Race row after Afro washing up sponges go on sale

[jobeterob]

Race row after Afro washing up sponges go on sale

By Tom Gardner
PUBLISHED: 19:20 GMT, 26 April 2012 | UPDATED: 19:35 GMT, 26 April 2012
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A company behind a new range of Afro style washing up sponges has been slammed for being racist.
Campaigners have attacked British makers Paladone for its latest range of dish cleaning products which caricatures black soul legend Diana Ross as having a brillo pad for a hairstyle.
The offending items, which have just gone on sale across the UK, have been likened to reproducing golliwogs or the Black and White Minstrels by reinforcing negative stereotypes.
'Negative stereotypes': The range of dish washing products have been branded racist

The Unite Against Fascism general secretary Weyman Bennett said: ‘What are we going to have next, toilet brushes like that?
‘This is not appropriate for the 21st century to show images like that. It reinforces negative stereotypes and ideas.




‘Although it’s aimed at being humorous, sometimes it’s not funny.

'We’ve spent 40 years removing racist imagery out of general politics, removing golly wogs, removing black and white minstrels, and it would be a shame if it crept back in.

Anger: The cleaning brushes 'were not appropriate for the 21st century', campaigners said
Mr Bennett, who has been campaigning for almost thirty years, warned: ‘It opens the door for people to produce racial stereotypes and that’s not something we want to see in our society.
Offence: Unite Against Fascism's Weyman Bennett slammed the makers for reinforcing 'negative stereotypes'
'We’ve worked very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.
‘That’s can’t be a positive thing in the 21st centry that we are using images that were really invented in periods of slavery and discrimination.'
Aiming a stinging attack directly at the company behind the products and called on them to be take off the supermarket shelves.
Mr Weyman said: ‘They need to think again. Is there no way they can come up with positive views of people without just using negative views of black people.
‘Trying to compare black people’s to brillo pads is not a really positive image – it’s not appropriate.'
Paladone said the range had been a phenomenal success since hitting the shelves.
But its attempts to give the humble cleaning implement a funky 70s disco makeover seems to have backfired.

A company spokesman said: ‘Our range of four washing up sponges are designed to make an everyday chore like washing up more fun.
‘The Disco, Beehive, Punk and Diva have sold hundreds of thousands of pieces. They have been a phenomenal success.’
Each, priced at up to £8, are currently on sale in the UK.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2135711/Theyre-exactly-politically-correct-Race-row-Afro-washing-sponges-sale.html#ixzz1tCur5XZz

[jobeterob]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2135711/Theyre-exactly-politically-correct-Race-row-Afro-washing-sponges-sale.html

What do you think of this?

[carlo]

Someone on this forum [[I can't remember who), had posted a photo of this washing sponge a little while ago. They mentioned how they had found it in a store and thought it was funny. When I saw the photo, I didn't think anything of it and didn't think of it as racist. I thought it was cute. But that's just me...:confused:

[soulster]

Fine. If it's not intended to be racist, they will add a white guy with a red afro. A lot of White guys wore afros in the 70s too. They will also make mops with long, stringy hair. If they do those two things, they are off the hook.

[stopinthenameoflove]

Fine. If it's not intended to be racist, they will add a white guy with a red afro. A lot of White guys wore afros in the 70s too. They will also make mops with long, stringy hair. If they do those two things, they are off the hook.

They do include white people on their range:
4808

[carlo]

Good find, stopinthenameoflove. It proves that they weren't aiming to be racist. At least I don't think so.

[kenneth]

It appears they modified the packaging for "Diana Wash" to be "Diva." If this was the US, I would guess Ms. Ross had threatened them with an "unauthorized use of image" copyright infringement action, what we usually call a "cease and desist" order. The most famous of these was a product [[in fact I think it was used to clean toilets!) called the "Here's Johnny!" back in the 70s, which obviously evoked Ed McMahon's famous intro of Johnny Carson every evening on the "Tonight" show.

I'd be interested to know if something like that prompted the redesign.

On the other hand, these are hilarious kitschy items and I want a whole set!

[tamla617]

they look good.cant see a problem really i wouldnt call it anything but a funny item.

[144man]

It seems like good, clean fun.

[mysterysinger]

Had a Diva one bought me well over 12 months ago [[they know I like Motown). It's so good I haven't had the heart to use it, but there's a huge pile of washing up waiting to be done now!

[jobeterob]

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'Afro Sponges' For Sale: Racist or Cute?
By: Jenée Desmond-Harris | Posted: May 1, 2012

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PalodoneBritish company Paldone has some cleaning up to do, after experiencing backlash against its effort to give some dish sponges funky 1970s disco makeovers. Just released in the US and the UK, the company says they've been a "phenomenal success" since hitting the shelves. But not everyone is thrilled.

The Daily Mail reports that protestors have attacked the manufacturer for its latest line of products, which include a caricature of soul legend Diana Ross, with a brillo pad for hair, and an accompanying male sponge/figurine labeled "King of Disco." The offending items [[Check out more photos here), according to Unite Against Fascism's Weymen Bennet, are problematic because, "trying to compare black people to brillo pads is not really a positive image."

"That can’t be a positive thing in the 21st century that we are using images that were really invented in periods of slavery and discrimination," he added.

A company spokesman responded to the controversy by saying, "Our range of four washing up sponges are designed to make an everyday chore like washing up more fun.

But they're not Bennet's idea of a good time. The kitchen implements "open the door for people to produce racial stereotypes and that’s not something we want to see in our society," he told the Daily Mail.

But, wait. It's Dianna Ross, not Aunt Jemima! So, what exactly is the negative stereotype we're worried about here? It's not as if black people worldwide are battling a nasty reputation for flipping upside down and washing dishes with their hair while wearing disco attire. Not to mention, the ability to grow hair into an Afro -- yes, even one that resembles a brillo pad -- isn't actually a bad thing. Add to that that the company also says i' makes" Beehive," "Punk," and" Diva" models -- which we assume are not black -- and we at The Root are going to make en executive decision not to worry about kitschy sponges today. At all. What about you? Let us know in the comments.

[soulster]

Clearly, there are many people who believe that we are at the point where we can make light of past stereotypes. Perhaps some are, but out society, as a whole, are not. They persist. Black kids in school are still ridiculed for having hair like a brillo pad, wide noses and "big lips", have white kids rubbing their heads for "good luck", making insulting remarks about fries chicken, watermelon, and being criminals. People still cross the street when they see a Black person. White [[and Latinas still clutch their purses when a Black person comes around, and it's still assumed that most Black people live on welfare, drink and do drugs, and are sexually promiscuous.

Until these stereotypes, and others, go away, it will never be OK for a product like this. I said in an earlier post that it would not be so bad if they also had white caricatures, and they do, but most of them are of Black people, and I assume that those are the ones that are the biggest sellers.

[jobeterob]

I'm sure glad Canada avoids the worst excesses of the USA. But we definitely still have our prejudices as well.

[kenneth]

I'm sure glad Canada avoids the worst excesses of the USA. But we definitely still have our prejudices as well.

Hmmm...why the unnecessary swipe at the US? These products were from the UK anyway.

[jobeterob]

Wasn't a swipe really, because we'll all run to the USA if we need protection but Canada doesn't have the level of guns, execute it's own people [[who are generally the poor and minorities), and generally I think doesn't have the level of racism that is present in the USA; nor does Japan or most of the Western European countries.

[uptight]

In one regard they look kinda cool, reminiscent of the spongy microphone windscreen. But what happens when they get worn from scrubbing. Will they look like "Buckwheat?" Not cool. At least removed Diana's name on the diva version.

[soulster]

Wasn't a swipe really, because we'll all run to the USA if we need protection but Canada doesn't have the level of guns, execute it's own people [[who are generally the poor and minorities), and generally I think doesn't have the level of racism that is present in the USA; nor does Japan or most of the Western European countries.

If there is racism against Blacks in other countries, they learned it from the American Whites who taught them. There's an old saying that the first words the southeast Asians learned when they stepped off the boat in the 70s was "n****r".

Ken, certainly, the U.S. does not have a lock on all those things Rob mentioned, but we are pretty bad. With all our faults, there are worse countries out there. But, it is healthy to criticize what you think is wrong no matter where it is.

[kenneth]

If there is racism against Blacks in other countries, they learned it from the American Whites who taught them. There's an old saying that the first words the southeast Asians learned when they stepped off the boat in the 70s was "n****r".

Ken, certainly, the U.S. does not have a lock on all those things Rob mentioned, but we are pretty bad. With all our faults, there are worse countries out there. But, it is healthy to criticize what you think is wrong no matter where it is.

I totally agree, but compared to the US isn't Canada a largely homogenous country outside of its very large cities? I'm never sure what prompts Jobeterob to wax philosophical this way but it seems to be for the purpose of stirring up something. It's kind of an odd subject for this board in general, or especially this thread in particular.

[R. Mark Desjardins]

Apart from the skin color, I feel that the manufacturers of The "King Of DIsco' have appropriated my image for commercial exploitation without my authorized consent and I am contemplating taking civil action.

[kenneth]

Wow! Is that really you? Love the outfit. I do remember platform shoes with the bell bottoms so long that they would completely hide the heel, like in the photo.

I think you absolutely should sue!

[R. Mark Desjardins]

Yes, this is really me. There is really cool vest under the short jacket. I had to do a shuffle on the shoes not to fall flat on my face. Now I know why Mae West strutted the way she did. Needless to say, disco dancin' in them mules was a dangerous activity. Sorry for having the 2 pixs up. I've submitted the smaller reduced one but can't seem to be able to delete the bigger one. My apologies.

[kenneth]

That shirt looks like it might be a Nik-Nik. Do you remember those? They were really expensive for back then, I think maybe when I bought one it was $39 which was a lot to pay for a shirt! Mine had a horse on it. They still show up on Ebay now and then, it's really fun to see the designs. They were quite unique.

[jobeterob]

This is something put out by a company using the image of one of the most recognizable singers in the world ~ a famous Motown star ~ so it is worthy of seeing the item and reading about the issue. It's not stirring up anything; not even sure it's philosophical. It's just life, isn't it?

[kenneth]

This is something put out by a company using the image of one of the most recognizable singers in the world ~ a famous Motown star ~ so it is worthy of seeing the item and reading about the issue. It's not stirring up anything; not even sure it's philosophical. It's just life, isn't it?

You're being disingenuous. You know what I was referring to. It was not the products in the photo.

[jobeterob]

I'm not being disingeuous, obtuse, stunned or anything..........I haven't a clue what you are referring to.

Some people suggest this is racist; to me, I see the point; I don't think it's a strong one, but I see the point. And I'm not one of the people who always want to call out people for being racist. This is a relatively small matter.

I can't imagine Diana didn't get paid.

Is there more to this? Tell me privately if you want cuz I don't see it.

[David J]

Diana Ross Afro Dish Sponge controversy


www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik37_DP-nwQ [[http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3Dik37_DP-nwQ&ct=ga&cad=CAcQAhgAIAEoBDABOABA6Lat_QRIAVgAYgJlbg&cd=5Ud1DcmvBmY&usg=AFQjCNH8BmoIb0zz9Fe7Mw_rUVx4otd8DQ)

[stephanie]

This is funny I think they are cute!