Doris Moore’s seven year-old daughter did not understand a racial slur affixed to the packaging label of a newly delivered sofa. The sofa was purchased as part of a set that included a loveseat and chair. All three items bore the offensive label. The Toronto Star recounts the heart-wrenching discovery:
“She’s very curious and she started reading the labels,” Moore explained. “She said, `Mommy, what is nig … ger brown?’ I went over and just couldn’t believe my eyes.”
After explaining the slur’s meaning to her daughter, Doris tried to pry a well-deserved explanation from Vanaik Furniture and Mattress, the store that sold the seating set. Despite three messages, the store refused to return her calls.
The store’s Assistant Manager apologized when found by the Canadian press and promised to check his remaining stock for similar offenses, but placed the blame squarely with his supplier. The supplier promised to contact his Chinese manufacturer and “demand they remove all similar labels.”
The demand is appreciated, but we want to know if the unnamed Chinese manufacturer shipped merchandise bearing offensive labels to other stores, or if the incident is limited to one Canadian family and their seven year-old daughter. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Racial slur on sofa label stuns family [Toronto Star] (Thanks to J and Fred)
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I really wouldn’t mind having a sofa set in the colour ‘Injun Red’. lol that’d be cute. This whole ‘nigger-brown’ situation sounds like a poor translation issue to moi. Although, using a ‘far-away’ country as a scapegoat for a ‘misprinted label’ should work fine as long as the woman has no further follow-up questions. hahaha that’s great. The lost-in-translation bit.
As for the “where are they now?” question about past slavery, well for Blacks they are now living side by side with White people, financially and socially. You think past slavery has hurt them as a nation? Apparently not. But hell, that doesn’t stop them all from being urban hip-hop lovers, does it? That was sarcasm lol. If you’re going to talk slavery, even the Chinese, who are the entire reason you and that other guy (who just continues to prove you wrong so you strike back) are arguing, were enslaved. Everyone was. Slaves are used to this very day, both for labor and sex fetish needs. What’s your point? You can not put a degree on “who was hurt more” by slavery no more than you can choose which death out of two fathers is worse.
And dbeahn, there is a clear difference with the whole context of use of the “n-word” or whatever. Why can’t you get that?
You said “The simple fact is this: by teaching that this word is not to be used, but that it’s OK that African Americans use it, we are teaching racism.” Teaching? Why the hell would you be teaching others about the word in the first place? How about we all just not use the word in the first place. It all depends on the context, my Conservative friend. White people can say it, and some do, be it a racially confused adolescent or a “klan” member. Doesn’t matter what colour you are – it all depends on context! “Hey what’s up nigga” sounds a lot different than “Ima hang you nigger”, doesn’t it? It’s as simple as that.
OK, say your white friend says, seriously, “we’re all a bunch of white trailer trash wife-beating inbreeding rednecks”, while referring to him and you. Now would this sound the same as a black friend saying, “you’re all a bunch of white trailer trash wife-beating inbreeding rednecks”, referring to you while being as just serious as the white friend? Say what you will, but you’d probably have a lil hissy fit, whitey
See the way it works?
Why don’t we all just go and ask a black person this question: “when, if possible, can I use the word nigger”.
Jerry Stout, you don’t even deserve a response. What you said was just thoughtless and a stereotype so admit it, accept it, and embrace it. You’re a shame to us real natives.
I find the whole Imus situation amusing too ^.^
@mrcalico: What I find so amusing with the Imus thing is that two of the most outspoken people (Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton) have made numerous racist remarks publically themselves.
And I wasn’t teaching a child to use that word – the black children had already taught him. I had to teach him that HE couldn’t use the word because he wasn’t black.
So tell me, what would you do in that situation? NOT teach him that non-blacks shouldn’t use that word?
Yes, I get the context thing – which is my whole point. This woman is *offended* by clearly innocent and likely accidental context.
If it was a friend? No, I wouldn’t be pissed – cause if he’s hanging out with us, I’d be able to look at him and say “You’re a black trailer-trash wife beating s**tneck, that’s why ya fit right in!” The key, of course, is that this is my friend saying it. Some random stranger, on the other hand, would prolly get his ass kicked. Again, it’s the context.
Hey, I just opened my pantry and found a box with the word “CRACKER” written across it! Whom do I call?!?
Come on, the sofa was from China. Nobody at the factory that made the thing:
1. …understands what the fuss would be about- As Daniel Rutter says, it’s probably a direct translation from French.
2. …has any interest in addressing the issue.
3. …even cares.
Just tear the lable off, throw it a way and get a life!
My only question about all this is who reads those tags? To my knowledge they’re underneath the furniture or in some other out of the way place so they don’t detract from the look. If it’s under the sofa I kind of doubt a curious child will be tipping a brand new sofa over to read a label without a parent stopping them.
Seriously, I don’t see what the fuss is.
I agree that “nigger-brown” probably resulted from that lovely fractured language we call Engrish and that there was absolutely no malice in it.
[insert comment relating to Latin word niger meaning black, possible spelling error as one may expect from non-English speaking people.]
To be honest though, the idea of the “n-word” (which is a silly enough phrase as it is. We all know exactly which word it refers to, so how is it any less offensive in that form?) changing meaning depending on it’s context is ridiculous. Someone mentioned earlier how there’s such a difference between “what’s up my nigga” and something about a lynching.
If anyone approached me and uttered that phrase, they’d get quite the verbal bashing. It’s not a term of endearment or familiarity, it’s a bastardised version of the dreaded n-word of DOOM.
[/facetiousness]
And as for the African-American thing… Way to segregate! Go America, go! Political correctness taken a bit too far, I feel. Why? Overhearing an American tourist describe me (I’m Aboriginal for the record) as an “Australian-African-American”.
Sure thing, buddy.
I’m neither African nor American. But hey, one out of three isn’t too bad, right?
However, the term “African-American” is for the most part, inaccurate. I’d love to see how many of the 30-something million black people living in the US of damn A were born in Africa. I’d be willing to put money on the fact that it’s not the majority.
I think it’s about time to stop dancing around the political correctness banner and perhaps find another racial term to identify with.
Now let’s see… Black has been done, and it sounds a bit dull…
I know! Let’s just use the Latin word for black!
Niger? Oh damn. Back to square one.
…Oh yeah. The couch. Lady, get over it, it’s just a sofa. Start calling it honkey or cracker if it makes you feel better.