Racist SCs adopting baby dolls on This American Life

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

Matchmakers

Act Three. Babies Buying Babies.

Elna Baker reads her story about the time she worked at the giant toy store, FAO Schwartz. Her job was to sell these lifelike “newborns” which were displayed in a “nursery” inside the store. When the toys become the hot new present, they begin to fly off the shelves. When the white babies sell out, white parents are faced with a choice: will they go for an Asian, Latino, or African-American baby instead? What happens is so disturbing that Elna has a hard time even telling it. (16 minutes)

[MystyGlyttyr]

I'd pick a Latino baby so I could name it Rey.

I would say "Who cares?" BUUUUUT it seems this answers my question...

[CaroPhoenix]

I really don't see this as being racist. The latino and african american parents would like to give their children dolls that "look like" their children, why can't white people do the same thing?

I mean, my daughter is white with brown hair and eyes. I refuse to buy her any doll that has blond hair/blue eyes, is latino/african american/other ethnicity here. The only reason I bought her a baby doll this Christmas was because I found an adorable baby doll with brown hair and eyes and I had to just snap her up.

[Boozy]

I mean, my daughter is white with brown hair and eyes. I refuse to buy her any doll that has blond hair/blue eyes, is latino/african american/other ethnicity here

Why?

I'm not trying to be argumentative, honest. I'm just curious. I had lots of dolls growing up and none of them looked like me. I don't recall caring one way or another. I just loved my dolls.

[wagegoth]

Maybe IDAR is tired of the prevalence of blonde, blue-eyed dolls, when the majority of people are not.

Being, literally, a red-headed stepchild, and treated poorly by some of my step-relatives, I found and still find myself leaning toward red-haired dolls and characters on TV and related items. When I come across a red-haired doll or action figure with hazel or brown eyes (like me), I'm even happier.

[powerboy]

Why is it racist, if a white couple wants to get their child a white doll?

What is racist, is them not having every race

[CaroPhoenix]

Wagegoth is correct. I have a friend of mine who has a little brown haired/eyed girl and she called Toys R Us about the lack of brown haired/eyed dolls. She was told she needs to get to the store the day their truck comes in because those are the first to go! I didn't realize there were so many brown haired/eyed children in NoVa.

I just prefer the brown haired/eyed dolls. Yes, I did play with blonde haired/blue eyed dolls & I did have blonde haired/blue eyed barbies too. However, I would have preferred a doll that looked closer to me so I'm making sure my daughter gets all the brown haired/eyed dolls she wants.

As I said before, if there was a lack of asian/latino/african american dolls out on the shelves, there would be a bigger uproar of the doll makers being racist.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

First of all, this is about the show, not the blurb.

The "racist" SC I am referring to is the one in the radio program, and if you listen to it, you would understand why. You would also understand is that yes, FAO Schwarz had "every race." Of plastic toy.

I never said it was racist for a "white" parent to want to buy a "white" plastic baby doll for their kid. Although, now that I think about it....it's patently absurd.

Just listen to the show before you pass judgement. I think you'll be satisfied that the woman in the program is a classic, and racist, SC. The whole situation is absolutely racist, and completely absurd. And it illustrates exactly why children with dolls mimic the situation at home. The segment is near the end of the 59 minutes.

I intended for people to actually listen to the segment, not comment on a short blurb that doesn't tell the whole story--so as to not spoil it.

sigh for cripes' sakes.

The point is that they sold out of "white" polyvinyl chloride long before they sold out of brown polyvinyl chloride, not for any ideological reasons, heaven forgive them, and certain characters in the story acted pretty stupid--and mostly, they weren't the kids.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

OK. Now that I've stopped and thought about it awhile, I shouldn't have expected people to casually click and listen to a one-hour show just to understand the full scope of the message of this lovely, 15-minute segment of a beautiful, funny story.

So, to make amends, I will put the 15-minute story on my own, personal server, and let you make a couple minute download and listen, if you want. Or not. But jsut don't expect to understand the story without it.

White Babies

[Ree]

Any particular reason why you would post a story like this on "CustomersSuck" when we have a perfectly good site called www.fratching.com for posting material such as this?

I understand it's about customers, in a way, but it's a very 'political' issue.

Personally, I clicked on the link and quite frankly, didn't bother to listen to the segment contained at that link, so I didn't feel I could comment.

Perhaps others didn't listen to the whole segment either, and as evidenced by your comments, you are a little upset that the conversation skewed from the actual segment to become a discussion about white dolls vs. 'coloured' dolls. You should have realized there was the risk of that happening, even if people did listen to the segment.

I am closing this one, because I have already seen some sniping and comments that reflect poorly on the member making them.

If you really want to discuss this issue, then repost it on fratching.