Mommy” doll series caused an international stir. Fox News broke the story after concerned parents noticed the “Little Mommy Cuddle ’n Coo” toy spoke the phrase, “Islam is the Light.” Some speculated that Muslim workers at the manufacturer’s Asian factories had improperly tampered with the doll’s voice box programming, but the origins of the strange diatribe were never discovered. To make matters worse, London’s Daily Mail newspaper followed up with a report that Cuddle ’n Coo also whispered “Satan is King” to toddlers. Kmart and other chains quickly pulled the item from their shelves.
The current “Little Mommy Play All Day Doll” is described in marketing material as a “designed for use by young children with smaller hands.” It is created with, “lifelike details such as bright, colorful eyes and a small pink mouth enhance the play experience and provide an appropriate foundation upon which your young child can begin to develop a healthy imagination.” Yet many wonder why a toy aimed at cultivating a “healthy imagination” in young girls would be used to spread such a culturally insensitive view.
“This absolutely sends the wrong message to today’s kids,” Tyson Bowers III, a cultural analyst and Christian author, has noted. “They’re implying that whiteness is somehow worth less than blackness. It’s a classic case of reverse discrimination and standard practice for liberal activists. Amazon needs to be far more sensitive to the American public when it comes to its pricing choices.”
Amazon.com has yet to respond to the criticism but many wonder if a misguided sense of multiculturalism is behind the unusual price structure. Indeed, the move may be an attempt to head off another Walmart-style scandal by promoting ethnic pride in America’s minority communities. It is unclear whether this will backfire as more and more Caucasian consumers voice their outrage. The scandal has echoes of the Cabbage Patch debates of the 1980s. Adoption advocacy groups at the time accused Coleco, the creator of Cabbage Patch Kids, of trivializing transracial adoption with their line of “adoptable” toys. One analyst later wrote, “What does the commodification of make-believe human characteristics say about the adoption of real children who come from real families instead of cabbage patches? Can we separate fact from fantasy?”
The issue of artificially inflated prices for minority Little Mommy Play All Day Dolls isn’t sitting well with some black consumers either. One visitor to Amazon’s site posted an enraged review that states, “Why are the african american dolls more expensive on amazon???? Like 40% more…….I am a huge fan of amazon- but this makes me want to stop shopping through amazon…..”
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Author: Stephenson Billings
Stephenson Billings is an Investigative Journalist, Motivational Children's Party Entertainer and Antique Soda Bottle Collector all in one special, blessed package! Facebook me here or Fanmail me: StephensonBillings@yahoo.com !
9:00 pm
It’s really quite simple. Since blacks and latinos are (for now) minorities in America, less of those dolls were manufactured. That makes those dolls more rare. Thus, they command a higher price. You call yourself a conservative but you don’t know anything about supply-side economics?
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9:05 pm
If this is true, than why are black Barbies far cheaper than white ones and why are liberal activists so angry about it?
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9:46 pm
I’ve always felt drawn to the glowing skin and beauty of red haired men and black babies. While I understand that many don’t share this embarrassing affection, many share the same proclivity.
I would suggest buying real if these price points are outside of the household budget.
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9:52 pm
Think these pricings have a lot to do with basic consumer habits. By while traveling I noticed many minority species tend to spend large amounts on frivolous items. Where my friends and families may put extra money into a 401k, the Africans might spend extra money having their cell phone bedazzled or Mexicans on lowering their car further. Smart retailers realize these habits and take advantage of them, After all do you really think that Hebrew Grandma is going to waste as much on a doll as Auntie Oprah?
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9:56 pm
You racist piece of crap.
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10:01 pm
Cultural differences are not racism, Claire. Brother August was simply pointing out cultural differences. Please read comments fully rather than just skimming them for “key-words” to call racist.
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10:03 pm
Exactly Bruce. Blame the retailers, not me.
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10:11 pm
Bull. He referred to minorities as their own species. That is fucked up on so many levels.
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10:18 pm
From Wikipedia: “Species that are believed to have the same ancestors are grouped together, and this group is called a genus. A species can only belong to one genus that it was grouped into. The belief is best checked by a similarity of their DNA, but for practical reasons, other similar properties are used.”
How is calling them a species racist then? Are they not from the same ancestors? Have similar DNA?
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10:19 pm
I’m sure our more knowledgeable fellowship members are aware this is the 57th anniversary of the landmark Brown vs Board of Education.
One of the points of the Brown v Board of Education arguments was the preference of African American children of Caucasian dolls.
Perhaps the lower price is due to some Caucasian doll government subsidy to provide white dolls to black children.
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1:11 am
Cracker woman, ain’t no way I am subsidizing white dolls for your ass. Now I got to go give more tax payer money to big banks…O’bama is Audi 5000 bitches!
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11:32 pm
“How is calling them a species racist then? Are they not from the same ancestors? Have similar DNA?”
All humans are members of the same species. Implying that a certain race of people (i.e. blacks) are of a different species is highly insulting and should not be tolerated in 21st Century America, not even in the backwards state of Potatoland – I mean Idaho.
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1:16 am
right on cat lady! What about mulattos like me? Are we a hybrid of species?
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12:14 am
When I was a kid all girls played with white dolls. Black girls, Mexican girls, Chinese girls – all of the dolls were white. Crime was down, everyone had a job, and rap music was unheard of.
40 years later we have these muddy colored dolls, and no one has a job, every one is wearing droopy drawers instead of going to school, and crime is rampant.
I think having proper role models for all children was a more proper way to raise your girl – be she white or one of the other races.
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11:45 am
Correlation does not equal causation.
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2:37 pm
it’s called supply and demand.
it’s the most capitalistic and thus american phenomenon out there.
why do you hate america billings?
btw thank god you’re back it’s been horendusly dull around here. maybe we can finally get so military grade batshit insane around here again.
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3:51 pm
That’s great! The human dolls are cheaper~
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