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As part of her Australian adventure, for some reason Oprah Winfrey thought it was important for her lucky troupe of 300 viewers to visit the Dafel Dolls And Bear Shop in Melbourne. Who knows? Perhaps this store has a cultural legacy that makes it of critical importance to visit when one goes to Australia. But Ms. Winfrey was shocked and disturbed when her producers discovered that this store makes some of its money by promoting one of the most unflattering stereotypes of black women in history: the mammy. Yet, she visited the store anyway. Hip Hop Wired offers a summary of what occurred: An Australian store was forced to remove seemingly racist dolls called "Mamee Dolls" to prepare for a visit from Oprah Winfrey.
As previously reported, Winfrey and her audience on an eight-day Aussie adventure as part of her 'Favorite Things' segment give-away.
According to the Herald Sun, the talk show mogul and her 300 guests were scheduled to visit The Dafel Dolls And Bear Shop in Melbourne when her producers requested that the store's "Mamee" dolls be removed from the shelves.
The Mamee dolls show a dark skinned African-American woman with red lipstick, wearing a maid costume and a scarf around her head.
The store owner reportedly obliged and the dolls were removed.
See more pictures of the offensive "Mamee Dolls" on Hip Hop Wired.
It is very curious that Oprah did not cut a store like this from her travel itinerary. Usually when the black community confronts a business that parlays in negative images that hurt our members, we make every effort to bring the affront to light and plan to boycott the company. It's great that Oprah has the clout to get the dolls removed from the shelves of the Dafel Dolls And Bear Shop in Melbourne temporarily, but what about after the camera crews leave? She will be giving her viewers the wrong impression that this is a store that supports American values, which include not promoting overtly racist images. At the very least, if black people are inspired to visit Australia and that store because of her show, they will be in for quite a shock.
Australia is known as a place that is very racist against its own indigenous people. Thus, it's no shock that Australians are not culturally sensitive to blacks, leading to a major store that would stock "mamee dolls." What comes as a shock is Oprah promoting such a horrible store on her influential show. How could Oprah consent to big up a business that would sell mammy dolls as part of its regular inventory? There is no logical explanation for this. I am embarrassed for Oprah, her producers and the show. I wonder what other culturally insensitive things she will experience while on her Australia trip that she will seek to hide from American audiences.
Comments: (50)
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By: Brady on 12/10/2010 7:19PM
Petty story.
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By: David on 12/13/2010 6:25PM
Why is this a story?? Oprah made her living being a mammy to white middle class women.
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By: SB09 on 12/10/2010 7:28PM
Oprah is acting just like an Uncle Tom. She should have cancelled the trip to the store. Why in the hell is she supporting their store?!?! Up there kissing them white folks asses!
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By: Redheels on 12/11/2010 8:22AM
Yep. She such a COW.
One BIG phoney!
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By: connie on 12/13/2010 2:30AM
the mammie image is one that i embrace. she has been with us since slavery and represent the black american experience that we seem happy to dilute. now that america has blacks from all over the world, we should and need to protect our heritage and that includes mammie. grow up people.
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By: dvine on 12/13/2010 12:44PM
i agree.. i wouldn't support the SOB's..
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By: SxyBrwnSuga on 12/13/2010 5:49PM
What have you done for the black community while you are trying to bad mouth a black woman who has done so much to better our community. Before you start pointing fingers about Uncle Tom this Uncle Tom that, look in the mirror and ask yourself what are you doing for the black community other than hating on another black person.
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By: Gibbsy on 12/14/2010 7:20AM
Kissing white folks ass? Unlike you, she understands that she is not in America and is about mutual respect.
Travel more, dude.
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By: David on 12/11/2010 2:12AM
I am impressed with Oprah's maturity and commonsense. As an Australian, I can assure you that (generally speaking) we are open to all races and have a very multicultural society. After all, who are we to judge, most of our ancestors were convicts! This doesn't bother us. Instead we are proud of our heritage, and the nation that we have become because of it. We tend to treat people as we would expect them to treat us, regardless of skin colour or background. We give people the benefit of the doubt upfront, and only avoid them if their actions show they cannot be trusted, or if they are disrespectful. If someone is full of hate, anger or some other unresolved emotion all of the time, then we will prefer to avoid those people. Similarly, the opposite is also true. It doesn't matter who they are, only their actions matter. We are fun-loving and don't take life too seriously("She'll be right mate!"). Our seeming insensitivity is probably more due to naivety. I for one, have never heard of a "mamee doll"; we call it a "golliwog", and to us it is just a doll. As such it would hold sentimental value to many people. However, once made aware of its negative connotations and significance, we of course would be only too happy to remove it. We certainly never intend to offend or hurt anyone. I think it is one thing to read this stuff in the media, and another to be here experiencing our people(all colours, all races) and our country, in person. I'm sure that Oprah can see that. Don't be scared, come for a visit and find out for yourself! Everybody is welcome, especially you Oprah.. We love, admire and respect you. Apologies, on behalf of Australia, for any offense caused to you and your fellow Americans.
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By: Alexis Stodghill on 12/11/2010 7:31AM
Hello. Thanks for writing. Your comment certainly gives us all a lot to think about. Thanks for engaging in a meaningful dialogue.
I also think you should know that the golliwog is also one of the most racist and dehumanizing images of black people in existence. So much so that black people in the UK and other countries have protested en masse to get the company that has branded ownership of the concept to stop making them. This is the British version of the Sambo/Little Cheerful Nigger that we have in the states. Both the golliwog and the Sambo/Mammy come from the same racist thinking and history and offend black people everywhere. A simple google search will bring up more than enough support of this fact.
So, you are kind of proving my point that Australian culture is not that aware of black racial history, or sensitive to these issues, or you could not have posted such innocent remarks. I am sure you think it's not offensive and that you don't mean to be, but ... More it is one of the most racist and dehumanizing images of black people in existence. So much so that black people in the UK and other countries have protested en masse to get the company that has branded ownership of the concept to stop making them. This is the British version of the Sambo/Little cheerful nigger that we have in the states. Both the golliwog and the Sambo/Mammy come from the same racist thinking and history and offend black people everywhere. A simple google search will bring up more than enough support of this fact.
So, you are kind of proving my point that Australian culture is not that aware of black racial history, or sensitive to these issues, or you could not have posted such innocent remarks. I am sure you think it's not offensive and that you don't mean to be, but I am telling you that it is in fact horrible.
The history and popularity of the golliwog in Europe has a long and detailed history, in part because this doll has been a favorite play thing and character in stories for European children for centuries. This conditions kids to be racist from a young age, and encourages them to think of blacks as subhuman animal/man hybrids, with the same attitude they would take towards a teddy bear -- seeing blacks as their ulitmate "wild" servant that they can use, abuse and "play with." The sentimental attachment to these dolls comes from the fact that they are introduced at such a young age, but they teach the worst of cultural lessons. Plus the stories surrounding golliwogs are often violent and very abusive towards it, depict the character as wild and stupid, and further underscore this "fun" message of blacks as inferior for kids.
In America, we don't have these things out in the open anymore, although at one time there were characters like this in movies, kids cartoons, and in the form of objects people could buy to decorate their homes. We don't have it because black people spoke up and explained how offensive and dehumanizing it is. This type of movement has never happened in Australia or Europe, and that is part of the reason this type of racist practice goes on, and the white natives of your country feel innocent in perpetuating it.
But, take my word for it when I explain how horrible it is to blacks. Why else would Oprah make such a demand? If that doll had appeared on her show, all hell would have broken loose. If you don't understand, I get it, but at least trust that my opinion on how offensive this is in reality.
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