Maker of Obama sock monkey takes down its website

[Dope Nose]

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9601953?source=rv

Chagrined by critics, Utah company nixes Obama monkey doll
By Sheena McFarland
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 06/16/2008 12:01:58 PM MDT

The manufacturer behind a monkey sock puppet named for presidential candidate Barack Obama said it will not make the toy, which many had called racist.

A West Jordan company, The Sock Obama, contracted with Binkley Toy's, Inc., a custom-toy manufacturer with offices in New York and Ontario, Canada, to mass produce the doll. In a statement on Binkley's Web site, owner Rob Bishop apologized, saying that before the public's outcry of racism, he and his staff did not see any racist connection.

"Binkley Toys Inc. will not be proceeding with manufacturing the Sock Obama toy. My company is not just about 'dollars' and Binkley Toys Inc. prides itself on its social responsibility," the statement said.

There is no apparent relation between the toy manufacturer and Congressman Rob Bishop, R-Utah.

Binkley had manufactured only a prototype of the doll.

"Through the past couple of days, I was hoping to find the 'mistake' my company made and I believe the only mistake would have been to keep going. There was no ill will or negative intent in helping to design this toy," the statement said.

"To proceed in to manufacturing this toy and to cause harm would have been the error. I personally apologize to anyone who found this toy idea offensive and I am sorry I did not make the negative connection myself."

On the Sock Obama Web site, the company put out a statement titled "an apology."

"We are very apologetic to all who were upset by our toy idea. We will not be proceeding with the manufacturing of this toy," it said.

Many Utahns were outraged over the toy.

Jeanetta Williams, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, has called the toy "pure racism at its extreme."

Charles Henderson, a black Democrat in Kearns running for the House of Representatives, said the doll "blows me away."

"Here we are in 2008 and some people still haven't gotten it," he said.

 

[chaseter]

As we are all related to the monkey an equal percentage...I say this is racism from the people calling the doll racism because us white folk aren't getting the same face time...racists.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

Racism at it's cutest.

 

[rizzo51]

Guess a monkey was a bad choice.. i don't find it offensive, i mean, if your company is known for making monkeys..... whats the deal?

 

[The Senator]

As we are all related to the monkey an equal percentage...I say this is racism from the people calling the doll racism because us white folk aren't getting the same face time...racists.

 

[The Senator]

Guess a monkey was a bad choice.. i don't find it offensive, i mean, if your company is known for making monkeys..... whats the deal?

Well, they shouldn't have made the doll in the first place.

They should have realized that "monkey" has become an ethnic slur against blacks, and they never should have considered making the doll.

While they may not have had racist intentions... this definitely doesn't bode well for the company...

 

[terry78]

Honestly, I know a lot of people don't think the monkey thing is bad, but the monkey has been a staple of racist commentary for years, so if someone does call me a monkey, as non-malicious as it may be, yeah, I will take offense.

 

[terry78]

Honestly, I know a lot of people don't think the monkey thing is bad, but the monkey has been a staple of racist commentary for years, so if someone does call me a monkey, as non-malicious as it may be, yeah, I will take offense.

 

[hammy]

I always hated those sock puppets. That's actually the cutest one I've ever seen.

 

[Docker2.0]

Is it just me or does that monkey looks kind of like Patrick Ewing?

 

[Crook]

Is it just me or does that monkey looks kind of like Patrick Ewing?

This fool....

 

[hammy]

Is it just me or does that monkey looks kind of like Patrick Ewing?

No. Patrick Ewing's not that cute.

 

[chaseter]

Well, they shouldn't have made the doll in the first place.

They should have realized that "monkey" has become an ethnic slur against blacks, and they never should have considered making the doll.

While they may not have had racist intentions... this definitely doesn't bode well for the company...

So no line of John McCain crackers I guess.

For a nation that is soo against racism...it is funny how some people can find it anywhere they want. Witch hunt, Red Scare, and now we can throw in racism cards with the bunch.

 

[Mike_D202]

If you eat a monkey, is that considered cannibalism?

 

[chamber-music]

Honestly, I know a lot of people don't think the monkey thing is bad, but the monkey has been a staple of racist commentary for years, so if someone does call me a monkey, as non-malicious as it may be, yeah, I will take offense.

Its pretty well known that monkey stuff has been used against blacks as a racial slur. They should of used some common sense and just picked a diffrent animal.