Yesterday was Chip’s third birthday, and in true last-minute-mom fashion I spent yesterday afternoon at a toy store looking for his gifts.
I know some people don’t do this, but I always get a little something for the other two boys even when it isn’t their birthday. Nothing fancy, just a little something-something to unwrap.
Lately Robbie has been talking a lot about different skin colors, and I saw a dark-skinned set of wooden doll house people. Robbie loves playing imaginitive games with little people and animals, so I thought this would be the perfect choice for him. They even used appropriate hair instead of just black versions of what was on the the blond dolls, and the manufacturer had used a nice stain on the wood to get a rich looking color too, not just paint.
But I picked up the box to look closer, and this is what I saw.
Doesn’t it seem odd that they took the time to do a decent job on the face and hair and then just stuck it on a caucasian body? I was really disappointed in this lack of attention to a non-trivial detail and chose a different toy to purchase.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
No freaking way!!! That is too hilarious, but shitty at the same time.
That’s unfortunate. It sounded like the dolls were otherwise well done.
i do the same things – buy on the way to the party. i hide the tags and bags in case anyone comes to my car after the party! I also get the other kids a little something. if i saw that in the store or noticed in time to change gifts, i would. to me it would make me feel like crap as if i bought crap. i have been known to over analyze things though…
most of the time people say to me, “are you kidding, you are the only one that would notice that!”
Happy Holidays!!
Well that’s weird. I hate to make the comparison but it brings to mind actors in black face. I know, it’s not the same thing, but what is it saying to the child that plays with it?
Am an over-analyzer at times, too, but… yeah, that’s a bit too careless looking. But, on the other hand, maybe the body is of a different wood/material. I’ve seen light-skinned dolls with similar issues. Kind of weird.
I guess staining the body would have been too expensive? I don’t know, it seems like an odd thing to ignore intentionally.
*sigh*
Another case of toy manufacturers falling short of quality products.
And happy birthday to Chip!