Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the toy store, the sane and rational people behind the MAMA campaign (Moms Ask Mattel for Accountability) have taken the fight against Islam to new heights.
Remember the doll that didn't say 'Islam is the light'? The one that caused The Sun to have a stroke?The one that caused yours truly to write a column in the Owasso Reporter in Oklahoma? Of course you do. But, - a reader shouts - surely we've all moved on from this silly season story? Oh no. Take a bow MAMA.
As they say on the terraces, who are you?
Moms Ask Mattel for Accountability - MAMA -is a public education effort by concerned families to protect children from being invited to join Islam, without their parents’ knowledge or permission
Pleased to meet you, MAMA. So, you've heard about the doll then?
Mattel, the largest toy maker in the world, is still selling a toy that says “Islam is the Light”
So, what's your solution to this crime against humanity?
Truth-in-advertising for this toy is of material importance to the post-9/11 consumer, especially to the post 9/11 parent who purchases a toy in absence of any warning that the toy advocates Islam to young children.
I see. So, if granny buys this devil doll for little Britney she'll grow up wanting to blow up people? Or maybe she'll just join the US army where you get to learn to land planes as well.
Disturbingly, Mattel are apparently in on the indoctrination.
“Chris Schaden, senior vice president of sales at Mattel, said last month the company did a thorough investigation and found that, ‘if told to listen for a particular phrase, you may hear something similar due to the power of suggestion.’”
Ah, Harry Hill's POS strikes again. What are the chances? (anyone outside the UK won't get this).
Even worse, Mattel, it is claimed, posted a different sound file on its website.
MAMA were not to be fobbed off. They used computer and audio experts to slow down the audio so that a definitive, remixed version could be produced. Whether this will be released on itunes is another matter.
Here, Randall Rathbun, the aliteratively named hero of the movement, picks up the gauntlet like a knight on his way to the crusades:
I slowed the whole recording down to the following 3 ranges: a man’s voice, a woman’s voice and a child’s voice.
I then listened carefully, playing each several times for subtle nuances. The child’s voice wasn’t quite right, there was too much articulation for a normal child to master. The man’s voice didn’t sound right, the timbre quality or resonances did not fit or sound right, but when I played the woman’s voice the first time, it was an uncanny match.
I used the Windows version of Audacity Sound Editor to slow the speed from 44.1K to 31K and convert the file from mp3 to a wav file….
Slow down, Randy, you mean it won't work on a Mac?
Now, I'm losing the will to live so I can't be bothered to give these zealots any more space. I'm no apologist for any fundamentalist extremism whether it be Jihadists or the MAMAs from Hell.
The top link no longer works as the archives require registration and payment of a nominal sum.
The article text was as follows:
Water cooler moments
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give you an insight into what the recent election has meant to people in Great Britain. Given that your state provided the highest percentage of votes for Senator McCain, I start from a position of weakness but I hope you'll bear with me.
Your editor has already alluded to this theme and it was my first thought when drafting these words. As in your country we have water cooler moments where Britons remember where they were when events in foreign parts affected the world:
·Armstrong on the moon, Dallas 1963, Lennon 1980, fall of the Berlin Wall, Diana in Paris, Mandela's walk to freedom, and September 11th.
On Wednesday, as red eyes gathered by the water cooler, another moment was added to the list. From the office cleaner to the Managing Director, people who profess no interest in politics - even domestic issues - have taken an interest in this historic event. And make no bones about it, this is indeed historic. Whatever one's personal viewpoint, right or left, Obama seems to have crossed traditional boundaries in my country and seems to have given us fresh hope.
There is an old saying here that you should not talk about religion, politics or football in the pub as strong beer and strong opinions, unlike good fences, do not make for good neighbours. But the election has become a catalyst for people to renew interest. On Friday night, for example, talk was not about the likely outcomes of soccer matches on Saturday or tips for the weekend's horse races, it was still about one man.
Here, Conservatives have queued up to offer support for an unlikely ally. Indeed, a prospective Conservative Party candidate in this locality proudly displays a photo taken with Obama.
It's difficult to pinpoint the reasons for this. Sure, the issue of colour is important, but Obama seems to have something more - oratory skills lacking in Bush and a sincerity not apparent in Clinton.
As a friend in Germany told me, 'What I especially like about Obama is that he is a US-American politician who regards other countries as his friends/allies and not as his enemies. According to his speech in Berlin, he wants to work together with other countries and acknowledges their support. However, he also demands this support. Obama gives us Europeans the feeling that we are actually important.
A German woman said in an interview on TV that Obama represents the person of the future because races mix up more and more. She also said that Obama is not only the voice of the US-Americans but he is the voice of the world.'
As this small island notes this was historic but real legacies, like great songs can only be judged properly several years later. Kennedy, at the time of his assassination was unpopular, but became an icon of hope; Reagan was considered a nuclear liability yet became associated with peaceful unification and self-determination in Eastern Europe; Mandela was imprisoned for terrorism but turned into a universally admired statesman. Obama has a huge weight on those impressive shoulders. I for one, to paraphrase Tony Blair, am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
In 1997 we had similar hopes with the election of Tony Blair. The campaign song was 'Things Can Only Get Better' by a group named D:ream. The hard part for Barack Obama is going to be living up to the dream envisaged in Memphis decades ago.
Here across the Atlantic, Anti-US feeling has been running high since the hanging chads of Florida catapulted George W. into the White House. This is not a distaste for the US-American people themselves but for the Government. As we approach 11/11, this country knows the great debt it owes to the USA war effort although we have to point out that you were a little tardy and the sacrifices of Stalingrad also rank highly.
What rankles though is that the so-called 'special relationship' seems so one-sided. It is physically impossible to stand shoulder to shoulder when so far behind. European leaders will again seek to jostle for position once the new president is inaugurated. Obama will inherit a position of strength but not a moral high ground. The trick is to balance the two.
Here in Liverpool, slavery helped build the city. We now commemorate those wrongs in ourmuseums and in 2008 we are European Capital of Culture.
But whilst slavery ended here well before finally being abolished in the US, we are still some years away from electing a non-white Prime Minister. So, America now leads the way. It has always believed that it did anyway but this has been false.
Debate is now taking place as to whether Britain is ready to embrace the same seismic decision.
Whilst Liverpool has historically been built on immigration and emigration, there are still areas where racism is the norm. This may not amount to direct attacks but there is a covert discrimination happening.
On local radio here many have made comments that Obama's colour should not matter. In terms of what they are referring to it doesn't. However, this misses the point - Obama has given hope to people and emphasised that for all that the American Dream that anyone can be President is a bit of a fallacy, the glass ceiling has developed a crack.
A potential hurdle is an underlying suspicion of racism and religious differences, which bubble at the surface of society. As the economic troubles continue, there is a risk of extreme right-wing parties benefitting as has happened in other parts of Europe.
As the US suffers from a similar downtrend it is vital that Obama does not pander to such elements and tackle the perception that immigration is detrimental to the life of the average Joe (plumber or not). As you may recall, the story about the doll brought your town to my attention and vice versa. Matters can get out of hand and lead to an inferno of intolerance not envisaged when the fire is first lit.
I'm reminded of Oklahoma-born Woody Guthrie in his song, God's Promise
I promise you power, this minute this hour,
The power you need when you fall down to bleed,
I give you my peace, and my strength to pull home
My love for all races all creeds and all kinds.
(c) WG Publications Inc
One major worry is what favours will be called in. Bush owed the oilmen and Wall Street; Obama must tread that thin tightrope line that progressives often find themselves on, and not give in to the temptation of appeasing opponents by being tougher than expected, like a new gang recruit convincing his mates he ain't soft (I'm thinking Danny Zucko and T Birds in Grease here).
As far as the Republicans are concerned, they need to take stock. McCain tried to distance himself from the disastrous Bush administration, but chose an equally disastrous running mate, whose lack of intellectual depth was a reminder of Bush in not-so-free-flow.
McCain's concession speech was noble and gracious. It is a pity that he left this part of his character behind during much of the campaign. The continual attempt to link Obama with socialism and terrorism at a time when Bush was bailing out financial institutions and presiding over a policy of regime change in Iraq ranked as hypocrisy of the highest order. A unifying role in the forthcoming administration is not out of the question.
Of course, the real test of change will be when the Republicans are able to field a candidate in the same terms. Then, the whispers that Obama merely garnered a natural Democrat support to turn out in record numbers, will go away. Condoleezza in 2012?
One oft-quoted fact/myth is that only 27% of Americans own a passport. This, coupled with perceived attitudes to the rest of the world - a with us or against us stance, enhanced by stories about Sarah Palin's knowledge of geography lend ammunition to Anglo-American suspicions.
I conducted a straw poll of people in my local area and asked them to pinpoint Oklahoma on an unmarked map of the United States. The results were not encouraging. Whilst some were able to select the general area, none could do so with any degree of accuracy. They did know that the USA was a country rather than a continent though!
On a more positive note, another non-scientific pointer came at the recent MTV awards in Liverpool. After 9/11 the Star Spangled Banner was played outside Buckingham Palace. And on Thursday night at the European Music Awards people stood for the anthem again. In between these 2 events have been years of suspicion and a feeling of being hoodwinked as our troops came home in body bags fighting in a country where bin Laden was not.
The 3 main US policy issues affecting us in the UK are the financial crisis, US foreign policy, and environmental issues. All three have a bearing on the rest of the world. The USA must be inclusive not unilateralist; in order to unite you must first invite.
Obama may be a turning point so long as he learns the lessons of history and rebuilds rather than pillages. He needs to involve others - the U.N. and European Union - and show leadership by example and create equal partnerships. Should he succeed in this,no longer will Bush's catchphrase sound so hollow,spoken as it was as a single, Germanic word freedomanddemocracy.
Yes, I remember where I was when Obama became President-elect. Unlike many of the other events mentioned, this was not a complete shock but a welcome gift to the free world. Unlike the presents shortly to be seen at the foot of the Christmas tree, this comes with no warranties and a disclaimer: thank you for choosing your President.Handle with care.
Following yesterday's mention of rentaquote Stephen Green of his Christian Voice Movement, we see him appearing on the pages of The Guardian today. Strangely, the Mail neglected to call him up on the sex education in primary schools story, so maybe there is a parallel universe somewhere.
Or, is this a sign of the Guardian's continued drop in journalistic standards? As the paper develops a trend for celebrity, tabloidesque pieces masquerading as comment (Big Brother blogs, Kerry Katona updates), has it fallen into the trap of regurgitating press releases?
Polly Curtis in The Guardian does provide more accurate information than the Mail's headline-and-run approach, pointing out that:
Children will learn about body parts and the fact that animals reproduce from the age of five, puberty and intercourse from the age of seven and contraception and abortion from the age of 11.
The Mail, however, merely informs its readers that,
Children as young as five will be taught about sex, drugs and alcohol in compulsory lifestyle lessons, ministers announced today.
Returning to The guardian, although other comments are sought, the disturbing one is from Green,
However, a minority of traditional family campaigners opposed the decision. Stephen Green, national director of Christian Voice, said the proposals would only "encourage experimentation" and contribute to the rise in teenage pregnancy and infertility.
He said: "We oppose this move completely. It can only encourage experimentation and will not teach about the rise in teenage pregnancy and infertility.
"Condoms only cover one part of the anatomy and do not protect against other infections carried on the skin that can cause infertility."
My objection is not to the fact that there is an opposing view, but that it comes from a man allowed to punch above his weight by hiding behind a tin-pot organisation.
There will be Christian groups that also oppose this but do not share Green's apocolyptic view of the world, his hatred of homosexuality, his anti-Islamic stance, his suggestion that Hurricane Katrina was God cleansing sin, his belief that the Queen's Sovereignty comes from God, prayer can win Test Matches against Islamic countries! I could go on but I'm losing the will to live.
Local BBC radio here also quoted from Green on this matter and this went much further than the Guardian words. To paraphrase he suggested that this was a proposal from a Government forcing children to fornicate and that sex should only be between two virgins on their wedding night. I don't think he was referring to John and Yoko.
As I said yesterday, our new friends in Owasso (Morning! hope the storms have not done much damage, though Green may claim them to be a judgment on Obama supporters) may be as upset about this as the Magic Bus, but at least the Doll-Fearers may have a soul mate.
The doll - rather confusingly -is purported to say 'Satan is King' as well as 'Islam is the light' but Brother Green sees a link:
We want the freedom to preach the Gospel, to say Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth and The Life, and that the gurus and prophets of other religions lead nowhere except to hell.
All makes sense now. Must. Join. Christian. Voice. Green. Is. The. Lamb*
Right. The Sun Readers have spoken. I will use short. Sentences. For.Them. Liverpool's favourite paper (for US viewers this is sarcasm and apologies for the superfluous 'u') takes up the lead on this world-important story. Forget the credit crunch, climate change, the US election and Tranmere losing to Millwall - the big issue is this:
MY Sun users are having a doll dilemma as they debate whether Fisher-Price Mattel's Islamic doll should be shelved.
MY Sun's news forum has been a hive of activity with users in a state of shock following the news that the doll is also available in toyshops across the UK.
State of shock? Have they banned tits on page 3? Has Jon Gaunt professed a love for ballet? Has Carlsberg been forced to shelve plans to give away its gnat's piss lager (again)? No, Sun literati members are up in arms over the threat of Islamic indoctrination through the Trojan Doll. What do the sane and rational have to say?
Dutch user Lisolette says: "I think this is a very scary development. What do these parents do?
"Do they play the doll while their kids are asleep?"
Lisolette could speak no English until she bought a subliminal learn-to-speak-crap cassette from the Eindhoven Institute of the Gullible. Unfortunately, there are side effects and she has now started smoking and providing motivational help to bus passengers.
MelissaFinlan from Birmingham is convinced that if the doll uttered Christian messages it would be banned in the UK.
"Of course this doll should be removed from all shops!
"If we, in England, are being forbidden from displaying our own flag at times in case of causing offence, why should this be any different?'
That would be Birmingham, England not alabama then. Where the City Council had a British flag flying last time I visited. Obviously, there are no dolls available for Christians but even if they aren't banned, this one should be. Well done Mel. Now have a lie down before your brain explodes onto the M6.
"It should be removed," says Casadro from Liverpool.
I think Casadro should try waving his copy of the Hillsborough Liars' rag in a local pub.
To be fair, there were a lot of people on the Owasso site disagreeing with the bans, but looks like the madness is spreading.
Let's leave the final words to Elvis,
She's just a shabby doll She's putting him off and putting you on She's just the shabby doll You're swearing upon you know in your heart She's gone you know in your heart She's just a shabby doll
There's a girl in this dress There's always a girl in distress She's just a shabby doll She's so sure she's self-possessed
Amanda Morgan-Scott of the Owasso Reporter has another scoop. Someone across the pond in State 51 has been disrespecting the town/city of Owasso in Oklahoma (turn left at Tulsa). So let's get one thing straight here: everyone should feel proud of their homestead and should put up a solid defence (defense) as I do with mine. Perspective should also be kept and when humour (=humor for US visitors) does not come in your flavour (favor) one should have the ability to take as well as give out.
OK, (Okay not Oklahoma) puerile comments out of the way now. Let's look at what the article actually says,
Rofkahr's indignation over Little Mommy doll sets off media and Internet frenzy
Gary will be on Oprah next week recommending books for children without hidden meanings (C.S. Lewis v J.K. Rowling - winner to play either L.Ron Hubbard or Kirk Cameron in the Super Bowl) and Leno on Thursday discussing how Sarah Palin's winks are really a sign that the Republicans have been bodysnatched by Islamic Jihadists and that when she says 'you betcha' she is actually quoting from the Koran. But first, a word from our sponsors...........
Anyhoo, Amanda gets us back on the rails at last:
That's all it took to set off a wave of interest. Gary was interviewed by KJRH Channel 2 in Tulsa for that evening's news and he later did an on-the-air interview for a radio station in Lexington, Kent. Gary's story got spread much quicker than he expected, with more than 160,000 views of his story on www.owassoreporter.com. More than 1,000 comments were left on the Internet article from people in 45 states and four countries. It's no surprise that some of the comments were directed toward Gary and most were less than flattering. Other Web sites were created with either the Owasso Reporter online article copied and pasted directy onto the site or with the link to the story imbedded. Most of these sites also had comments either about the story or directed at Gary and Owasso.
So, increasing advertising revenue in these troubling times? I bet some sites were nasty though.
One particularly nasty posting was on ericthefishking.blogspot.com, a personal Web site by someone who apparently found the story very interesting and thought he should tell his readers exactly what he thought of Gary, the Owasso Reporter and the town of Owasso. Here are some excerpts straight from his blog.
Fair's fair Mandy babe, after all I learnt to use CTRL+C+V a long time ago and the addiction cannot be cured. Still, I don't receive any coins for this ego trip so hey ho.
"Gary Rofkahr from Owasso (The City Without Limits!) appears to be Witchfinder General here. He heard that there was a doll that said, 'Islam is the light' so what does ol' Gazza Boy do? He bought one! (He also bought Relax by Frankie as soon as he heard the prophet Mike Read tell us how evil it was). The local journal - the Owasso Reporter - is on to it. Jostling for space with other biggies like Restaurant closing not considered news by some and Motorists soon could find they will spending less time waiting for stop lights to change to green, it puts its top person on the job... Very Christian of you Gary. How about organising a Darwin and Dawkins book burning jamboree or Beatle CD crushing while you're vanquishing sin? The Owasso Reporter is taking no chances and bravely finds a fence to sit on...Please tell me this is just a bad dream - or a clever marketing ploy - that Owasso only exists if you go through a red light after selling your soul at the Crossroads?"
Sounds familiar. I wonder if they know who Mike Read is? For those US viewers he was a bit like Howard Stern but with a Cliff Richard fixation. He almost became Mayor of London, England as seen here: MIKE READ: MAYOR.
Gary, to be fair, is a bit taken aback at being more popular than Elvis.
"I don't have any animosity toward people of the Islamic religion.
Well, this site stands shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Rofkahr's position there whilst tentatively hoping that it doesn't result in the last Anglo-American show of strength. What we do take issue with is the over-reaction and this maybe seeps out with his next sentence.
This is not about religion. It's about a doll with a secret message imbedded in it that they're trying to sneak past us to indoctrinate our children and that's just wrong on so many levels."
Wrong on so many levels we agree. Islam is the Light or Aslan is the Lion?
Now people may mock this but people power can be important and a force for good. Who can forget those town councils in England, Europe that saved their flock from seeing the blasphemy of The Life of Brian? Just because they did not have a cinema is beside the point.
As with dead parrots and fruit bat licences (licenses) you really do need to stand up for your beliefs and put your foot down with a firm hand.
As Gary says,
"With help from my friends and the Owasso Reporter, we achieved what we set out to do
Altogether now......................
What would you do if your doll's out of tune Would you stand up in Wal-Mart and shout, When you're in church and Islam's not the light, Are you certain the audio's not right?
Or, you don't buy a little doll for your friends 'Cos when it cries it'll drive you round the bend,
So, could it be Owasso people That this could put you on the map?
No, you'll set fire to little dolls on the heap No, you'll all burn them like good little sheep So, I must go and get down for some sleep.
Finally, Anon on the original post has this to say:
I WISH YOU WOULD BRING YOUR DUM ASS TO OWASSO ERIC FISHER KING OR WHO EVER THE FUCK YOU ARE..OWASSO IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE AND THE OWASSO REPORTER IS THE BEST NEWS.GARY HAD EVERY RIGHT TO FEEL THE WAY HE DID ABOUT THE DOLL..MAY YOU ARE ONE OF THE SATAN PEOPLE WE HAVE IN THIS WORLD.YOU WILL BURN IN HELL.....WTGOWASSO,,,KEEP UP THE GODLY WORK WE DO,,,
Note how it starts off very reasonable and then slowly degenerates into what can only be described as mild criticism. To repeat my oft used anti-heckler barb, Anon, I liked your hymns and poems better. It's getting late here so please do not shout. You're keeping the baby from praying to Macca.
Finally, in deference to the home of Garth Crooks, I mean Garth Brooks, I leave the final word to one of Gary's friends or family member...or both:
"I'm so happy to live in a town like Owasso that has a newspaper that will stand up for what's right and that isn't afraid to print a story that might cause them grief. There's just a bunch of great people in this town."
It's a bit unfair to have a go at The Mail for this one as it's also covered in the Telegraph, but here's another reason why religious nutters so prevalent in the States should never be allowed to dictate what happens in the UK.
Concerned parents have accused a Fisher Price doll of preaching pro-Islamic messages to their children.
The Little Mommy Cuddle 'n Coo dolls, available in the UK from £19.99, have been reported as saying: 'Islam is the light.'
The talking doll initially caused controversy in the USA and some retailers even removed the product from their shelves, Fox News reported.
But Mattel, the parent company of Fisher Price, dismissed the controversy as a phenomenon caused by the doll's cheap inbuilt speakers.
A spokesman said: 'The Little Mommy Cuddle 'n Coo dolls feature realistic baby sounds including cooing, giggling, and baby babble with no real sentence structure.
They refute allegations that a Muslim worker has tampered with the voice box – and deny the plaything also says: 'Satan is King'.
Just don't let these assholes get copies of The White Album or Black Sabbath (Incidentally, if you get a vinyl copy of any Celine Dion record and play it backwards it sounds like.......much better)
"I have a 1-year-old granddaughter," he said. "It makes me mad that someone is trying to indoctrinate our children with an innocent toy."
Presumably, the Rofkahr Rugrat is more used to discussing the finer points of Proust and Wittgenstein than chanting the mantra. Irate, Daddy called the nasty men at Fisher Price (presumably on a real telephone not a Fisher Price one):
"I told them I didn't want my money back, I wanted them to pull these dolls off the shelf," he said. "They told me they can't pull an item just because a customer requests it, they have to have corporate direction. I told them I would get corporate direction and get back to them. I told them I'm from a town of 30,000 people with 46 churches in it and I know someone who attends each one. I'm going to everyone I know to tell them about this and I'm going to call Target and Wal-Mart and see if we can pull this doll off the shelves."
Very Christian of you Gary. How about organising a Darwin and Dawkins book burning jamboree or Beatle CD crushing while you're vanquishing sin?
The Owasso Reporter is taking no chances and bravely finds a fence to sit on:
Editor's note: The Owasso Reporter has chosen to only play the video of the phrase the doll utters that sounds like "Islam is the light." Video of the phrase where the doll sounds like she utters "Satan in the king, Mama" is very hard to distinguish and cannot be truly judged through a video on the Internet. Therefore, we have chosen not to run this part of the video.
The company take no prisoners:
We have found that if told to listen for a particular phrase, you may hear something similar due to the power of suggestion.
Aha! Harry Hill was right - the power of suggestion........or the power of the religious nutter.
Please tell me this is just a bad dream....or a clever marketing ploy......that Owasso only exists if you go through a red light after selling your soul at the Crossroads?
