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this is just like the first black disney princess debate. You can't make everyone happy. When introducing anything about any minority underrepresented in some area of the media. you're gonna ruffle feathers.
"they're not black enough"....right. Because the 10 million people that make up the black community (West Indians, biracial, West Africans, East Africans, black americans, etc) are so homogenous.
this is just like the first black disney princess debate. You can't make everyone happy. When introducing anything about any minority underrepresented in some area of the media. you're gonna ruffle feathers.
"they're not black enough"....right. Because the 10 million people that make up the black community (West Indians, biracial, West Africans, East Africans, black americans, etc) are so homogenous.
Very true, people of darker complexions' physical characteristics vary. If they called it West African Barbie then maybe that would be a point.
I'm not sure they're wanted. Every year, when I go toy shopping at Christmas, all I see remaining on the shelf are the "black version" of the popular baby dolls. All the "white versions" are bought up. Ths is especially true if i'm doing last minute shopping. Just an observation.
I understand the criticisms but I don't agree with them. The criticisms basically state these dolls should have more afrocentric features like braids and afros which will somehow get Black girls to appreciate and perhaps even adopt those styles as opposed to purchasing weaves and straightening their hair. I personally think that is a weak argument. I don't think Black women get those styles because they are trying to appear White. I think women in general enjoy having long hair and long hair, on a very basic level, has been one that is used to distinguish gender. Of course there are exceptions and I'm not arguing that from a technical standpoint (men can have long hair and women can have short hair) but I think on some instinctual level, women enjoy long hair. Plus, I don't think producing Barbies with afros will suddenly make African American women stop straightening their hair.
Nonetheless, I agree with the posters above. You can't make everyone happy and someone will always find something wrong.
Does anyone else find it funny and ironic how some black people complain about a doll, a movie character, or even other people as "not being black enough"? Could anything be more racist-without-meaning-to-be?
Political correctness is the death of common sense. And probably of this country in a few generations' time.
Ahhh I was just going to post this...glad I searched first. I think it's cool. I would have loved to have this doll growing up
http://www.voice-online.co.uk/images/16458.jpg (broken link)
For all the people that are complaining - they can go make their own dolls.
I don't think Black women get those styles because they are trying to appear White. I think women in general enjoy having long hair and long hair, on a very basic level, has been one that is used to distinguish gender.
.....
Nonetheless, I agree with the posters above. You can't make everyone happy and someone will always find something wrong.
I agree with you to an extent. Long hair = feminine. No doubt there. But I doubt it's a basic level. I'm pretty sure the necessity of black women wanting long hair originally grew out of the need to appease the Western attitudes about beauty. Maybe now, that's not the case as much anymore or at all, in some places. Long hair is pretty universal now.
But yeah. A blacker Barbie argument is probably being asked for by the same idiots asking for a blacker president. Let it go. The black community does not have one single distinct face.
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