From: jon green <puppen-AT-mac.com>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 14:06:16 -0400
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Avoiding racism in caricature


Years ago, I worked for a toy company that made two identical rag  
dolls, except one was brown with a pink dress and the other white  
with a blue dress.  They both had short curly hair, floral cotton  
print dresses, and identical faces.  The white doll was always said  
to look like Shirley Temple; however, many people thought the brown  
doll was a racist "Pica-ninny" stereotype.   What was a rosebud mouth  
on the white doll, was perceived as exaggerated lips (actually, very  
small upper lip and full lower lip).  What was a button nose on the  
white doll was perceived as a broad flat nose on the brown doll.   
What was Shirley Temple curls on the one was kinky hair on the other,  
etc.  When I would point out that the two dolls were basically   
identical except for dress and skin color, the response would be," I  
don't care.  I feel  it is racist, therefore it is."  You can never  
argue with this kind of person as they are beyond reason.  You also  
cannot make decisions by trying to second guess such peoples'  
responses, as their responses are irrational and beyond reason.

Jon

And yes, we did refer to the one doll as Shirley Temple and the other  
as Shirley Temple Black. 
  
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