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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.
Posted By: anita moore
Sunday, December 26th 2010 at 10:28AM
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Some of the old stero-types of black women is never removed. They'll linger. However, I think we have to have to have broader preception of a new way of receiving what once was is no longer. Afterall, those times were once true, but are passed on to make us better. It can only be insulting if we continue to allow them to wound us. Always proud to be a Black Woman Total.
Thanks Anita for the story.
Sunday, December 26th 2010 at 10:58AM
MIISRAEL Bride
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I think Oprah definately did the right thing! We should not let these things continue.
Sunday, December 26th 2010 at 11:22AM
MIISRAEL Bride
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But in Australia, my goodness Australia, who would have even thought. Is this what tourist are looking for when they visit some place like Australia. I ask this, why would someone want to buy something like this. It just astounds me to the mindset of some people. Why is someone still manufacturing, distributing something like this? I'm just asking!
Sunday, December 26th 2010 at 2:31PM
anita moore
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Amen Sista Misrael, but the fact is it will continue especially in out of the way places like australia.
@Brotha Clark, it would have been nice to show all that stuff, but as Min. Blaylock said, it doesn't fit into her image and while I do agree with most of what you said Sista Blaylock, (and you said a lot), especially about the minds of those who long for the "good old days), that's deep, I don't think it matters what Oprah looks like. She could have been butt ugly or model gorgeous, as long as she stayed in her place, is what mattered. She never took sides on black/white issues. Never took political sides until President Barack Obama (then she lost 2% of her audience) that and not interviewing Sarah Palin and now look what they've done, pit her up against momma grissley. She has also been able to get some things in that she truly believed in. Oprah holds her own and has a lot of backing, but I don't know how it would go, if she decided to become a for lack of a better word activist. Whites who supposedly loved her for years, would definitely have a change of heart. I personally think Oprah is beautiful, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She has a good and generous heart and thats all that matters, and I wish her much succes on her new project.
Sunday, December 26th 2010 at 6:46PM
anita moore
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What is the purpose of having a mamee doll anyway and why aren't there any massa dolls to counteract the stereotyping?
Sunday, December 26th 2010 at 7:29PM
Helen Lofton
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I do know that Australians maltreat the Black Aussie Aborignals living there, but I don't know how they feel about Blacks/African peoples in general but I can gather from the looks of the mammie dolls that they need to be educated about the accomplishments of Blacks. I think Oprah's Producers did the right thing by asking that the dolls be removed especially if she wanted to make a win win situation for her cable network in Australia. I'm sure she didn't go "to the land down under" for nothing but as a promotional tour for her new cable network.
Do You guys remember last year, Harry Connick, Jr was there in Australia as a judge for some type of judging show when some people came out in Black Face to pay tribute to the Jacksons. Harry spoke out (God bless him for doing so) against it.
[...Connick said in response, "I just want to say, on behalf of my country, I know it was done humorously, but we've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that we take it really to heart." Public reaction in online forums was mixed. Some Australians said they were embarrassed such a racist sketch had been broadcast, while others said detractors were too politically correct and that the skit was funny... ]
Here's a clip of The View talking about it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPNiEKcka_w...
Sunday, December 26th 2010 at 11:55PM
Jen Fad
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Has anyone studied Australia? I have a little, but not much. I do know the Irish/Catholics were among those oppressed there when it was a penal colony.
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 9:37AM
Steve Williams
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oprah was not offended, she is making money
she has the largest collection of mame dolls in the world-
her business is attention, and a new cableNetwork
not Truthfullness
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 9:43AM
powell robert
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@Sista Blaylock, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Maybe its time for Black woman to step up and get some things done. I don’t mean just being an activist. That’s well and good, but maybe start helping to produce from the ground up. That’s the only way we are going to get our people to open their eyes and wake up.
@Sista Jen, Great information. I’ve never thought twice about places like Australia and the racial divide, and I must have missed that episode of the View. I know her producers had everything removed, but they still brought that particular business advertising dollars by just visiting that store. I wonder if she decided not to visit, would that have backfired against her.
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 11:14AM
anita moore
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Conflicting stories are loaded with misinformation...it is always better to make an observation before assumptions. However, often we find some things do get blown out of proportion way too much!..It could of well been that racism wasn't the real a reason behind the dolls--these dolls are bought and sold/traded as collectibles by many people. Who really knows why Oprah didn't want them in her presence. Could be it had nothing to do with racism, but as a respect to her visiting party. Just guessing, I think she used sound judgement...I don't think anyone was offended--not even the store owner.
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 2:32PM
MIISRAEL Bride
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oprah in my opinion, has always been a fake
again, she was not Offended---
but I am offended by the Color Purple and the way she has treated Mr. Steadman and the American Family for years.
Collecting Black Memorabilia
By Barbara Crews, About.com Guide
Metlox Red Dot Mammy
Black Americana DollsHuge selection of Black Americana items.Yahoo.com
Black Memorabilia?
What exactly is Black Memorabilia? The best description is found in "Black Collectibles, Sold in America" by P.J. Gibbs. She explains "in order for an item to be considered a Black collectible, it must be made in the imagery of a Black person or it must be directly attributed to a Black artisan."
That description can cover a lot of stuff! From the early and, many times, offensive pieces depicting the times of slavery to today's collectibles such as Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions, it all fits into that catchall category of Black Memorabilia and collectibles.
Many times the category is also referred to as African Americana Memorabilia.
Who Collects
Although many people consider Black Memorabilia to be offensive and insulting, it might surprise you to find out many big-time collectors of black memorabilia are, in fact, of African American heritage. Celebrity collectors include Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Bill Cosby and Billy Dee Williams.
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 2:37PM
powell robert
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Jen
I went to that site that you gave and got caught up watching a lot of clips. The one that I found interesting was "Racist Austrailian Woman mocks Blacks using a Sambo doll. " Where she says she grew up with sambo dolls and don't think that it's offensive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVD_Nfmh0cw...
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 3:21PM
Helen Lofton
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Hello, I’ve heard a lot of people here saying, they don’t watch Oprah or they never pay her any mind or check out what’s she doing. I have to ask you guys, when everyone says we have to do more to move our people into prosperity, who in the heck do you think we should be watching. The ones who’ve made it, that’s who. You surround yourself with those held in high esteem and you will see, hey they’ve got something. I teach my kids everyday, that’s how you create a niche for yourself.
Ex: My daughter works for a white ambulance company and let them pay her tuition for med school, and then she has made her contacts and can open her own. My other daughter has a marketing degree and works for a white company, so when she’s ready to open her own marketing firm, she knows the in and outs and she won’t just be available to a small market but to the general mass market. That’s what we do black folk, we don’t limit ourselves, box ourselves in. I tell everyone all the time, my products are bought by 80% whites, yet I give back to my own. We have to wake up black people. Oprah’s not a fake, she’s a smart black woman entrepreneur who used what she had to get what she got and she got a lot.
Why do you think blacks are the most duplicated people in the world. We set the stage. We are trend setters and don’t even know it. What they did was, watched the movers and shakers, used these people, then took their deep pockets and then profited off of them. They actually use our own products, skills and services to make money off us, and we’re sitting around wondering why. Our body movements (beautiful black women), body type (tanning, lip injections etc), language and other skills, have been stolen and how did they steal it. I’m sorry, I can’t say stolen, how about given away. They simply studied us, duplicated and POW their pockets are full, so for those that say they never paid her any mind, maybe we should start. I’m not saying watch her show, but keep abreast of what she and the other movers and shakers of our time are doing. Come on my brothers and sisters, it time for us to wake up!
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 3:42PM
anita moore
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@Sista Helen, I was so offended by that ignorant woman. I just wanted to reach through the screen and grab her around her throat and shake her and her little black doll. I'm posting it now for the whole world to see!
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 4:53PM
anita moore
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I hear you Sista Irma, I'm not a big Oprah show watcher either, but I tune into her network so see whats happening. I also get daily emails from her regarding the upcoming show, and if there's anything with a good topic, then I tune in. Now Sista, my TV stays tuned to msnbc Smile! I go to every site you can think of where I can find information that will better myself and those around me. We can reach out if we don't educate ourselves and Ms. Oprah has a lot of knowledge.
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 6:18PM
anita moore
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I think we have all checked out what she has been doing.
You would have to be blind and crazy not to. She's a household name!
Anyone and everyone could benefit from her.
So okay... after you watch the ones who've made it, what's next?
I'll tell you! Action! That's what!
Why?
Because prayer and just looking at someone without works is DEAD! That's why!
Here's my point!
We watched the Cosby's, the Kings, the Williams sisters, etc., we watched, and we watched.
And yes, many of us learned and used what they had to offer.
Sorry,.. it hasn't been enough!
Yes, we need to wake up, I totally agree.
This is why we each play an intricate part in the Universe, we have way much more to offer each other than limited categories.
There's a world of goods to learn in this world.
Had we been watching whats been taught to our children as much as we watch television, we'd be further!
Had we watched this economy before it took a nose dive, we'd be further.
Had we watched how the the law of the land operate, ( and this is one of the biggest to watch! ) , we'd be further.
And the beat can go on and on!
If we sit around and do nothing about these things, nothing is going to change.
i don't think anyone said they don't pay her any mind or check out what Oprah is doing.
You can't help not to.
I heard a lot say they're not huge fans or watch certain shows, which is a choice.
Again, there is no way you can be in the entertainment arena and not be up to code.
They control it.
Like everything in America, it is under control and if it's counter to it's objective, ( meaning: waking up people, getting them to think, may cause a riot or destruction to the system in place), it has to be stopped because it's a threat.
Monday, December 27th 2010 at 6:48PM
Min.Dr.LaDonna Blaylock D.D.
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wow,
what a beautiful summation Min.Dr.LaDonna Blaylock D.D.
i knew there was a reason, other than your beauty and title, why i loved your prescence on this site for Change.
Tuesday, December 28th 2010 at 9:30AM
powell robert
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Ms. LaDonna,
I like what you said about TV. I don't watch it at all, and have never seen Oprah's show. Is this a good or a bad thing do you think?
Tuesday, December 28th 2010 at 12:10PM
Steve Williams
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Oh I agree with you Sista Blaylock. There is no argument with what you have said, but we are still taking or seeing this on a personal level and we are angry for what Oprah didn’t do for her people. We are still looking at the persona Oprah portrays on national tv. Look behind the scenes. Yes, she slunk over to the other side, as a lot of blacks do when they become prosperous, but we need to read her, analyze her tactics. Whites thought they were promoting a black woman whom they could bide their time while they got things done like Sista Blaylock said, but there was a lot more sustenance to Ms. Winfrey than what they originally thought. Do we know what organizations she’s a part of, how she gives millions of dollars to black girls every years for college, No! because they don’t put that in the news.
Yes, in obtaining her goals, she sold her soul, no legacies, but I think that has more to do with what she’s been through and where she came from along with the people she surrounded herself with, who have warped her thinking. She has no contact with her family, yet takes care of each family member. We have to learn from her skills of getting along with others and her tactics, but not fall prey to the identity issues she herself has fallen prey to. I still say we as a black people need to take a closer look at these so called uncle toms and study them like they study us.
Tuesday, December 28th 2010 at 12:39PM
anita moore
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Yes Ms. LaDonna, I meant TV in general, but then of necessity I also missed Oprah, and as Anita points out, I may have missed something important. Then again, I have seen plenty of discussion about her, so I agree, "You don't have to be watching it, it travels through frequency and vibrations."
Tuesday, December 28th 2010 at 1:38PM
Steve Williams
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Me, I don't watch any thing on tv taht stars Blacks...they remind me too much of we are still clowns for the public...or better yet we cater to what the negaative image is of us...now I will repeat something I have said before(that has no interest from us about us)...
In one of our Black history class we were shown Sjpike Lee's Do The Fight Thing...after teh showing our professor Patrica Turner asked all in teh class to raise their hands if they under stood the movie...Only the Blacks raised their hand...
THE PROFESSOR SAID THAT ONLY WE COULD FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MOVIE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A BLACK EXPLOTATION MOVIE AND IF IT HAD BEEN ALL IN THE CLASS WOULD HAVEUNDERSTOOD THE MOVIE...
NOW TIS IS WHY TO THIS DAY I CAN NOT OR WILL NOT WATCH ANY OF THE WEAKLY PROGRAMS WITH BLACK STARING IN TEH LEAD ROLES ON TV...IT IS BAD ENOUGH TAHT ALL OF TEH BLACK CO STARS MUST HAVE A DEADLY WEAPON...AGAIN WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN THIS AS MAYBE RELATED TO OUR YOUTHS AND GUNS AS HEROIC...
BECAUSE WE ARE NOT TOLD THIS, RIGHT??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!? (NUP)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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@Mother Goddess, (and no disrespect to anyone religion)...
but "I" believe one of the most enabeling quotes is, "IT IS GOD'S WILL"...(WHICH LEADS US TO PRAY AND NOT GO INTO A-C-T-I-O-N)...SMILE)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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...oops, I never watched BET that got famous for the bitcvhes and hoes songs either, because I did not like taht nor did I like the reason tehy fired tavis Smily either but I still watch him in teh middle of teh night here and his specials on C-span...and I have yet to see any blogs about these...I WONDER WHY...MASS MEDIA NOT PUTTING TEH O.K. ON THIS??????????(NUP)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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@Anita, "I" don't watch Oprah, because I don't care for those kinds of programs...but I do seem to end up watcing her programs when a little voice seem to tell me to watch her program that day. example, this happened when she had those 3 days in a row of her All Black Town Hall...and, may be it is just me, but her town hall was to thank Don Imus for as Oprah put it he had opened a door for us that we as a people should never allow to be closed again...
later she as a guest senater B.H.O...then I saw her talking about how OWN was being called a play on her neme as not being true, and how it was because she owned every inch of her network which was to begin when our president took office( not two years later)...she also explained taht she would start her own network because teh network Oxygen had used and abused her and her name after she signed her contract with them and this would never happen to her again...!!!...(but the mass media chose not to show this terefore we have no idea what I am talking about as far as what makes Lady O tick or get her ticked off...and, in to correcting things done to es because of teh color of our skin(oops like her being a member of Trinnity under teh leadership of Rev. J. W.!!!!!!!!!
BUT, GUESS WHAT...ONCE AGAIN WE ARE ALLOWING THE MASS MEDIA TO DO OUR THINKING AS TO WHAT, WHO WE SHOULD BE DISCUSSING ABOUT OUR OWN COMMUNITY...
(NUP)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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@Mother Goddess it is so true that we know so little about Lady O. example, we know about these dolls but the mass media has CHOSEN to not allow us to know that she and our president atteneded the same church and was mentored to over come by the same BLACK LIBERATION preacher...FOR MANY, MANY YEARS...
DO WE KNOW THAT THE GREATEST STRENGTHS OF THE TWO MOST POWERFUL AND BELOVED, LOOKED UP TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS ON THE PLANET TODAY ARE oPRAH AND OBAMA, BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THEY PROUD TO BE BLACK THEY KNOW THEY HAVE BLACK POWERS...BLACKS DON'T BUY WHAT THEY HAVE TO SELL LIKE RESPECT FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF REV. WRIGHT AND MINISTER FARAKHAN...NOW DO WE AS WE CONTINUE TO COMPALIN THAT BLACKS WILL NOT BUY WHAT WE HAVE TO SELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(N...U...P)
WAKE UP...MY PEOPLE AND LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT 'US' SO WE CAN BEGIN TO HEAL AND UNITE. (SMILE)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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@Clark, like you and countless members of our race I may watch Oprah's program three times a year...whcih begs the question...
who would these doll offend in the first place????????????? THE DEEP SOUTHEN WHITE FEMALES WHO ARE OPRAH'S FAITFUL FANS????????????????????? (NUP)...example, how often do we see Lady O even mentioned on this site and did we learn this by watching her program on a daily basis or the mass media coverage of this is why she is being discussed here?!?...
Please let us try to allow truth and reality to make a comeback in America...
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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For some reason MY mind WENT TO HOW SOME OF those nooses in our country being defined as , just a joke...
and it does not make me feel any better knowing that as an African-American I get a better class of oppression, either!!!(NUP)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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Corey, bless you, because what you just said about the mammy is so over looked by us as having helped a nation as America that depended so much on the 'BLACK SINGLE MOTHER FOR BECOMING THE NATION IT SI BECAUSE IT WAS TEH bLACK sINGLE MOTHER FIGURE" THAT FROM BREST FEEDING THE MASTER'S AND THEIR CHILDREN TO TEAChING THEM HOW TO TALK, WALK AND BE 'CIVILIZED' IN THE FIRST PLACE...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!it was us who raised their children in the first place and in some cases we still do, do this to this day!!!!!!!!!!!!But looking at it this way would be giviing us some positive credit and appreciations and self praise along with pride in how strong, passive (not violent)patient a race of peoples we really are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..........
AS IF IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR NONBLACKS TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE DO IT SO MUCH BETTER THEN ANYONE ELSE AND TIS HAS A LOT TO DO WHITH MY GETIING SO UPSET OVER THE LOOKE AT LADY O !!!...EVEN DOWN TO THE QUESTION WILL OPRAH'S NEW NETWORK SURVIVE...h____NO IT SHE DEPENDED ON US TO SUPPORT HER ESPECIALLY IN THE DEEP SOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE CAN NNOT EVEN DO TIS ON A BLACK SOCIAL WORK NOW CAN WE???!!!!!!!!!!!!? (N...U...P BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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@Helen, that was priceless, thanks. lol (smile)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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Me, "I" chant (pray) that this may allow us to learn about the on going struggles of our Cousins in this country...because here racism makes South Africa look like child's play!!!
EDUCATE!!!EDUCATE!!!EDUCATE!!! AS LADY O DOES BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. lol(smile)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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