As Britain recovers from another BBC scandal (5CC) (this time receiving stick from the Daily Mail for taking action because one of its own is involved, whereas it demanded the head of Jonathon Ross*) we see that another doll scandal is being reignited across the Pond.
Following on from the original Mattel doll that indoctrinated little Biff and Hap, comes startling news that the Japanese are in on it too. As the Owasso Reporter.....er.......reports,
Apparently, the sound byte that had shoppers requesting local stores to pull the Little Mommy Cuddle and Coo doll off shelves has made its way into the Nintendo DS "Baby Pals" game. Many customers who had purchased the doll insisted the doll uttered the phrase "Islam is the Light." Now, the same baby voice utters the same phrase on the game, seeming even clearer than the phrase coming from the doll.
Of course, our friends at MAMA (Mothers Ask Mattel for Accountability) - not to be confused with BNP half man, half crackers Richard Barnbrook's Mothers Against Knives) have already got with the program.
“Islam is the light” appears to be the new chic addition to the most popular toys in America.
They provide a link to a Youtube video. Now, I don't hear it but maybe some people do; and maybe some people hear what they want to. The power of suggestion is often a factor. One thing that interests me is that for an organisation demanding accountability, they are not that transparent themselves. Nor do they invite opposing comments on their site. They do know that they have attracted criticism though!
Many people who like to argue on blogs dismiss those of us who hear the phrase quite clearly. Is this because it doesn’t exist or because if those same people admitted it did they would have to take a stand, one way or the other, and actually do something about it? They would have to look at the evidence that Shariah law is not good for people or other living things and that it is especially horrible for the most vulnerable in our society, our little girls.
We challenge you to educate yourselves on what Shariah law is really all about and what it has in store for little girls who are forced to live under it’s (sic) unbearable oppression.
The interesting bit about the last paragraph is the reference to 'little girls'. The MAMA lot talk about the subjugation of women under Islam quite a lot on their site with remarkable similarity to our very own British National Party.
As MAMA say,
First we heard it in the Mattel Little Mommy Cuddle n’ Coo doll. Now it makes it’s appearance at bath time in the Nintendo Baby Pals video game. Both toys are geared towards little girls.
Point taken on the doll, but there is nothing I'm aware of from Nintendo's ads for the game that refer to girls rather than 'baby'. I've not got the game but there does not appear to be evidence to support any gender exclusivity in the game.
The challenge to MAMA is to come clean over its real role and answer the following questions:
Who are the members of MAMA?
Where does it obtain its funding?
Why does it not allow comment?
Does it have any links to any other groups?
Who profits from T- shirt sales?
I know that the webmaster will visit here. They use sitemeter which tracks the referring websites, so it's over to you.
I've not looked to see if this lunacy has ended up in our great tabloid press (as id did with The Sun over the doll) but no doubt there'll be some coverage on a slow day. The game is available here for about £7.99 so maybe some rentaquote mum from Cirencester will confirm her outrage or Richard Littlejohn will just cut and paste as he usually does.
I'm surprised the voice has been found on the Nintendo DS console. I'd have thought that the Wii would be far more apt given the MAMA cot-bawlers to take the piss.
*Note how it was considered perfectly acceptable to mock Ross's speech impediment (Wossy) but the same treatment was not afforded to the similarly afflicted Carol Thatcher)
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.
Exclusive news reaches us from the USA where Eric the Fish is to write a column for the Owasso Reporter in Oklahoma. In a parallel universe, Richard Littlejohn, resident in now-Democrat Florida will write for a newspaper in this country. No, a newspaper: the Daily Mail doesn't count.
In other news, KLM will now be providing flights from Liverpool to Amsterdam Schipol, enabling connecting flights to the world to be booked directly. A spokesman for KLM refused to confirm that this was in preparation for the number of visitors expected from Tulsa in response to Eric's diatribe.
Good to see Macca praising America for electing Obama. Maybe he should avoid certain Republican states on his next tour.
Finally, if anyone thinks that Obamania has taken everyone in, have a look at the considered, rational and not-at-all childish position of Simon ' Two Wardrobes' Darby of the not-at-all racist BNP:
I wonder if Mr Obama will have the decency and integrity to start phasing out all of the European American technology, medicine, science and legislation that so blights the nation and bring in its African counterparts. After all that by default is what the media are crying out for as night after night they celebrate the demise of white society in an orgy of afrophilia and ethnomasochism.
So no bitterness there, Simon. Well done. To think that this piece of work is remunerated by the taxpayer for poncing around London with his camera is more worrying than the prospect of President Palin in 4 years.
I'm watching Liverpool v Atletico and in training for staying up late for what will hopefully be an historic victory for Obama.
Came across the rational site of Donal Blaney (ex of the 18 Doughty Street parish of Iain Dale) who seems to support Liverpool (bloody Irish comin' over here....) and has some witty, biting and incisive comments on the Clarkson matter.
While driving a truck, Clarkson made a comment that truckers' union bosses (leftists) have decried as implying that truck drivers murder prostitutes. Two did - Suffolk Strangler Steven Wright and Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe. It is not known if they were members of the United Road Transport Union.
What kind of country are we living in when a spokesman for whores is even asked for her views by a family newspaper? Where does she think we live? Holland?
Oh such biting satire. Oh such a limelight-seeking shit. I used to know someone like this at uni. You know the type, he'd have a blue poppy, blue red-nose day nose, and think being deliberately obnoxious would make him stand out. He was usually ignored. and so it should be. Unfortunately, this grinning blurt is in the top 100 blogs ever (according to Iain Dale).
Anyway, onwards and upwards.
The Owasso Reporter in Oklahoma now has a brand new website (possibly due to the 200 billion people who linked to it after the Islamic Doll/Traffic Lights story.
As the original article's writer, Amanda Morgan-Scott (aka Mandybabe) points out - in response to my fraternal greetings from the 51st State (literally),
I am so glad to know that you are an Obama supporter. I very proudly cast my ballot for John McCain. Knowing that we think differently about who should run the United States helps me feel even better about my choice. But still, it's nice to have you back giving us your opinion from the UK.
By the way, your interest in our newspaper helped us reach 500,000 page views for the month of October - a great accomplishment for our paper. Even though you read our news only to make fun of us and criticize, at least you're reading.
Oh, and, for what it's worth, I don't think any Americans really care what people in other countries think of us, so we're really not that worried about it.
Amanda Scott, a.k.a. "MandyBabe" "
I think the last paragraph tells us why we need a certain result in a few hours time. The american people have a chance to show this country that, despite existing racial divisions and the fallacy of the American Dream, they are ahead of this country in choosing the best candidate regardless of race.
It may be a false dawn, but the sun must rise if we are to carpe diem.*
*Not a time for soundbites or more Latin but could not resist!
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?
