hallmark "black hole" card: racist or not?
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elliott_argon
Members Posts: 286 ✭✭
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Flos_angeles&id=7475737 (site has video)
CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- A graduation card sold at local stores has been pulled from shelves after a civil rights group raised concerns about the content. The group claims the card's micro-speaker plays a greeting that's racist.
It is a graduation greeting from Hallmark that says, "Hey world, we are officially putting you on notice."
Members of the Los Angeles NAACP did take notice. As characters known as "Hoops" and "Yoyo" banter on, African American leaders hear offensive language.
"And you black holes, you are so ominous. Watch your back," the card vocalizes.
"That was very demeaning to African American women. When it made reference to African American women as ? and at the end, it says 'watch your back,'" said Leon Jenkins of the Los Angeles NAACP.
When Hallmark was reached by phone, they said the card is all a misunderstanding. The card's theme is the solar system and emphasizes the power of the grad to take over the universe, even energy-absorbing black holes.
The card company says the card speaks about the power the grad will wield.
"The intent here is to say that this graduate is not afraid of anything," explained Hallmark spokesman Steve Doyal.
But that's not what some people heard.
"You hear the 'r' in there. '? ,' not, 'holes.' The 'r' is in there," said Minnie Hatley of the Los Angeles NAACP.
Hallmark sent Eyewitness News a transcript of what the card says, but Hatley says that the actual audio raises questions.
"It sounds like a group of children laughing and joking about blackness, again," said another NAACP member.
Hallmark is now notifying all of its stores to pull the card. Walgreens and CVS are doing the same.
"In any situation where there is a circumstance that we need to be sensitive to, we try to learn from that experience," said Doyal.
However, NAACP members say they do not want to see the card on store shelves ever again.
CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- A graduation card sold at local stores has been pulled from shelves after a civil rights group raised concerns about the content. The group claims the card's micro-speaker plays a greeting that's racist.
It is a graduation greeting from Hallmark that says, "Hey world, we are officially putting you on notice."
Members of the Los Angeles NAACP did take notice. As characters known as "Hoops" and "Yoyo" banter on, African American leaders hear offensive language.
"And you black holes, you are so ominous. Watch your back," the card vocalizes.
"That was very demeaning to African American women. When it made reference to African American women as ? and at the end, it says 'watch your back,'" said Leon Jenkins of the Los Angeles NAACP.
When Hallmark was reached by phone, they said the card is all a misunderstanding. The card's theme is the solar system and emphasizes the power of the grad to take over the universe, even energy-absorbing black holes.
The card company says the card speaks about the power the grad will wield.
"The intent here is to say that this graduate is not afraid of anything," explained Hallmark spokesman Steve Doyal.
But that's not what some people heard.
"You hear the 'r' in there. '? ,' not, 'holes.' The 'r' is in there," said Minnie Hatley of the Los Angeles NAACP.
Hallmark sent Eyewitness News a transcript of what the card says, but Hatley says that the actual audio raises questions.
"It sounds like a group of children laughing and joking about blackness, again," said another NAACP member.
Hallmark is now notifying all of its stores to pull the card. Walgreens and CVS are doing the same.
"In any situation where there is a circumstance that we need to be sensitive to, we try to learn from that experience," said Doyal.
However, NAACP members say they do not want to see the card on store shelves ever again.
Comments
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I believe it was intended to mean that upon graduation a person is the future and our future is destined to do great things. Like explore blackholes and other planets.
I could see where some people would think its racist though, maybe science should change blackholes to universe holes to avoid any future confusions. -
Racist? NO...
Bad Move? YES
Thats something that should have been handled at the Public Relations level. THis is what happens when whites and those with white mentality choose to dismiss racism as "complaining" and nothing to take seriously. THey miss some obvious ? . I could have told them somebody may take offense to the message in 5 minutes. Now it's going to cost them some money in marketing, bad PR and restocking. -
DarcSkies777 wrote: »Racist? NO...
Bad Move? YES
Thats something that should have been handled at the Public Relations level. THis is what happens when whites and those with white mentality choose to dismiss racism as "complaining" and nothing to take seriously. THey miss some obvious ? . I could have told them somebody may take offense to the message in 5 minutes. Now it's going to cost them some money in marketing, bad PR and restocking.
i agree that there were not racist intentions behind the card and that it was probably a stupid move with regards to public relations. however, i think that the naacp (and groups like them, in this regard) should perhaps choose their battles a little better for precisely what you mentioned about whites who choose to dismiss racism as "complaining". i think that any white person would probably say "c'monnn, that's not racist" or "give me a break" or whatever. then, when real things that need to be addressed go down, they probably dismiss the legitimacy of the naacp (and groups like them, in this regard). -
man the NAACP needs to ? ...they stay taking on the issues of ? ...that ? clearly says black holes...foh...I saw that card when I was shopping for graduation cards...always trying to blow some nonsense up...worry about real ?
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ILLUMINATI
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man the NAACP needs to ? ...they stay taking on the issues of ? ...that ? clearly says black holes...foh...I saw that card when I was shopping for graduation cards...always trying to blow some nonsense up...worry about real ?
I went to an NAACP meeting where we tried to question a white city council member as to why he got into a drunken bar fight and called a black cop the N word.
...he never showed and he's still on the city council.
...we failed
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elliott_argon wrote: »i agree that there were not racist intentions behind the card and that it was probably a stupid move with regards to public relations. however, i think that the naacp (and groups like them, in this regard) should perhaps choose their battles a little better for precisely what you mentioned about whites who choose to dismiss racism as "complaining". i think that any white person would probably say "c'monnn, that's not racist" or "give me a break" or whatever. then, when real things that need to be addressed go down, they probably dismiss the legitimacy of the naacp (and groups like them, in this regard).
I agree that the NAACP needs to pick it's battles and this is defiantly not one worth fighting it just cheapens them. But whites are going to say blacks are complaining no matter what. If a white man burned a cross on my lawn tomorrow whites would tell me to stop complaining because he was probably just a nice gentle white guy trying to supply me with fire wood since its so rare in the summer. Whites know there is racism they just dont give a ? . -
I went to an NAACP meeting where we tried to question a white city council member as to why he got into a drunken bar fight and called a black cop the N word.
...he never showed and he's still on the city council.
...we failed
yeah, the naacp is a joke.DarcSkies777 wrote: »I agree that the NAACP needs to pick it's battles and this is defiantly not one worth fighting it just cheapens them. But whites are going to say blacks are complaining no matter what. If a white man burned a cross on my lawn tomorrow whites would tell me to stop complaining because he was probably just a nice gentle white guy trying to supply me with fire wood since its so rare in the summer. Whites know there is racism they just dont give a ? .
some white people may say that, others will denounce the hypothetical cross burning on your front lawn incident. but the naacp's (and groups like them in this regard) inefficiency and hunger to fight the retardest skirmishes they can find amongst relevant battles certainly perpetuates white numbness to "crying racism" or "playing the race card", as racists say -
Seriously, the NAACP is a group set up to make the Black community look like they complain about nothing. Seriously... this is ? and they in no way shape or form represent the Conscious Black movement. A ? hallmark card? Seriously? Oh best believe the media is going to have a ? field day with this one.
