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 MediaWatch / 1705
Subject: 
Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:37:39 GMT
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Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

Some highlights are:

“One look at a child’s Lego village will show the company’s disdain for an integrated society.”

”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

“Such racial profiling is appalling...”

“Instead of addressing the contrasting themes, it chooses to ignore them.”

-Rob A>


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:57:05 GMT
Viewed: 
1943 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:

   http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

It’s always enlightening just how blind people can be. Either that author from my POV, or me from the POV of the author. Wow. Are we *sure* this isn’t satire?

   “One look at a child’s Lego village will show the company’s disdain for an integrated society.”

Yes, he mentions that all the LEGO minifigs are “aryan yellow”. Now *that’s* a new one to me - is that one of the official Crayola colors?

   ”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

Yet he praises the fact that there are now black minifigs in the NBA sets. And doesn’t, evidently, see this as stereotyping.

   “Instead of addressing the contrasting themes, it chooses to ignore them.”



Which the author *seems* to imply is a good thing. Sigh...

I’m still trying to convince my son that boys can be pilots too - his first LEGO plane had a female pilot, and from that point on all the pilots or drivers of his vehicals have always been female. This includes almost any sumobot I build (Ben gets to pick the drivers, I just build the hardware). Yes, curse LEGO for their racist, sexist views that are spoiling the next generation... excuse me, my book fire needs tending.

-- Brian Davis


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:19:52 GMT
Viewed: 
1848 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

Some highlights are:

“One look at a child’s Lego village will show the company’s disdain for an integrated society.”

”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

“Such racial profiling is appalling...”

“Instead of addressing the contrasting themes, it chooses to ignore them.”

The column has some good points. Too bad it suffers from lazy journalism.

Like describing traditional minifigs as “aryan yellow”. Aryan. Yellow. Yeah, right.

And the columnist missed out on some other good discussion points:

1. Lego has recently introduced a system of racial minifigs. This isn’t a matter of “more” racial figs, it’s a whole new thing. Forced by the reality of having black and white characters in the Star Wars and Harry Potter themes.

2. Duplo figures have a long history of being racially mixed.

3. Every minifig is a stereotype, regardless of race. The supplied stories (ie, what comes in the sets) are truly limited in scope and can’t possibly model a balanced view of reality.

Here’s a challenge: what toy (system) would fit their requirements?

Steve


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:43:14 GMT
Viewed: 
1743 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

This is a humor piece, right?


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:56:33 GMT
Viewed: 
1798 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

This is a humor piece, right?

lol-- the ultimate smack critique:-)

I weep for the future.

JOHN


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 16:16:21 GMT
Viewed: 
1839 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, John Neal wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

This is a humor piece, right?

lol-- the ultimate smack critique:-)

I weep for the future.

JOHN

I suggest every single fan send them an email. I just did.

What a bunch of kooks.

Steven Weiser


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 16:19:29 GMT
Viewed: 
1843 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Steven D. Weiser wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, John Neal wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

This is a humor piece, right?

lol-- the ultimate smack critique:-)

I weep for the future.

JOHN

I suggest every single fan send them an email. I just did.

What a bunch of kooks.

Steven Weiser

Here is the email I sent to the boneheads.

Steven Weiser


Subj: Boycott Lego Date: 1/25/2005 11:09:16 AM Eastern Standard Time From: WsrSteven To: letters@dogstreetjournal.com



First, there is no plural for Lego.

Second, are you people thinking with a full deck?

The entire purpose for the yellow minifig heads was so that no one race was represented. Where the hell did you come up with the name “aryan yellow”? If they all had white skin and blonde hair, and blue eyes, then I would question this. The new colored heads represent real people or ficticious characters from the movies.

I am Jewish and proud of it, 42 years of age, and I still play with Lego.

And yes, I have met plenty of people of all races who also play with Lego with no thoughts that the company is racist.

Never for one moment did I ever think that the Lego Company was racist.

You need to get your heads out of your asses. I’m sick and tired of all this “political correct” BS.

Steven D. Weiser


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Followup-To: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 16:42:37 GMT
Viewed: 
1766 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

Holy s***. Youve got to be kidding. I KNEW this would happen eventually, what with the introduction of the flesh figs. But to think they’d target the themes themselves is really weird. Now, I don’t know the half of set designing, but I suspect they only go for the ‘stereotypical’ simply because kids’d like to play with it. I read a recent report somewhere about how school authorities were banning a story about a dolphin so that kids living near the sea wouldn’t feel bad. I’m afraid this isn’t the end of ‘Political correctness’.

Legoswami Samarth

FUT set to ot.debate


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 16:45:54 GMT
Viewed: 
1860 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Steven D. Weiser wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, John Neal wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

This is a humor piece, right?

lol-- the ultimate smack critique:-)

I weep for the future.

JOHN

I suggest every single fan send them an email. I just did.

What a bunch of kooks.

Admire the sentiment Steve, but you might be (if Eric is right and it IS a humour piece) playing right into their hands... they’ll collect the best/goofiest mail and publish it for the laughs.

Also, (referring to your next post) the use of profanity in letters that are trying to influence opinion may not be the best approach. Especially if it’s at all abusive, it will get the whole message filtered right out.


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 16:59:24 GMT
Viewed: 
1180 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Samarth Moray wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

Holy s***. Youve got to be kidding. I KNEW this would happen eventually, what with the introduction of the flesh figs. But to think they’d target the themes themselves is really weird. Now, I don’t know the half of set designing, but I suspect they only go for the ‘stereotypical’ simply because kids’d like to play with it. I read a recent report somewhere about how school authorities were banning a story about a dolphin so that kids living near the sea wouldn’t feel bad. I’m afraid this isn’t the end of ‘Political correctness’.

Well, let’s maintain some perspective, shall we? This is a campus newspaper, rather than a mainstream AP publication, right? And the article in question is an opinion column, as opposed to a work of research journalism. Honestly, I have a hard time believing that it’s even a serious piece. Do you get as upset when other “opinion journalists” such as Sean Hannity or Ann Coulter makes utterly preposterous claims?

Besides, if you’re interested in critiquing journalistic excellence, your time would be better served in examining why, for example, a single phony memo in an otherwise factual report is more important than the actual story of a terrible president who used his daddy’s connections to avoid military service. Or perhaps why the firing of four news producers is of greater historical significance than the revelation that a quarter-trillion dollar campaign to murder 100,000 civilians was based on nothing.

I’ll be interested to learn where your sense of journalistic outrage leads you.

Dave!


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:10:18 GMT
Viewed: 
1792 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

Actually, I think there are some good issues that are raised in this article.

  
Some highlights are:

“One look at a child’s Lego village will show the company’s disdain for an integrated society.”

There is some validity to the argument that yellow more closely represents light-skinned people. The author oversteps by calling it “Aryan yellow” to be sure, but this toy *was* made in a racially isolated part of the world. A factos that is important but that was not considered was the limited color pallette of Lego at the time, of course.

  
”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

The place this is most evident is the releasing of the NBA sets with black figures. I know these represent real people and that is why the decision was made - but it ruined the idea that yellow could represent people of color. Now we have brown heads for NBA players and one themed set, I believe. I loved a recent MOC that used the NBA players as pirates, but this was unofficial. So, yes, as a company, Lego has stereotyped the brown heads as basketball players and nothing else.

  
“Such racial profiling is appalling...”

I agree that the Ninja and Orient Expedition themes and particularly their “backstories” are racially insensitive.


“In an effort to avoid the conflicts of religious persecution, none of Lego’s sets involve themes of religious nature”

And I think this is a shame. Playmobil makes an Advent calendar that one can build a nativity diorama with - Lego makes one that you can make into a robot :P

Why not make an Advent calendar with religious symbols (actually, I think last year’s actually included an angel, which surprised me)? A menorah set might be a good idea too if the market supported it.

Should Lego, as a company, address these issues? Maybe. It might behoove them to consider these kinds of things so as to appeal to a wider market or to at least appear to be “with it” and aware of culture and change.

Anyway, I didn’t think the article was all bad. Simply accepting things “out of the box” is bad and I’m always glad to see things reasonably questioned.

-- Thomas Main thomasmain@myrealbox.com


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:33:28 GMT
Viewed: 
1291 times
  
   I’ll be interested to learn where your sense of journalistic outrage leads you.

Well, youre gonna have to choose another topic, I can’t lie and say I’m from the US, because I’m Indian. I’d rather not comment on matters I have partial/incomplete knowledge of in the first place; that’d be asking for trouble. So I’ll be diplomatic and not comment on this one. And indeed, if I *did* comment, I’d be hijacking this thread.

Legoswami Samarth


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:54:02 GMT
Viewed: 
1813 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Thomas Main wrote:
  
   ”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

The place this is most evident is the releasing of the NBA sets with black figures. I know these represent real people and that is why the decision was made - but it ruined the idea that yellow could represent people of color. Now we have brown heads for NBA players and one themed set, I believe. I loved a recent MOC that used the NBA players as pirates, but this was unofficial. So, yes, as a company, Lego has stereotyped the brown heads as basketball players and nothing else.

Keep in mind that caucasian NBA players were also included in flesh tone:
Steve Nash (Canada)
Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
Pau Gasol (Spain)
Tony Kukoc (Croatia)

... so I don’t believe the stereotype is in the NBA figs (although, they were a bad idea from inception. Less than half of the NBA licensed figs are still wearing the same uniform, and some are on their second new team already - what a mess).

The real problem came with Lando and the SW line in general, IMHO. Lando should have been a yellow fig, to match the rest of the line at that time, and to reinforce the idea that yellow was not synonymous with caucasian.

-nk


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:59:06 GMT
Viewed: 
1861 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Thomas Main wrote:
  
  
”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

The place this is most evident is the releasing of the NBA sets with black figures. I know these represent real people and that is why the decision was made - but it ruined the idea that yellow could represent people of color. Now we have brown heads for NBA players and one themed set, I believe. I loved a recent MOC that used the NBA players as pirates, but this was unofficial. So, yes, as a company, Lego has stereotyped the brown heads as basketball players and nothing else.


Well we do have a brown head in Star Wars sets for Lando and they are used in the new Spider Man sets as well, so they have broken way from just the NBA sets. But I do understand your point.

jt


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:03:14 GMT
Viewed: 
1777 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

To be honest, I was most upset by the title. Boycott? The article didn’t even call for a boycott. Nor do I think that the article’s voracity warranted one even in the eyes of the author. It seemed like the title was just meant to be attention grabbing. The points it raises are valid, but, I would argue, trivial. And Wild West sets? They came out close to a decade ago now.

Personally, I think that level of realism is only applicable to a few lines; particularly World City and Trains, which are more “day-in-the-life” models. Things like Alpha Team, Harry Potter, Adventurers, Knight’s Kingdom, etc, are all fantasy playthemes. They’re not MEANT to reflect “real life”. And (sadly) Lego is venturing more and more into these fantasy worlds, and less and less into the “real” themes. Not that I don’t want fantasy-themes! But their departure from “normal” themes is a bit disheartening. No houses, stores, schools, churches, malls, fix-it-shops, restaurants, etc. Only fire stations, police stations, and train stations. And occasionally “Bad Guy HQ!”.

DaveE


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:25:36 GMT
Viewed: 
1979 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

Some highlights are:

“One look at a child’s Lego village will show the company’s disdain for an integrated society.”

”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

“Such racial profiling is appalling...”

“Instead of addressing the contrasting themes, it chooses to ignore them.”

-Rob A>

Hm...well, first off, I think this guy Dan gots issues.

1) He didn’t do enough research to know how to say “Lego”..ie. “Legos”...

2) “Aryan Yellow”...that’s a leap of faith. White folks are no more yellow than black/African-American folks are yellow. There goes that thing called “imagination”... and has he even looked at the new sets (Spid

3) If he had done his checking up on Orient Expedition, the bad guy isn’t the Marahaja, it’s Sam Sinister... the Marahaja is just in cahoots with him, so we’ve got “aryan orientals” helping good guys (as guides) and bad guys... so, how is that racist?

4) as Dave E says...how does the title work into his “article”?


-Scott


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:28:07 GMT
Viewed: 
1858 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Brian Davis wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:

   http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

It’s always enlightening just how blind people can be. Either that author from my POV, or me from the POV of the author. Wow. Are we *sure* this isn’t satire?

   “One look at a child’s Lego village will show the company’s disdain for an integrated society.”

Yes, he mentions that all the LEGO minifigs are “aryan yellow”. Now *that’s* a new one to me - is that one of the official Crayola colors?

   ”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

Yet he praises the fact that there are now black minifigs in the NBA sets. And doesn’t, evidently, see this as stereotyping.

   “Instead of addressing the contrasting themes, it chooses to ignore them.”



Which the author *seems* to imply is a good thing. Sigh...

I’m still trying to convince my son that boys can be pilots too - his first LEGO plane had a female pilot, and from that point on all the pilots or drivers of his vehicals have always been female. This includes almost any sumobot I build (Ben gets to pick the drivers, I just build the hardware). Yes, curse LEGO for their racist, sexist views that are spoiling the next generation... excuse me, my book fire needs tending.


Brian, go get him an Alpha Team iceblade--Dash (male) is the pilot. Same with the Police helicopter..

-Scott


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:32:00 GMT
Viewed: 
1437 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Samarth Moray wrote:
  
   I’ll be interested to learn where your sense of journalistic outrage leads you.

Well, youre gonna have to choose another topic, I can’t lie and say I’m from the US, because I’m Indian. I’d rather not comment on matters I have partial/incomplete knowledge of in the first place; that’d be asking for trouble. So I’ll be diplomatic and not comment on this one. And indeed, if I *did* comment, I’d be hijacking this thread.

Legoswami Samarth

Samarth,

I’ve got to commend you on your level-headed maturity, especially for your young age, not just here, but in all things you’ve been posting on.

Send me your address privately-- I’ll send you a few Han Solo’s in carbonite--free of charge.

Scott Lyttle


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:53:50 GMT
Viewed: 
2157 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, James Trobaugh wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Thomas Main wrote:
  
  
”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

The place this is most evident is the releasing of the NBA sets with black figures. I know these represent real people and that is why the decision was made - but it ruined the idea that yellow could represent people of color. Now we have brown heads for NBA players and one themed set, I believe. I loved a recent MOC that used the NBA players as pirates, but this was unofficial. So, yes, as a company, Lego has stereotyped the brown heads as basketball players and nothing else.


Well we do have a brown head in Star Wars sets for Lando and they are used in the new Spider Man sets as well, so they have broken way from just the NBA sets. But I do understand your point.

jt

I think the official line is that anytime something is licensed, then the flesh-colored figures can be used. If you look at the Ferrari sets, the crew is yellow, but Barichello and Shumacher are flesh-colored. Spider-Man, Harry Potter, and Star Wars are all licensed products, just like Ferrari.

Now, I don’t know about Duplo...

But I’m of the personal belief that anybody can destroy anything if they want to--people read what they want into anything if they are incensed enough.

Just look at what’s going on in Lee County, Florida...

-Scott Lyttle


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 19:09:01 GMT
Viewed: 
1320 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Samarth Moray wrote:
  
   I’ll be interested to learn where your sense of journalistic outrage leads you.

Well, youre gonna have to choose another topic, I can’t lie and say I’m from the US, because I’m Indian. I’d rather not comment on matters I have partial/incomplete knowledge of in the first place; that’d be asking for trouble. So I’ll be diplomatic and not comment on this one. And indeed, if I *did* comment, I’d be hijacking this thread.

Hey, you’re not one of those non-native speakers of English, are you? Jeez, I wish you guys would wear distinctive hats, or something, so that we can tell you from those of us lucky enough to live under the Annointed Rule of the His Mighty Righteousness George W. Bush.

I’ve said it before, and I’m apparently inclined to say it again: so many non-native speakers of English on LUGNET (and in the world, I’d guess) speak/write much better than most of my American-born coworkers.

Anyway, I still think that the article is close to irrelevant, since it’s a small opinion piece in a college newspaper (even if it does turn out to be serious).

Dave!


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 21:39:03 GMT
Viewed: 
1797 times
(canceled)


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 22:15:03 GMT
Viewed: 
1772 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

Some highlights are:

“One look at a child’s Lego village will show the company’s disdain for an integrated society.”

”...minorities are often stereotyped.”

“Such racial profiling is appalling...”

“Instead of addressing the contrasting themes, it chooses to ignore them.”

-Rob A>

Wow. yet another poor, deluded schmoo in need of a life. I feel sorry for this fellow. I mean one has to have a pretty lousy outlook on life to be spending it trying to find racism in the commercial world and stil manage to miss so blatantly. Some people read way to much into product lines.. In fact, most “racism” and “sexism” which is found in commercial products is no such thing, rather it is more likely to be an oversight. There are exceptions of course, Victoria’s Secret and a few others with extremely specific hiring policies and limited product lines (Victoria’s Secret has a publicly posted Female only hiring policy and a product line which doesn’t extend beyond something like a size 12), yet few to no attacks are levied at them. One could even mention a truly cheesy prejudice such as UPS has against beards. I myself was turned down by UPS for an IT (non customer facing) position because I have a beard.


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 23:53:50 GMT
Viewed: 
1853 times
  
Hello!


Political correctness leads to silliness.


Bye
Jojo


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 26 Jan 2005 01:05:43 GMT
Viewed: 
1372 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:
   In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Samarth Moray wrote:
  
   I’ll be interested to learn where your sense of journalistic outrage leads you.

Well, youre gonna have to choose another topic, I can’t lie and say I’m from the US, because I’m Indian. I’d rather not comment on matters I have partial/incomplete knowledge of in the first place; that’d be asking for trouble. So I’ll be diplomatic and not comment on this one. And indeed, if I *did* comment, I’d be hijacking this thread.

Hey, you’re not one of those non-native speakers of English, are you? Jeez, I wish you guys would wear distinctive hats, or something, so that we can tell you from those of us lucky enough to live under the Annointed Rule of the His Mighty Righteousness George W. Bush.

I’ve said it before, and I’m apparently inclined to say it again: so many non-native speakers of English on LUGNET (and in the world, I’d guess) speak/write much better than most of my American-born coworkers.

Anyway, I still think that the article is close to irrelevant, since it’s a small opinion piece in a college newspaper (even if it does turn out to be serious).

Dave!

English is an official language of India, has been for many, many years. That’s ‘native’, as in ‘native speaker’ But, I aside from the minor nitpick, I agree 100%!

Tim (Smith)


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 26 Jan 2005 03:54:18 GMT
Viewed: 
1365 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Timothy P. Smith wrote:

   English is an official language of India, has been for many, many years.

Actually, Hindi is the official language of India, but English is spoken just as much here.

Legoswami Samarth


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 26 Jan 2005 04:12:34 GMT
Viewed: 
1332 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Samarth Moray wrote:
  
   I’ll be interested to learn where your sense of journalistic outrage leads you.

Well, youre gonna have to choose another topic, I can’t lie and say I’m from the US, because I’m Indian. I’d rather not comment on matters I have partial/incomplete knowledge of in the first place; that’d be asking for trouble. So I’ll be diplomatic and not comment on this one. And indeed, if I *did* comment, I’d be hijacking this thread.

Legoswami Samarth

Wow! Yours is the most reasonable post I can remember reading in .debate. Thank you for staying on topic and not feeding the troll. You hit the ball out of the park! (American baseball expression)

-Erik


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Wed, 26 Jan 2005 04:39:02 GMT
Viewed: 
1929 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, John Neal wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

This is a humor piece, right?

lol-- the ultimate smack critique:-)

I weep for the future.

I meant, it would not be out of place in The Onion. Headlines: “Lego Minifigs Aryan Yellow! Spoon Violence Follows Knife Ban!”

-Erik


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 26 Jan 2005 05:04:29 GMT
Viewed: 
1345 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:

   Hey, you’re not one of those non-native speakers of English, are you? Jeez,

No, I’m 100%, born, bred, living Asian Indian (to distinguish from Native American tribes)

   I wish you guys would wear distinctive hats

Wouldn’t that be discrimination? ;-)

   Anyway, I still think that the article is close to irrelevant, since it’s a small opinion piece in a college newspaper (even if it does turn out to be serious).

Serious or not, irrelevent or not, the fact is that people will read it and their general impressions about lego (or ‘legos’) will be tarnished. Unless of course, they are smart enough and can see through the inconsistencies that were pointed out in this thread.

Legoswami Samarth


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Wed, 26 Jan 2005 05:51:33 GMT
Viewed: 
1927 times
  
In lugnet.mediawatch, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, John Neal wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.mediawatch, Rob Antonishen wrote:
   Published in the DoG Street Journal, a student paper at the College of William and Mary:

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282

This is a humor piece, right?

lol-- the ultimate smack critique:-)

I weep for the future.

I meant, it would not be out of place in The Onion. Headlines: “Lego Minifigs Aryan Yellow! Spoon Violence Follows Knife Ban!”

Except that those headlines are funny. This piece is pathetic.

The bottom line is that the quality of writing and thinking displayed in this paper is worthy of a 12 year old, satire or no. William & Mary? Pleh. I weep.

JOHN


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 26 Jan 2005 14:07:08 GMT
Viewed: 
1471 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Erik Olson wrote:
   In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Samarth Moray wrote:
  
   I’ll be interested to learn where your sense of journalistic outrage leads you.

Well, youre gonna have to choose another topic, I can’t lie and say I’m from the US, because I’m Indian. I’d rather not comment on matters I have partial/incomplete knowledge of in the first place; that’d be asking for trouble. So I’ll be diplomatic and not comment on this one. And indeed, if I *did* comment, I’d be hijacking this thread.

Legoswami Samarth

Wow! Yours is the most reasonable post I can remember reading in .debate. Thank you for staying on topic and not feeding the troll. You hit the ball out of the park! (American baseball expression)

Yeah, I guess I can see how a discussion of trivial outrage inspired by a perceived failure of journalism is completely distinct from serious outrage inspired by an actual, systemic failure of journalism. Sorry to blur these two obviously unrelated issues.

Good call, Erik!

Dave!


Subject: 
Re: Lego called Racist - "Boycott Legos [sic]"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.mediawatch
Date: 
Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:07:17 GMT
Viewed: 
2222 times
  
<http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2282>

Wow, Just wow.
The author of the paper didn't do much research, that's for sure!  Aryan yellow?
LOL!

I'm not the biggest fan of LEGO since You-Know-What-Issue-I'm-Talking-About, but
to call LEGO racist is way off target.  LEGO does have some issues with gender
and race representation in their product lines, but not that serious.  And I'm
not saying in any way they are discriminating.  I'm, sure it's mainly a target
market thing.

Anyway, the author has invented a funny color...  Aryan-Yellow.  With
Bluish-Gray, Reddish-Brown, we only need funny names for red, blue, white and
black to complete the palette!

Any suggestions?
How about Communist-Red ?

Terry


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