Aboriginal dolls removed from shop due to "cultural exploitation"

Dolls designed as Australian Aborigines were being sold at Brisbane airport, marketed as "lucky dolls".

Anger over 'Australian Aboriginal Lucky Dolls' on sale at Brisbane Airport

The sale of "Australian Aboriginal Lucky Doll" souvenirs at Brisbane International Airport has sparked outrage on social media.

The shop owner was accused of cultural exploitation with many social media users questioning how the dolls came to be for sale in the first place.

People jumped onto social media to complain that these dolls represent cultural exploitation.

(I would quote more from the article but every time I copy text it adds a lengthy facebook and twitter URL advertisement which is a pain in the arse)

I know most people here are American, not Australian, but I'm curious as to what people think. An Aboriginal person said the use the word "lucky" disregarded the losses suffered by Aboriginal people during colonisation, as well discriminatory laws that were in place up until the late 60's, such as Aboriginal people being classed as "fauna" rather than people.

I wonder if people would have considered these dolls so offensive if the word lucky had not been used?

Is it offensive to portray a particular culture in doll form?

I'm honestly a bit lost as to why these dolls got such an extreme reaction. Is it really cultural exploitation? I've seen dolls dressed up in various traditional European and Native American clothing for sale in Australia, and no-one calls that exploitative, at least not that I've heard. It's true that Aborigines have suffered a lot, but these are just little dolls? If I'd seen them I would have thought it was advertising Aboriginal culture, but then I don't know, I could be dead wrong. They just look cute and harmless to me.

a reply to: DeepThoughtCriminal

Better close all the museums!

The world is way too PC.

In my province, there was an uproar because a high school teams name was the Reds. It didn't matter that it dated back quite a ways and there was another high school at the time who had the name the Blues...

People look for causes to champion now because they have zero going on in their own life. Internet warriors brought about so many stupid "causes" with no real champion because it is easier to whine.

My two cents.

Aboriginal culture is a subject best not mentioned, imo... Unless your specifically complimenting the intimate relationship they had with the land.

Its gotten to the point where even just bringing up the subject is bound to offend someone, for some ridiculous reason.

As a society we should evolve to where we are aware and sensitive to other peoples and cultures. This is a great dream. For better or worse however, it is only possible if it is created by individual conscious choice without coercion. It can't be legislated or policed into existence. That's like someone trying to teach you to relax at gunpoint. It creates the opposite of what was intended. I would love if football fans and players would decide on their own to change name like the "reds", seeing the past as full of narcissism, war, and bigotry.. choosing a new name for a new path.

But it can't be forced on anyone. That's where PC culture goes too far. It assumes we are ready to be civilized in-tune citizens the like of that the world has never seen before. We're not, we're still close minded peoples who only care about our own small communities.. from the Bible Belt to Saudi Arabia to China, we're all bigots who only care about the dominance of our own culture. Unfortunately we have civilized nuclear technology, but we don't have civilized people yet. And trying to legislate empathy and civilization into existence only creates a more radical backlash against it.

a reply to: DeepThoughtCriminal

The dolls in question, for anyone that doesn't feel like visiting the link

Anybody bother asking the Australian Aboriginal folks their opinions before getting their PC panties in a wad? Other than the lone person interviewed for the article, that is.

Just a thought, you might want to, you know, ask the people you think you're defending if they feel they need defended in the first place.

originally posted by: Nyiah
Anybody bother asking the Australian Aboriginal folks their opinions before getting their PC panties in a wad? Other than the lone person interviewed for the article, that is.

Just a thought, you might want to, you know, ask the people you think you're defending if they feel they need defended in the first place.

Just stop it!
You're making too much sense!!
Brain.....cannot.....handl..e....

How many of you, who have an issue with, are white?

Why does it bother you when a person has an issue with how their culture is being used?

You think of this as being PC but it really is about common sense, do not create representations of something if you have no freaking clue as to what has happened to that particular culture and the hardships they have been through.

Simple. If Aboriginals find it offensive.... get rid of the dolls. If not, mind your own damn bizness.

Why do you people think it is up to you to decide what should be considered offensive and what shouldn't be?

What gives you any right to decide what is another culture should feel about something?

Time to get out of the past and to stop thinking whites know what is best for a culture, what they can or cannot be angry about or that they have any right to exploit a culture anyway they want.

Yeah...'lucky' was stretching pleasantries...unless the marketers thought they were 'lucky' they weren't wiped out altogether.

Inapropriate.

Å99

Can we put these dolls on keychains and call them "Lucky Jews" ??


static.wixstatic.com...a reply to: DeepThoughtCriminal

originally posted by: theonenonlyone
How many of you, who have an issue with, are white?

Why does it bother you when a person has an issue with how their culture is being used?

You think of this as being PC but it really is about common sense, do not create representations of something if you have no freaking clue as to what has happened to that particular culture and the hardships they have been through.

Actually, you can see what happened to that particular culture and what hardships they've been through no matter what race you are. It's called reading.

It's still just a stupid doll.

People get righteous about a stupid doll but they're perfectly OK with the 3.1 million children that starve to death each year.

originally posted by: OhOkYeah


Actually, you can see what happened to that particular culture and what hardships they've been through no matter what race you are. It's called reading.

It's still just a stupid doll.

People get righteous about a stupid doll but they're perfectly OK with the 3.1 million children that starve to death each year.

To you it is just a doll, to them it might mean something deeper. Just because they care about how their culture is being represented does not mean they do not care about other important issues.

Read up on colonization. Understand that your reaction just means you do not care nor do you understand.


Also gives you no right to dictate to them what is offensive and what is not.

originally posted by: theonenonlyone

originally posted by: OhOkYeah


Actually, you can see what happened to that particular culture and what hardships they've been through no matter what race you are. It's called reading.

It's still just a stupid doll.

People get righteous about a stupid doll but they're perfectly OK with the 3.1 million children that starve to death each year.

To you it is just a doll, to them it might mean something deeper. Just because they care about how their culture is being represented does not mean they do not care about other important issues.

Read up on colonization. Understand that your reaction just means you do not care nor do you understand.


Also gives you no right to dictate to them what is offensive and what is not.

Maybe if they stop acting like victims, people will stop treating them like victims.

a reply to: theonenonlyone

Who is "them"?

There's like half a million Aboriginals in Australia, all with individual personalities and differing opinions... You seem to talk about them like there some genetic life form who all think the exact same way.

An Aboriginal is no more qualified to understand the horrific acts that European settlers leashed upon them either... Unless you were physically there to witness it you can only understand it by researching it, which anyone is capable of doing.

Its really quite a backwards and self harming mentality when Aboriginals (or any culture for that matter), claim to want more equality in society, but then say "your skin isn't the same colour as ours so you have no right to have an opinion about our culture"! Its reverse racism and counter productive.

Also, why would people be offended about Aboriginal dolls in traditional dress being called "lucky charms"? How stupid is that? Like there saying how dare anyone calls our culture "lucky", we want to constantly dwell on how "unlucky" Aboriginal culture has been, just so generations of Aboriginal children grow up with the pride and confidence they need to succeed in life, right? Taught from birth that there destined to be "unlucky".

I just don't understand where there coming from, being so offended about the phrase "lucky" for a stupid doll being sold to foreign tourists... I mean, would they have preferred aboriginal dolls holding a can of petrol, which were called "extremely depressed charm". Would that have been more appropriate?

It's real simple, the colonization and what happened affects generations, It is not something you just get over.


They are not playing victims, they are asking for respect. Educate yourself. Education is key to stopping ignorance.

a reply to: theonenonlyone

Well, whatever dude, I personally feel I'm already fairly educated on the destructive effect European settlement had on Aboriginal culture... But the fact of the matter is, foreign tourist don't pay good money to come here and be lectured and constantly reminded about how ashamed "white people" should be of themselves.

They want to see pristine beaches, an ancient landscape and ponder the Aboriginals existence and way of life in the good times... There's nothing racist or insensitive about capitalizing on that desire.

Its just PC on steroids to claim any different.

a reply to: theonenonlyone

If they care about how their culture is being represented, then they need to start from within.

For example, It is only Aboriginal communities that have 100% alcohol bans, and low aromatic fuels to combat violence, rape and anti social behaviour..