Black Barbie Sold for Less Than White Barbie at Walmart Store

[Generic Other]

<snip>
Walmart is raising eyebrows after cutting the price of a black Barbie doll to nearly half of that of the doll's white counterpart at one store and possibly others.

A photo first...shows packages of Mattel's Ballerina Barbie and Ballerina Teresa dolls hanging side by side at an unidentified store. The Teresa dolls, which feature brown skin and dark hair, are marked as being on sale at $3.00. The Barbies to the right of the Teresa dolls, meanwhile, retain their original price of $5.93. The dolls look identical aside from their color.

<snip>

Decades after segregation and the civil rights movement, studies show Americans -- both black and white -- continue to internalize the heirarchical notion that lighter skin tone is considered "better than" darker, Wade said.

One landmark study revealing color hierarchies among black children took place in the 1940s. Run by the Clarks, Northside's founders, the study asked a group of black children to choose between playing with white dolls and black dolls; 63 percent chose the white dolls.

Last year, following the inauguration of the country's first black president, "Good Morning America" revisited the experiment. This time, at least some of the results were markedly different: of the 19 black children surveyed, 42 percent said they'd rather play with a black doll compared with 32 percent for the white doll. But when asked which doll was prettier, nearly half of the girls in the group chose the white doll.

<Snip>

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/black-barbie-sold-white-barbie-walmart-store/story?id=10045008&page=1


I am speechless. Walmart does it again. Sad. How can we instill pride in children when they continue to receive messages like this? Wow.

[LakeSamish706]

1. Now thats a holly shit moment. This company just keeps tripping over it, WTF.

[TheDebbieDee]

42. Was the price of the black Barbie 3/5 the the price of the white Barbie?

[msanthrope]

97. Had we made a compromise with Missouri? n/t

[EFerrari]

2. Sometimes I think this country was a huge mistake AND irredeemable. n/t

[Rage for Order]

84. LOL!!!!!

:rofl:

[KamaAina]

3. And why are the black ones called "Teresa"?

every other conceivable configuration is called Barbie. Example:



She's Wheelchair Barbie, not "Wheelchair Pamela" or whatever.

[Shell Beau]

76. Actually, there are several different Barbie names. There is also

a white Teresa doll. They are Barbie's friends. I think there is a black Barbie.

[XemaSab]

102. She probably just had surgery on her feet

after wearing those shoes for the last 50 years. :P

[NoNothing]

4. Clearance pricing is determined by just one thing:

Unit sales. This is a mountain out of an ant-hill, by people looking for reasons to be offended. People are blaming Walmart for the choices of the *customers.* If you want to point fingers, point them at the shoppers who let the black dolls sit on the shelves.

And hell, if it is a problem that too many black children are playing with white dolls, that the black dolls are sitting on shelves unsold, doesn't making black dolls less expensive *help*?

[Canuckistanian]

10. Right. Walmart doesn't base prices on things like "feelings"

They have a formula for pricing. If there's less sales of a black Barbie, they're discounted to move them out. That's it.

[EFerrari]

11. Why should WalMart shoppers be blamed for WM's lousy buying decisions?

No, the consumers are not to blame here. WalMart has to make room in its crowded corporate mouth for one more foot.

[NoNothing]

20. What are you saying?

That Walmart should never have bought black dolls in the first place?

[EFerrari]

21. No, I'm saying the buyers did a bad job in the units they bought

and now the store is reduced to a public relations fiasco -- and one they could have handled better, at that. They could have taken the loss in a less public way if they gave a damn about their customers.

Is that more clear?

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

31. Why should they take a loss?

They should price the dolls as to what they are worth - just like every other item in the store.
These black dolls are receiving the exact same treatment a white doll would have had the white dolls failed to sell.
Wall mart prices thing at the value they are worth. Clearly, by definition, white dolls are more valuable to consumers.

This is not Wallmart's fault and they should not be expected to "take the losses" because of a few hypersensitive race warriors.

[EFerrari]

34. They've marked down their product, they are taking a loss.

They had a choice how to effect it and this is what they chose.

But you go on defending WalMart business practices and insulting people who attend to social justice. You'll do fine. :)

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

38. Walmart made the business savvy choice.

They could either leave them overpriced and never sell any or they could discount them to recoup some of the value.
Obviously, they feel they can make more in the end if they just mark them down. Better then throwing them out someday.
Also, keep in mind, @ $3 the doll may not be a loss. That doll might only cost Walmart $2.

I'm sure next time they'll purchase fewer wholesale black barbie dolls.
Then we hear the Race Warriors whine about how wall mart buys fewer black dolls and sells more white dolls.
Always something new!

[Bill McBlueState]

55. well, we'll see.

Getting a bunch of bad PR is not always the business-savvy choice.

[BigErnMcCracken]

56. WORD!

youre spot on here.

[Maru Kitteh]

107. Welcome to DU, Ramone! It looks like you mean well, but I thought you might

be interested to know that defending the business practices of Wal*Mart here on DU is kind of like walking over a campfire with a couple of gallons of gasoline in little ziplock baggies dangling from your swim trunks.

Throw in a perceived lack of concern for the self-esteem of little girls of color - and they are likely to put out your flaming genitalia with a helpful sack of sodium chloride.

That being said. You look like a fun guy! I hope you enjoy DU. Welcome.

[Name removed]

58. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Enrique]

74. i'm sure that will make the little black girls feel better

the little black girls that see the price difference on the shelves, I'm sure they will understand that it's just business savviness. :thumbsup:

[Generic Other]

77. Race warriors? Always complaining of something new?

Racial insensitivity is nothing new. While you may be correct this was all about economics, it still looks a bit insensitive. As do your comments.

I posted this article after reading Congressman Grayson's comments about why he named his daughter Skye. Did you read that post? How the mixed race child from Vietnam loved the sky in America because she had been so shamed in her country because of negative treatment of her based on her race that she had never looked up at the sky before she came to America? Grayson wanted his own daughter to hold her head up high and never feel shame for her ethnicity.

We send terrible messages to little girls about their looks, their abilities, their ethnicity every day. It is not anything new at all. Just the same old same old.

[apocalypsehow]

103. You will find that some posters live a Walter Mitty life here on DU, where they are marching across

that bridge in Selma with the cameras whirring and their bravery on display - even though they are doing nothing more than punching keys on a board and hitting "post message." The absurdity of equating Barbie Dolls and their relative status and price in the local Wal Mart with some kind of "social justice" struggle is manifest on its face, of course, but you're seeing it in this thread.

[dmallind]

63. The lousy buying decision was to overestimate black doll sales?

Now I'm sure that for an independent demand consumer item like this they used either historical analogy forecasting if it's a new item or intrinisc quantitative modeling (history really) if it's an established product.

Which means the problem was they either used the wrong analogy (based expected demand on the last time a new doll of this type came out but found out it really didn't follow a similar demand pattern) which would still be due to - not really blamed on as blame requires fault rather than choice- shoppers since they are for some reason less likely to buy this doll than the analog) OR the problem was that people stopped buying the black doll as much as they used to.

In either event any consumer item overstock is due to unpredictable customer behavior. I'm sure Walmart makes mistakes as all businesses do, but I doubt randomly buying multiple truckloads of black dolls is one of them.

[jmowreader]

101. Or they went by demographics

If the racial mix in Centerville is 40 percent white, 40 percent black and 20 percent Hispanic, they probably bought, say, four cases of white Barbies, four cases of black Barbies and two cases of Dora the Explorer dolls--there isn't much selection in Latina dolls.

And then they had to transmit an emergency EDI request for more Dora dolls because little girls of all races love Dora, the white Barbies sold pretty well and the black Barbies didn't sell well at all.

I think if it was me I would have held onto the black Teresa dolls until February then made them part of a Black History Month display. If they would have done that no one would have complained, and the dolls would have probably sold.

[hfojvt]

19. thank you

eggs actly on both counts.

[Midlodemocrat]

28. That, is, the issue.

More children play with white dolls, even black children. It's a fact. Sad, but true.

[Jazzgirl]

62. You certainly live up to your name.

n/t

[Roon]

65. That's like the ma and pop convient stores..

they put tags on cigarettes like kool...they tag the stuff that gets stolen the most often..it's all they can afford.

[datasuspect]

91. from a business/excel line item perspective

you are correct

[Turbineguy]

5. It's to make them more

affordable to white bigots who practice voodoo?

[KittyWampus]

69. More affordable to artists who do altered barbie dolls.

[slackmaster]

6. Would people be even more outraged if Ballerina Teresa had a higher price than Barbie?

:shrug:

[Quantess]

92. self delete

I got it wrong. Never mind.

[gatorboy]

7. They're clearanced items. Are they selling them lower because they're black or they're not selling?

I only ask because Kroger also sold their Black Valentine's Day Barbies at a similar low price (Bought two for my daughter at $3.00 each- Deal!!!.) and they had several still on the shelves.

[Jennicut]

8. Disney is usually bashed around here and for good reason but the best thing they did lately was

make the Princess and the Frog. My daughters adored that movie and wanted Tiana dolls after it. They have tons of white, blond barbies. One of my daughters IS white and blond, with blue eyes. But she really loves her Tiana doll and thinks she is just as beautiful as her Barbies.

[Uzybone]

9. More misdirection

get outraged over Barbie doll prices while institutional racism marches on without a peep. This is another foolish topic from the M$M.

[EFerrari]

13. When the white dolls get marked down, you'll have a point.

As it is, this is simply an expression of institutionalized racism and contempt.

[sinkingfeeling]

22. So, if I walk into my local Wal-Mart and see a white Barbie on sale (like all the special Xmas

ones), what is that expressing?

[EFerrari]

But these gestures are only equal in Faux News World.

[EOTE]

26. Institutionalized racism? Contempt? Really?!

Prices are determined mathematically. If items aren't being sold fast enough, they're marked down. How on earth could this be considered racism on behalf of Walmart? It disgusts me that I'm defending walmart here because I think they're a god-awful company, but I don't see how attributing racism where none is there is doing anything positive.

[EFerrari]

33. If price were the only consideration, no store would run an ad

with anything but a number.

You'd think in this country, with this history, people would have some kind of emotional intelligence about this issue. Seriously.

Whatever. I'm not spending another minute on Barbie. But the same numbers argument can be made for ANY retail operation related to a minority. That still doesn't translate into goodwill.

Maybe you're perfectly satisfied to spend your money at outlets that routinely disrespect you. That's fine. I pretty much think that's the new American way.

[EOTE]

39. These things work both ways. And if your issue is economic, don't play the race card.

It really shouldn't surprise you that a corporation is looking at its bottom line. Frankly, I'd greatly prefer paying less for a product rather than more. And your comment about me soliciting institutions that disrespect me is a big fat strawman. I haven't shopped at a Wal-mart in over ten years. I wouldn't shop at a Wal-mart if someone paid me. I don't do that because Wal-mart has extremely shitty business practices, are very anti-union and tend to destroy the communities they move into. There is plenty to slam Wal-mart about without baseless accusations of racism where it doesn't exist.

[pnwmom]

50. "But the same numbers argument can be made for ANY retail operation related to a minority."

So no product meant for members of a minority group should ever be put on sale?

[MellowDem]

66. Haha!

If the white dolls cost less, then people like you would say that Walmart is overcharging for the black dolls and discouraging customers from buying them. Walmart is alllll about the $$$$, and this just proves it. You want to say it is racism? Then you are reeeallllly missing the point, the whole point of WalMart in fact. Low prices, no matter what, at the expense of everything, including racial sensitivity, though that should be the least of our worries when it comes to WalMart.

[KamaAina]

12. Just for that, Ken ought to dump Barbie and take Teresa to the prom

:P

[slackmaster]

15. They'll cancel the doll prom if he tries that!

:argh:

[tammywammy]

23. Prom only gets canceled if Barbie takes Teresa. n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

32. +1!

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

59. 1! still only equals 1... so why not use fewer keystrokes and only type "+1"

lol... just kidding!

[EFerrari]

36. +2

[TeeYiYi]

51. +3

TYY

[hfojvt]

14. this is a big deal why?

Should white people be upset because black people get cheaper toys? Should I be mad because this might end up with more white kids playing with black dolls? (either I or my brother had a black GI Joe back in the 1970s. Aren't multi-racial toys gonna help teach tolerance?)

Should they raise the price of the black dolls? A price which might be partially determined by supply and demand - there are more whites and whites, on average, have more money, thus pushing up the price of the white doll.

Why does so much of DU seem to involve the theme of "hey, let's all get outraged and indignant about this"? Maybe GD should be called HD for High Dudgeon.

[Generic Other]

82. Not outraged as much as saddened

Saddened to think young kids are so continuously given such negative messages about self that they end up with lifelong body image issues based on weight, ethnicity, etc.

How do we raise self-esteem in girls? Especially girls of color?

I think it is really cool that your family promoted toy diversity. Although GI Joe is also promoting American imperialism, but nevermind that. One hopes you were able to rise above it eventually. You did not simply become what you played with, I hope.

I have to admit I am conflicted about the values both Barbie and GI Joe promote. But not to the level of outrage. It seems lots of posters on this thread got more indignant than I did. I just found the article interesting because it seemed to illustrate the fact that we still promote, whether deliberately or inadvertently, negative messages to little kids.

Just an observation. Nothing more.

[hfojvt]

94. I just don't think many kids are getting that message this way

Plus I don't think my GI Joe was very warlike. He had a scuba suit accessory and the little book "air for life" was a rescue story having nothing to do with war that I remember.

I just don't think kids are comparing the prices of their toys, and a cheaper toy was one that a parent was more likely to get in my experience. So that's a good thing to a kid.

[katmondoo]

16. the box coloring is wrong

Having a dark blue box color next to the darker skin color does not enhance the doll. Put the doll next to a deep pink background and change the dress color and it would sell. The dress color is also wrong with the skin color, too dark. They need a color expert to help out.

[onehandle]

17. The white blond Barbie sells better at Wal-Mart because she looks more like a Fox News anchor.

And I don't mean Glenn Beck.

So they put the less selling black Barbie on sale.

[DefenseLawyer]

18. I see the glass half full

If you are in the market for a Barbie of color you can save 3 bucks.

[951-Riverside]

24. QUIT YOUR WHINING!

Sick of it! The reason why they're being sold at discount is because no one is buying these dolls (Unfortunate but true). If you think its so unfair haul your overly sensitive butts down there and buy a few dolls.

:mad: ...The Census referring to african americans as http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/01/06/2010-01-06_census_negro_issue_use_of_word_on_forms_raises_hackles_memories_of_jim_crow.html">negros is way more offensive than this will ever be but I haven't seen many people complaining about that.

[EFerrari]

27. That's so many kinds of wrong, there isn't even enough time in a day

to point them all out. LOL

[ecstatic]

53. - 1

Nice passive aggressive post.

[Bill McBlueState]

60. your post sounds a lot like whining. n/t

[LibertyLover]

25. I'm sensitive to the doll color issue

because my 7 year old daughter is adopted from China. I think she is beautiful. While I don't (and can't to be perfectly honest) insist that she play only with Asian featured dolls, I have made a concerted effort to give her dolls that do look like her - dark brown hair, almond shaped brown eyes, a pale skin tone but with darker undertones. So she has a couple of Mulan dolls, two or three Barbie-like fashion dolls but from China and with Chinese features, an American Girl Make It Like Me doll with dark hair and oval shaped brown eyes and a Cabbage Patch kid that could just about double for her in early photographs. But most often she plays with her generic white Barbie dolls. This past Christmas however she did beg for a Tiana doll from the Princess and the Frog. It was one of the first things she opened Christmas Eve and I knew the doll had made it into the pantheon of preferred toys when I found her sitting on Mulan's horse wearing a Barbie outfit. :evilgrin: But this with Walmart really is a :wtf: moment. What were they thinking? (this is a rhetorical question - I know they are thinking about stock not selling well and the need to recoup at least a small percentage of the purchase price of these dolls.)

[Generic Other]

72. Helping little girls feel pride in their own ethnicity is a good thing

I don't normally promote Barbie one way or the other, because I think the doll sends all kinds of negative messages to girls about looks and body image. For girls who are not white there is a whole other message about what is valued by society in terms of ethnicity as well.

Good for you trying to help your daughter have dolls that mirror her look in positive ways.

[leftofcool]

29. Neither one worth the price. It's Barbie, after all!

[Generic Other]

73. True true...

I find myself conflicted about the whole issue for just that reason.

[gatorboy]

30. Maybe ABC should do a little more real investigating. Like on why their own TV schedule is so white.

Out of curiosity, I thought I'd check out their TV show section. Not much racial diversity there....

[Uzybone]

47. ding ding ding

but lets get the doll prices equal and maybe no one will notice anything else.

[la_chupa]

35. the stereotypical notion of female beauty is offensive

without bothering to get into the whole sales price issue and all

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

40. If Barbie were a real life size person...

- If Barbie were life size, she would stand 7 ft 2 inches and have a neck twice the size of a humans
- If Barbie were lifesize, her measurements would be: 39-23-33
- If a real woman were to have Barbie's proportions (in ratio to human measurements) she would have to walk on all fours in order to move

Call me a skeptic, but I doubt any woman really wants to be stereotypically "like Barbie"

[dustbunnie]

48. An artist friend did a project where she replicated Barbie clothing, perfectly proportioned.

She eventually gave me the beautiful pink wool twin set i loved. Even the metal snap buttons with white stitching were perfectly replicated.

Except the damn thing doesn't fit right and I can only wear it around the house. :( The waist is way too long, the collar hangs over the shoulders and when the buttons are snapped closed it looks like it was stretched out in the wash.

[elocs]

37. In my city, which used to be one of the whitest in America,

Walmart is one of the few places you can find a doll of color even now. Believe me, at Christmas I have looked to buy them for Toys for Tots for those little girls of color who might like to have a doll which looks like them.

Yes, around here you are lucky to find some "black" dolls, but even though my city has a good sized Hmong population from southeast Asia you will find no Asian dolls, and even though we have Hispanics in the area now there are no dolls representing them, and neither are there any Native American dolls I can find.

When it comes to "baby" dolls around here Cabbage Patch is the only one who seems to make them, but then it is just those that are black.

(As an aside, this entire "black"/"white" thing is silly. My keyboard is black and I have never seen a person with skin that color and my socks are white but that's not even close to the color of my winter pale legs.)

[TexasObserver]

41. It's strictly a question of which ones are selling at list price.

This confirms that mainly white people shop at Walmart, and because of that demand for black dolls at this particular store is low.

I do not see this as being any kind of a "message" that children receive. The child who is interested in getting the black doll will find glee that it costs only $3, because that means the child is more likely to get it.

It's not a racial issue, except to the extent someone at this Walmart bought too many black dolls and now cannot sell them as quickly as he or she would prefer. Someone at this Walmart overstocked black dolls and now they're trying to move them.

If they had a black doll named "Precious" that was selling heavily, it would be $20. Demand, not discrimination, dictates price.

[Mimosa]

71. ^True, Tex.^

TexasObserver, you're right as usual. PM me. How've you been lately?

[TexasObserver]

93. Thanks.

I'm fine. Not really into the PM thing. I say what I have to say on the boards.

[Mimosa]

96. OK.

I'd been thinking of you.

[TexasObserver]

98. Why?

I know nothing about you, except that you occasionally post something to me, and act as if I know you.

Have we ever talked here about anything? I don't recall it, if we have.

Do you think I know you?

[Mimosa]

100. Guess you forgot...

Guess you forgot that we'd yakked in the past. And you said something nice and vice versa.

Well, I've found this great tool on Democratic underground when somebody is snippy or mean. I click IGNORE by their psting name and it's like they don't exist. Bye.

[treestar]

43. I'm going to buy black Barbies for white kids from now on

Why shouldn't there be some black girls around in Dollville?

[madrchsod]

44. i suppose there`s not enough people that want the black barbie.

after a certain date most merchandise is discounted at walmart. it does`t have anything to do with race. green is the only color wally world cares about

[rcrush]

45. So?

What else do you do with stuff that doesn't sell?

[pnwmom]

46. They're obviously not selling their stock of Black barbies in the numbers

they'd hoped to.

Now more girls can have black Barbie dolls, if they so choose. I don't see this as a big problem.

[reflection]

49. Much ado about nothing.

Supply, demand. Less black dolls being purchased equals lower prices to clear out inventory.

I'm pretty sure Wal-Mart would love to sell the black dolls for as high a price as they can get.

Wal-Mart is responsible for a lot of things, but not the racial purchasing habits of consumers. If anything, you could argue that Wal-Mart is trying to put more black dolls in the hands of the consumer by aggressively pricing them.

[NeedleCast]

52. My 11th grade economics class taught me why this is a non-issue

[Liberal_in_LA]

54. Positive spin... black families can buy the dolls and keep more money in their pockets.

[scheming daemons]

57. The law of supply and demand is immutable... and not racist

If you're upset about this, take a basic economics class.


WalMart is guilty of a lot of things... but in this case, they aren't.

[marshall]

68. The racism would have been in the marketing

I agree that marking the price down is pure economics. All that is basically computer driven by the Wal Mart corporation. How much inventory they get, where they put it, how much it's marked--it's all part of a formula.

If this was marketed as "Black History Month Special!" or something similar then I could see pinning racism on it.

At worst I think the store was thoughtless in having the dolls side by side in a way that highlighted the price difference.

Then again I'd like to see the sales results. What if this resulted in more children, including more white children, purchasing the black doll over the white doll?

[Enrique]

78. suppose you're a little black girl shopping for Barbie dolls

and you notice that the black Barbies are cheaper than the white Barbies. Suppose you're eight years old and you can't get into an economics class yet.

[WillowTree]

104. An 8 year old would probably think it was cool...

....that she could get the doll AND and extra outfit with her birthday money instead of just the doll. Most kids have not yet been adequately taught that they need to find a reason be offended by anything and everything in life by that age. That generally takes a few more years.

[scheming daemons]

108. ^^^^ This

8 years old don't equate "worth" with "price" yet.

A thousand dollars and a million dollars mean the same thing to them.



It's ADULTS that are offended by this... overly sensitive adults that are looking for a reason to be offended.


Items are priced at the number that will move the most inventory at the highest possible price. Nothing more, nothing less. There's not an agenda here, other than to sell product.... as much and as fast as they can.


Why does a Roberto Clemente baseball card sell for more than a Mario Mendoza card? Because it is in higher demand.


There's racism lots of places. This isn't one of them.

[Quantess]

61. Supply and Demand.

They stocked the shelves with more black barbies than people wanting to buy.

[gmoney]

64. Probably done by computer... Wal-Mart may have been color-blind on this.

With hundreds of thousands of different inventory items at Wal-Mart, I'm guessing a lot of the pricing management is done by computer, based strictly on sales/inventory/price/season and other factors. "Item 345-XYZ isn't selling at $5.98, and we need to move them, reduce the price to $3.00 and clear them out." -- the computer prints new price tags, and some half-asleep worker bee slaps the price on the shelf without looking twice or considering the racial implications.

Or who knows, maybe it was on sale for Black History Month or something, and never marked back up?

As much as I hate Wal-Mart, I think this is just a glitch, not some sort of slight or "ethnic clearance pricing" or anything.

[tammywammy]

67. LOL

"ethnic clearance pricing"

[Generic Other]

79. Sell black Barbies to promote Black History Month?

Now there's a marketing strategy I hadn't thought of. I could see it possibly being a positive celebration of African American history. On the other hand, with Walmart's typical thinking, I see them using an auction block as a backdrop which would not go over so well.

And I do think you are right it is not "ethnic clearance pricing," even if it looks that way. It may be insensitive on their part however.

[etherealtruth]

70. Sadly, there are a great many examples of racism in our culture ....

This is not one of them!

[Bluebear]

75. I hope they charge more for black Ken.

O8)

[Generic Other]

80. I hope girls with racist parents bring black Ken home to play with white Barbie

Nice to imagine the shocked looks on some parents' faces.

[onenote]

81. for those that find this story so upsetting, I suggest you run down to Wal Mart

and buy one of the dolls, give the store the same amount of money that it would cost to buy the white barbie, and tell them to keep the change.

That'll show them!!

And while you're there, be sure to complain that the Vanilla Ice CDs are being sold at a discount compared to the PDiddy CDs.

[Generic Other]

85. You equate black Barbie's worth to Vanilla Ice?

That is more disturbing than anything I could possibly say.

Vanilla Ice is obviously a lesser talent and most agree not at all in the same category as a rapper like PDiddy. Are you also saying Black Barbie is also of lesser value than White Barbie? Because that's what it sounds like you are saying. And you are the first on this thread to draw that conclusion, the very one others have repeatedly said no one would make.

[onenote]

89. if that's sarcasm, good on you. if its serious, you need help

the point, as you well know, is that the reason Vanilla Ice CDs are discounted is that no one is buying them. Once upon a time people did buy them, and they were priced at the same level as CDs by black artists.

Let me turn it around for you: does it bother you that MC Hammer's CDs are probably cheaper at Wal Mart than CDs by white artists that may be a "lesser talent" but are more popular?

[Generic Other]

90. No sarcasm just questioning your analogy

Perhaps Vanilla Ice was the wrong artist to use to make your point.

Now you seem to be implying that Black Barbie is being undervalued at Walmart when compared to her white counterpart, a totally different conclusion. And one I could more easily concur with.

[Imajika]

83. People are outraged over this?

"I am speechless. Walmart does it again. Sad. How can we instill pride in children when they continue to receive messages like this? Wow."

So would you rather Walmart not sell the Black Barbie at all?

Obviously they ordered too many Black Barbie's and the item didn't sell too well, so they marked it down a few bucks in the hopes that more customers purchase them. What is the big deal? The cut in prices means more children will probably actually have Black Barbie's doesn't it? I mean, would you rather Walmart just throw them away? Worse, if Walmart thinks it can't discount this item like they would everything else that they have too much stock of, they might never carry the Black Barbie again.

Getting upset over this is not only silly, it is counter productive.

I really don't think children are so hypersensitive that a certain color Barbie being on sale or on the mark down list ruins their sense of self pride. Maybe their parents are this insanely sensitive, but I doubt the kids care at all - other than to maybe be happy that some Barbie dolls are periodically more affordable.

[Generic Other]

87. Have you ever read Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye"?

Children's self image is shaped by the society around them what they perceive is valued by the adults in their world. We have toddlers on diets. Kids whose own self esteem is incredibly low based on their perceptions of what society values.

Not just African American kids. Little blonde girls struggle with the negative perceptions about their intelligence as well. Overweight kids struggle with eating disorders over society's emphasis on being thin. Short men struggle. Poor people. Anyone who does not fit a certain mold.

In Morrison's book, the poor black girl hates herself because she is not Shirley Temple the child Bill Robinson loves enough to tap dance within every movie. Dhe sees the little black children in the Shirley Temple movies are not even noticed by the one black man, and she believes it is because they are not good enough. It is a very sad story.

And I am not upset by one dumb incident, but I am upset by a lifetime of negative messages. Kids become what we tell them they are. If you tell a kid he is stupid and bad everyday, on all likelihood he will grow up to see himself this way.

That's all this article said to me. Funny how any ethnic person ever even bringing up the issue is automatically "hypersensitive" while those who continually re-enforce the message are never "insensitive."

[B Calm]

86. We bought our little white granddaughter a black Barbie, and she

loves it.

[Generic Other]

88. Toybox diversity! I like it...

Your granddaughter is lucky to be taught that diversity is a good thing.

Now we need to work on Mattel's notion of healthy and realistic body image. :)

[jmm]

95. I use to work in a toy store and saw the same thing happen often.

We were located in a diverse area and they often came off of the trucks with the prices on them so supply and demand had nothing to do with it. This type of thing has been going on for too long for stores to hide behind that excuse. If the computers were smart enough to adjust price based on demand then they'd be able to order less where they weren't selling.

When some of our customers noticed it surprised them. We were well known for our Barbie selection. Quite a few collectors frequented the store and more than one got confused when they saw the same doll with different ethnicities ring up at different prices.

[JI7]

99. Parents with White Kids should buy them Black Dolls also

parents should buy their kids dolls of all colors.

i remember watching some show and they showed a little girl that was white and she was playing with dolls. she had white and black ones. the show had nothing to do with the dolls or any toys but something unrelated. but i noticed it and thought it would be a good idea for all parents to do that.

[WillowTree]

105. The racism at Wal.-Mart doesn't end there.

Wander over to the produce department in the grocery section some time and you will find that the red and yellow peppers are priced significantly higher than the green ones, clearly demonstrating that Wal-Mart places greater value on Asians and Native Americans than those of us who are of Irish descent. I may be scarred for life and never achieve my full potential because of this obvious slight.

This Country is positively addicted to outrage and could overdose at any given moment.

[Pharlo]

106. If 'Barbie' is the signature doll,

is it possible that the price differntial could be associated with the fact that the signature doll will cost more? From what I can read here, we're comparing Barbie's to Teresa's. What are the black Barbie's selling for? The white Teresa's?

They may look the same, but the name can make a difference in sales.