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There are moments lately when I feel all semblance of human decency is in retreat against the pursuit of the almighty dollar. My latest head-shaker is news that Wal-Mart has been selling the racist Mexican comic book 'Memin Pinquin' in its Houston stores.
Why would I call a comic book racist? Oh, maybe it's because the main character, a little black boy, is depicted with over-sized pale pink lips, over-sized stark white eyes and an unusually dark and monotone skin color.
The latest issue is Memín for president ... sounds like more Obama monkey business to me. ...I understand that different cultures have no problem exposing their dim views of black people and freely engage derogatory images or language to sell products.
Remember the Japanese "ni****-brown" couch? Or maybe you'll recall the misbegotten UNICEF ads featuring white youngsters in blackface?
And then you can take a look at China's Darkie now Darlie toothpaste for another example. At least when Colgate-Palmolive bought that toothpaste brand, they changed the brand name and updated the image.
And that is what kind of minimal consciousness I expect more from the "big box" retailers here in America. I expect them to marshall their tremendous marketing resources, utilize good old common sense and refuse to sell products that will grossly offend a large segment of the U.S. population. C'mon, this is from the same company that promised to refuse to sell Nas' album if he called it "the N-word?"
Then Wal-Mart needs to be consistent. I'm glad they've decided to stop selling that despicable comic book and kicked "Memin Pinquin" to the curb.
Comments: (36)
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By: esteban_espinoza@hotmail.com on 7/11/2008 8:32PM
Zoe Moon:I dont understand what is the problem with you and the other black people writing here.You wrote:
"The things that these Mexicans do are shameful"
What things?...Perhaps working hard really hard,as hard as you black people will never do?Producing the food you eat everyday?Cleaning your streets,buildings?
working as a janitor,farmer,bricklayer?......Is that shameful? I dont think so...Zoe Moon tell your people:
GET TO WORK!!, stop living from wellfare.And by the way the Memin Pinguin comic is not racist,it's just a comic!Here in Mexico everybody have seen Speedy Gonzalez cartoon and no one think it is racist, in spite of being an stereotype,this mice and some of its friends are brown,small,poor,wear drags,live in a poor village,etc,etc...and everybody enjoy watching that cartoon. Why?Because it is only a cartoon,thats why my friends.GET TO WORK my friends and stop being worried about ridiculous affairs,and stop making yourself a victim !
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By: Memin Pinguin is cool !! on 7/11/2008 8:51PM
Zoe Moon:I dont understand what is the problem with you and the other black people writing here.You wrote:
"The things that these Mexicans do are shameful"
What things?...Perhaps working hard really hard,as hard as you black people will never do?Producing the food you eat everyday?Cleaning your streets,buildings?
working as a janitor,farmer,bricklayer?......Is that shameful? I dont think so...Zoe Moon tell your people:
GET TO WORK!!, stop living from wellfare.And by the way the Memin Pinguin comic is not racist,it's just a comic!Here in Mexico everybody have seen Speedy Gonzalez cartoon and no one think it is racist, in spite of being an stereotype,this mice and some of its friends are brown,small,poor,wear drags,live in a poor village,etc,etc...and everybody enjoy watching that cartoon. Why?Because it is only a cartoon,thats why my friends.GET TO WORK my friends and stop being worried about ridiculous affairs,and stop making yourself a victim !
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By: Amrcn on 7/11/2008 11:10PM
Ridiculous! Is there nothing more serious to spend time on. I've seen worse on the Dave Chappell (sp?) show and haven't been offended. Get over yourselves.
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By: sherri on 7/15/2008 4:14PM
Esteban Espenoza, before you the black folks were the mexicans. Most of us aren't on welfare. Whites are the majority on welfare. Blacks we are hard-working people. We were doing the same crap you are doing, but most of moved from doing domestic work to doing other jobs. When you guys obtain a position of importance thank those lazy Black folks who marched for everyone to have legal rights. You are disgusting and you are the negative latino that many Blacks speak of, but I will not judge most hispanics based on your ignorance. I have met some racist hispanics, but most of the ones I met realize we are all in this together.
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By: Memin Pinguin is cool!! on 7/15/2008 12:29AM
Sherri,don't get mad at me. You know I have the reason.It is really hard to face the reality of your people,and that's why you and other black people act like that.I dont need to get a position of importance,I dont even live in the USA.I have two university degrees,and here in Mexico everybody knows that without the mexicans working in USA your economy would go to hell,as well as ours.So we need each other.You didnt get my point.I just said Memin Pinguin is not racist in any way.YOU ARE OVERREACTING as usual,instead of working hard.
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By: MKJ on 7/16/2008 2:19AM
I WISH WE COULD ALL LIVE IN LA LA LAND FREE OF RACISM LIKE SOME PEOPLE. OH WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD IT WOULD BE, BUT THATS NOT REALITY !
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