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Local NAACP branch: Hallmark greeting card is thinly veiled racism

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wiggle-room Donating Member (157 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jun-12-10 09:30 AM
Original message
Local NAACP branch: Hallmark greeting card is thinly veiled racism
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_15281166

This Hallmark greeting card either delivers some quirky, fiery graduation wishes or it conveys a racist attack against black women.

The Carson-Torrance branch of the NAACP claims the musical card - featuring cartoon dogs Hoops and Yoyo - is a low blow at African-Americans.

On Tuesday, the Carson City Council will vote on a resolution to encourage Hallmark Cards Inc. to quickly remove the card wherever it is sold.

Local black leaders claim that it is a thinly veiled racist message. The main point of contention is the use of the phrase "black holes," which some believe actually says "black whores" or "black hos."

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site577/2010/0611/20100611__C_TN12-HALLMARK+PC51X8I_400.JPG
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NoodleyAppendage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jun-12-10 09:33 AM
Response to Original message
1. GIVE ME A BREAK. Freudian projection, anyone?
The context of the card is clearly NOT racist. I guess anytime someone mentions "black holes," they are really talking about African-American whores? Someone alert Stephen Hawking that he's on the NAACP radar!

J
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KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jun-12-10 09:45 AM
Response to Original message
2. FFS, Hallmark ALREADY destroyed all their stock of that particular card. Here's the message:
High-pitched voices in the card's automated recording jokingly threaten the world and universe: "You better watch out `cause this graduate here's kicking rear and takin' names (laughter). This graduate's gonna run the world, run the universe, and run everything after that, whatever that is. And you black holes - you're so ominous (laughter). Congratulations! And you planets - watch your back!"

Steve Doyal, spokesman for Hallmark Cards Inc., said the company does not believe the card is racist. But because of complaints from the NAACP, it has already destroyed its inventory of the card, which has been in circulation for three years. Hallmark has also alerted its stores and franchises to remove the card from shelves, and offered to reimburse franchise locations for the expense, Doyal said.

"We believe that the intent of the card was clear," Doyal said. "It's solar system-universe based. When it was pointed out to us that some people did not hear what we intended to do, we removed it from the marketplace. I don't think there's anything more we can do. We've demonstrated positive intent and hope people recognize that."

But Verrett and others said Hallmark should issue a formal apology to African-Americans. They also said they found the card in Hallmark stores in Redondo Beach and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula as recently as last week.
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Hosnon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jun-12-10 09:49 AM
Response to Original message
3. That is silly. Reminds me of a city council fight that was
caught on tape a few years back. A white councilman complained that the city's funds had disappeared down a budgetary black hole.

A black councilman got upset and accused him of racism...
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eowyn_of_rohan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jun-12-10 09:53 AM
Response to Original message
4. It is pretty weird
"This graduate's gonna run the world, run the universe, and run everything after that, whatever that is. And you black holes - you're so ominous (laughter)."

Intentional veiled racism or not this is not only really stupid, but also in poor taste. I can see why some people would take offense.

Shopping for graduation cards at a Hallmark store last month I noticed many lowbrow, tacky and/or somewhat derisive messages (eg, referring to the grad as "smarty pants", "know it all" etc). Maybe all the good cards had already been taken, but it sure seemed that Hallmark was going downhill...
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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jun-12-10 10:01 AM
Response to Original message
5. I think the controversy is because this was an audio card
When you READ the message and all the related words: world, universe, planets, black holes, it clearly has an astronomical motif and is saying nothing offensive BUT

I can just imagine opening the card and hearing the message and hearing a phrase leap out that sounds a heck of a lot like "you black hos look so ominous" and thinking did I just hear what I thought I heard? and thinking it was racist. So I can understand how because it could positively SOUND offensive, that the card could be found offensive.
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Wows Donating Member (1 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-15-10 03:08 AM
Response to Original message
6. Political Grandstanding
Edited on Tue Jun-15-10 03:18 AM by Wows
This is a CLEAR and OBVIOUS move to politically GRANDSTAND on
a non-issue.  Wilson plans to run with Davis in the upcoming
March election and this is a PR stunt to gain votes on a
"racial bias" platform.  If the NAACP was so against
this figment of their imagination, then WHY don't they write
the letter to Hallmark?  Because it would be as useless as a
City Council letter, that is why.  

Read the article!!!  

DID you NOT read where it said that Hallmark already removed
the item from inventory?  Why did the two ladies in the
picture come to City hall and ask the public for help in
locating one of the questionable cards?  They KNEW that the
cards were scarce because they already KNEW Hallmark pulled
the inventory.  If a retail location still had the card out
for sale, write a letter to that store, or talk to the
manager.

Clearly, this borders on censorship of our 1st Amendment right
to free speech and expression.  Even if it was offensive
"sounding", it was CLEARLY UNINTENTIONAL and all
Americans have that constitutional right to FREE SPEECH!  

Do I subscribe to demeaning racial slurs?  I most certainly do
not.  Am I racist?  I assure you that I am not.

But I must digress; clearly the underlying current of this
issue is to make these ladies appear as champions of racial
equality, maybe even in their minds to the level of Rosa Parks
or the beloved Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As the DB put it,
"thinly veiled".  Thinly veiled covering the deceit
of a hidden political agenda!!

Sorry ladies, your are about 3 years TOO LATE with your
indignation.

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