Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Black Barbie (and hats off to Stew)

I didn’t think there was much of a story with the black Barbie doll that came out.

I was going thru the channels, and heard the women of The View talking about it. Whoopi turned it around, joking that it actually had a bit of a booty. Someone else wondered why the dolls had long black hair, instead of curls.

In the afternoon, a few of the news stations had women that were angry about the dolls having long, black hair. The maker, an African-American woman, brought up a good point. She said that girls favorite things to do to with dolls is combing their hair. And it works better this way. She also mentioned that one of the dolls had the short curls.

Of course, the word “nappy” came up in a few stories.

I immediately thought about my stepbrother, who was driving a school bus while going to college. A black girl that was five came up and asked him if Santa Claus was black or white. He thought about it, and then said white. He figured it would make more sense, as she probably saw pictures of Santa; or at the mall.

The parents complained, and he was told not to comment on Santa in the future. Gotta love the PC police.

Two years in a row, I rented a Santa costume and gave out toys to children. I had a black girl sit on my lap and say “I want a Barbie. But I want a white one this time!” I told her to make sure she tells her parents, too.

I tried thinking of a joke I could have in this blog. I thought about the Barbie beach house, and how the black Barbie had a harder time getting a home loan. I thought about the Barbie Corvette, and how she put spinners on it and a real car stereo.

But I thought instead I’d post the lyrics to a song by Stew, who’s the most underrated songwriter of all-time.

He used to perform locally at venues like Java Joe’s (one time for around three people). These lyrics are when he was in the band “The Negro Problem,” and the song is called Ken.

My name's Ken/and I like men. But the people at Mattel/home that I call hell... Are somewhat bothered by my queer proclivities.

It's safe to say, that they are really pissed at me. They always stick me/with Barbie. But I want them to know/I pray for GI Joe… But any able-bodied man would surely do; For someone to love ... Since I am not set up to screw.

Black Barbie, you know she used to talk to me. Now she'd rather be/in plastic therapy. Sitting on a plastic couch speaking freely. The only problem is she has no history.

Someday soon/I'll be in your childs room. And I'll be forced to kiss/Barbie's plastic tits. And I will hate myself/but what's more I'll hate you... For not allowing me to love as I wish to.

See, I'm your corporate toy/cursed to bring you joy. Through divorce or death/I'll just hold my breath... And play along.

Your daughter's not to blame at all, for bringing these burdens upon a doll.

so fa-la la-la la-la la-la la-la la-la so fa-la la-la la-la la-la la-la la-la…

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

La Jolla's Whaling Bar going in new direction

47th and 805 was my City Council district when I served in 1965
Next Article

National City – thorn in the side of Port Commission

City council votes 3-2 to hesitate on state assembly bill

I didn’t think there was much of a story with the black Barbie doll that came out.

I was going thru the channels, and heard the women of The View talking about it. Whoopi turned it around, joking that it actually had a bit of a booty. Someone else wondered why the dolls had long black hair, instead of curls.

In the afternoon, a few of the news stations had women that were angry about the dolls having long, black hair. The maker, an African-American woman, brought up a good point. She said that girls favorite things to do to with dolls is combing their hair. And it works better this way. She also mentioned that one of the dolls had the short curls.

Of course, the word “nappy” came up in a few stories.

I immediately thought about my stepbrother, who was driving a school bus while going to college. A black girl that was five came up and asked him if Santa Claus was black or white. He thought about it, and then said white. He figured it would make more sense, as she probably saw pictures of Santa; or at the mall.

The parents complained, and he was told not to comment on Santa in the future. Gotta love the PC police.

Two years in a row, I rented a Santa costume and gave out toys to children. I had a black girl sit on my lap and say “I want a Barbie. But I want a white one this time!” I told her to make sure she tells her parents, too.

I tried thinking of a joke I could have in this blog. I thought about the Barbie beach house, and how the black Barbie had a harder time getting a home loan. I thought about the Barbie Corvette, and how she put spinners on it and a real car stereo.

But I thought instead I’d post the lyrics to a song by Stew, who’s the most underrated songwriter of all-time.

He used to perform locally at venues like Java Joe’s (one time for around three people). These lyrics are when he was in the band “The Negro Problem,” and the song is called Ken.

My name's Ken/and I like men. But the people at Mattel/home that I call hell... Are somewhat bothered by my queer proclivities.

It's safe to say, that they are really pissed at me. They always stick me/with Barbie. But I want them to know/I pray for GI Joe… But any able-bodied man would surely do; For someone to love ... Since I am not set up to screw.

Black Barbie, you know she used to talk to me. Now she'd rather be/in plastic therapy. Sitting on a plastic couch speaking freely. The only problem is she has no history.

Someday soon/I'll be in your childs room. And I'll be forced to kiss/Barbie's plastic tits. And I will hate myself/but what's more I'll hate you... For not allowing me to love as I wish to.

See, I'm your corporate toy/cursed to bring you joy. Through divorce or death/I'll just hold my breath... And play along.

Your daughter's not to blame at all, for bringing these burdens upon a doll.

so fa-la la-la la-la la-la la-la la-la so fa-la la-la la-la la-la la-la la-la…

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.