Comments for Dolls of Color http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog Reflections of a Human Sized World Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:36:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Token Color – BB Model 05 & SiS RW Grace by Willyssa http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/token-color-bb-model-05-sis-rw-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-94604 Willyssa Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:36:11 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=762#comment-94604 Yes, every ethnicity does eventually go back to Africa. Understanding this then you should not only include Native Americans as Asian. Many other cultures were still migrating the world after my ancestors walked this land. Ask any Native American today and you will get the same reply - we are not Asian. What about Australians? Polynesian? Latin Americans? And even some of the Asian cultures you mention? They arrived where they are much later than Native Americans in the worlds history of migration. I am native and my family and ancestors have always been proud of our culture and race even though others have always tried to diminish and eradicate our culture; we are still here. We are native and that's that. And since we are talking about dolls here; they just don't make enough Native American dolls in a regular play line besides the Collector's - how about a regular friend of Barbie! :) Yes, every ethnicity does eventually go back to Africa. Understanding this then you should not only include Native Americans as Asian. Many other cultures were still migrating the world after my ancestors walked this land. Ask any Native American today and you will get the same reply – we are not Asian. What about Australians? Polynesian? Latin Americans? And even some of the Asian cultures you mention? They arrived where they are much later than Native Americans in the worlds history of migration.

I am native and my family and ancestors have always been proud of our culture and race even though others have always tried to diminish and eradicate our culture; we are still here. We are native and that’s that.

And since we are talking about dolls here; they just don’t make enough Native American dolls in a regular play line besides the Collector’s – how about a regular friend of Barbie! :)

]]> Comment on Token Color – BB Model 05 & SiS RW Grace by Therese http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/token-color-bb-model-05-sis-rw-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-94377 Therese Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:29:06 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=762#comment-94377 Native Americans do not have "recent" Asian origins but they did come from Asia tens of thousands of years ago, and in terms of the age of modern humans, that's actually quite recent. Or would you prefer that I refer to all people as Africans since all humans originate from Africa including Asians AND Native Americans. Native Americans do not have “recent” Asian origins but they did come from Asia tens of thousands of years ago, and in terms of the age of modern humans, that’s actually quite recent. Or would you prefer that I refer to all people as Africans since all humans originate from Africa including Asians AND Native Americans.

]]> Comment on Token Color – BB Model 05 & SiS RW Grace by Willyssa http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/token-color-bb-model-05-sis-rw-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-94358 Willyssa Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:08:30 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=762#comment-94358 Please stop referring to or categorizing Native Americans as Asian. We are not Asian. WE are a distinct people and totally different culture. It is disrespectful. Thank you. Please stop referring to or categorizing Native Americans as Asian. We are not Asian. WE are a distinct people and totally different culture. It is disrespectful. Thank you.

]]> Comment on Barbie Fashionistas (Future Playline Dolls?) by Lex http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/barbie-fashionistas-future-playline-dolls/comment-page-1/#comment-93215 Lex Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:03:08 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=373#comment-93215 Trying to find the one called "sassy" but can't... Soooo excited to see such posable dolls just wish there was a paler skinned one :( x Trying to find the one called “sassy” but can’t…

Soooo excited to see such posable dolls just wish there was a paler skinned one :( x

]]> Comment on Pale Skin & Black Hair – For Fun by Lex http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2010/pale-skin-dark-hair-for-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-93213 Lex Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:58:39 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=922#comment-93213 Where can I buy her? anybody know? x Where can I buy her? anybody know? x

]]> Comment on The Eye Colours of Black Dolls by Linda http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/the-eye-colours-of-black-dolls/comment-page-1/#comment-92247 Linda Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:51:10 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=526#comment-92247 I think lavendar eyes are great! Let's have fun and fantasize. But let's not miss the point here!Black or Afrocentric beauty has not been embraced historically and still is not fully imbraced on a social/media level. To be more exact, Eurocentric beauty has been and still is considered the standard of beauty in many parts of the world. I am not saying Eurocentric features should not be attractive, but I am saying that it should not be considered the standard in an area that *should* be naturally subjective but sadly isn't. Instead, it is programmed and ingrained in our everyday life so much that many of us don't see it. And we don't see how it can affect our attitudes about things...even the eyes of brown barbie dolls. Some ideas of beauty are so ingrained in us, that even well- meaning people fail to realize it. So they say "why are you complaining about the lavendar or blue eyes on the brown barbie??" Or "My family has hazel eyes and we are colored so what is the big deal?" The big deal in my opinion is that we are promoting the idea that the less Afrocentric you are, the more beautiful. That is the core of the issue in my opinion. It's tricky because you don't want to come off as anti -Eurocentric, or anti "eye diversity". At the same time, you want to address the issue at the core. Having brown toned barbie dolls is great! But if we want to teach our little brown girls to accept themselves, we should accept real traits as well. To say brown eyes may be less marketable may be true..but that IS a symptom of the problem. Like being Afrocentric all-around is too dangerous. Like...if she is going to be brown skinned she needs to have colorful eyes at least! In the end, I think the blue, green, hazel eyes are not the "issue". It's the lack of brown eyes or the lack of prominence of brown eyes, considering black girls will have dark brown eyes over 90% of the time. WE should change societal attitudes and allow them to fall in love with themselves. Not teach them to love themselves, but still understand that they actually are not as good. These are just my 2 cents out of a hundred... Thanks for the topic! I think lavendar eyes are great! Let’s have fun and fantasize. But let’s not miss the point here!Black or Afrocentric beauty has not been embraced historically and still is not fully imbraced on a social/media level. To be more exact, Eurocentric beauty has been and still is considered the standard of beauty in many parts of the world. I am not saying Eurocentric features should not be attractive, but I am saying that it should not be considered the standard in an area that *should* be naturally subjective but sadly isn’t. Instead, it is programmed and ingrained in our everyday life so much that many of us don’t see it. And we don’t see how it can affect our attitudes about things…even the eyes of brown barbie dolls.

Some ideas of beauty are so ingrained in us, that even well- meaning people fail to realize it. So they say “why are you complaining about the lavendar or blue eyes on the brown barbie??” Or “My family has hazel eyes and we are colored so what is the big deal?”

The big deal in my opinion is that we are promoting the idea that the less Afrocentric you are, the more beautiful. That is the core of the issue in my opinion. It’s tricky because you don’t want to come off as anti -Eurocentric, or anti “eye diversity”. At the same time, you want to address the issue at the core. Having brown toned barbie dolls is great! But if we want to teach our little brown girls to accept themselves, we should accept real traits as well. To say brown eyes may be less marketable may be true..but that IS a symptom of the problem. Like being Afrocentric all-around is too dangerous. Like…if she is going to be brown skinned she needs to have colorful eyes at least!
In the end, I think the blue, green, hazel eyes are not the “issue”. It’s the lack of brown eyes or the lack of prominence of brown eyes, considering black girls will have dark brown eyes over 90% of the time. WE should change societal attitudes and allow them to fall in love with themselves. Not teach them to love themselves, but still understand that they actually are not as good.
These are just my 2 cents out of a hundred… Thanks for the topic!

]]> Comment on The Eye Colours of Black Dolls by Linda http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/the-eye-colours-of-black-dolls/comment-page-1/#comment-92244 Linda Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:31:11 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=526#comment-92244 I am currently doing a powerpoint on self esteems for adolescent black females and was lucky to come across this site! This response that raved and ranted about Africans vs. African diaspora is so misleading! None of us can speak for a group as a whole, but I can deifnitely say that "these issues" addressed in the blog or atleast the concept of sufficient and accurate representation of one's image (be it barbie, or beauty in general) affects people of all backgrounds. And Sub-Saharan Africans are no different (yep lumping them all in) Little indigenus, black African girls can benefit from informational blogs like this, because their parents can gain access to dolls that look like their kids. When I grew up in Cameroon..I surely enjoyed my dolls and was puzzled when my uncle got me a white one!! Image matters, representation matters and you can't try to claim that "these black minorities in America" are the only ones "worrying" about these things. Regardless of where you are from or what racial, social, economic, academic etc etc group you identify with, you shouldn't put another group down to uplift yourself. And you shouldn't attack harmless, informational mediums like this to make a point that isn't appropriate or accurate. Also, you can be proud of who you are but acknowledge that there are attitudes in society that don't reflect your esteem or the esteem you feel other more vulnerable people experience. I am a first generation Cameroonian American. I am proud to be black, proud to be African and proud to be me period. But I also acknowledge that there are attitudes in society that we have to address! I am currently doing a powerpoint on self esteems for adolescent black females and was lucky to come across this site! This response that raved and ranted about Africans vs. African diaspora is so misleading! None of us can speak for a group as a whole, but I can deifnitely say that “these issues” addressed in the blog or atleast the concept of sufficient and accurate representation of one’s image (be it barbie, or beauty in general) affects people of all backgrounds. And Sub-Saharan Africans are no different (yep lumping them all in) Little indigenus, black African girls can benefit from informational blogs like this, because their parents can gain access to dolls that look like their kids. When I grew up in Cameroon..I surely enjoyed my dolls and was puzzled when my uncle got me a white one!! Image matters, representation matters and you can’t try to claim that “these black minorities in America” are the only ones “worrying” about these things.
Regardless of where you are from or what racial, social, economic, academic etc etc group you identify with, you shouldn’t put another group down to uplift yourself. And you shouldn’t attack harmless, informational mediums like this to make a point that isn’t appropriate or accurate.
Also, you can be proud of who you are but acknowledge that there are attitudes in society that don’t reflect your esteem or the esteem you feel other more vulnerable people experience. I am a first generation Cameroonian American. I am proud to be black, proud to be African and proud to be me period. But I also acknowledge that there are attitudes in society that we have to address!

]]> Comment on What Happened to the Olmec Corporation? by CHERYL CATCHINGS http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/what-happened-to-the-olmec-corporation/comment-page-1/#comment-91339 CHERYL CATCHINGS Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:48:21 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=703#comment-91339 As an adult, I purchased two Olmec dolls back in the 80's because they were so pretty and nicely dressed. They were small dolls and there was one for every day of the week, and that was the name for each doll. I have Tuesday and Wednesday and was unable to find dolls for the remaining days of the week. Thanks to all of you for the updates on the company. I will rap my dolls up and put them away. If any of you is able to locate a pretty, brown doll, please post the information. I surely would love to purchase some for my granddaughter. As an adult, I purchased two Olmec dolls back in the 80′s because they were so pretty and nicely dressed. They were small dolls and there was one for every day of the week, and that was the name for each doll. I have Tuesday and Wednesday and was unable to find dolls for the remaining days of the week. Thanks to all of you for the updates on the company. I will rap my dolls up and put them away. If any of you is able to locate a pretty, brown doll, please post the information. I surely would love to purchase some for my granddaughter.

]]> Comment on Finally! An (East) Asian Ken Doll! by free stuff without surveys http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2010/finally-an-east-asian-ken-doll/comment-page-1/#comment-89144 free stuff without surveys Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:25:10 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=980#comment-89144 Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for the post above and for Finally! An (East) Asian Ken Doll! Dolls of Color. It is an incredible read. Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for the post above and for Finally! An (East) Asian Ken Doll! Dolls of Color. It is an incredible read.

]]> Comment on Random Doll – India Barbie 2nd Edition by Danielle http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/2009/random-doll-india-barbie-14451/comment-page-1/#comment-87319 Danielle Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:15:25 +0000 http://www.dollsofcolor.org/blog/?p=44#comment-87319 I love her! She's the doll that started my adult collection. I thought she was gorgeous and unlike any Barbie I had seen. Ten years later she looks really dated but I still have a place in my heart for her! I love her! She’s the doll that started my adult collection. I thought she was gorgeous and unlike any Barbie I had seen. Ten years later she looks really dated but I still have a place in my heart for her!

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