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Don’t Cry for Don Imus: He Has a Future in the Furniture Business

When the new chocolate-coloured sofa set was delivered to her Brampton home, Doris Moore was stunned to see packing labels describing the shade as “Nigger-brown.”

She and husband Douglas purchased a sofa, loveseat and chair in dark brown leather last week from Vanaik Furniture and Mattress store on Dundas St. E.

Moore, 30, who describes herself as an African-American born and raised in New York, said it was her 7-year-old daughter who pointed out the label just after delivery men from the Mississauga furniture store left.

“She’s very curious and she started reading the labels,” Moore explained. “She said, `Mommy, what is nig … ger brown?’ I went over and just couldn’t believe my eyes.”

Hot tip courtesy of Fnarf.

Comments (19)

1

FTFA:
Douglas explained the origins of the word to daughter Olivia, telling how it was a bad name that blacks were called during the days of slavery in the United States.

"It was tough, because she really didn't understand," Moore said. "She'd never heard that word before and didn't really understand the concept of it."

--

Well, as soon as she lets her daughter start watching television and listening to the radio, she's going to start hearing that word much more often.

Posted by James Gonzales-Meisler | April 13, 2007 10:10 AM
2

It seems like the furniture store should have more to say than, "It's not my fault, call the supplier," and the supplier should have more to say than, "It's not my fault, but I'll call China." I don't think she deserves a cash settlement or anything, but maybe a new, non-degrading couch, for good measure?

And how did that label come about in the first place? Was it someone's idea of a joke, or just an error in translation?

Posted by Aislinn | April 13, 2007 10:21 AM
3

the label is from a chinese company... i don't know -- maybe they had no clue. i mean, this wouldn't be the first or worst language mix up on a product before. because, how could anybody knowingly think this could boost sales? if they did know, they are complete idiots.

Posted by infrequent | April 13, 2007 10:21 AM
4

Do you have any idea what the most offensive thing you can call a Chinese is? Me neither. I guess ignorance. Or sabotage from a hired-out translator guy. Remember all those t-shirts in Japan with English writing saying "I FUCK CHILDREN" and stuff.

Posted by Fnarf | April 13, 2007 10:26 AM
5

Moore, 30, who describes herself as an African-American born and raised in New York, said it was her 7-year-old daughter who pointed out the label just after delivery men from the Mississauga furniture store left.

“She’s very curious and she started reading the labels,” Moore explained. “She said, `Mommy, what is nig … ger brown?’ I went over and just couldn’t believe my eyes.”

Not quite kids walking up to me during recess in the 1st grade and going, 'Hey, gook,' but it's close.

Posted by Gomez | April 13, 2007 10:33 AM
6

Sorry, off-topic but...

I've always thought that H/T meant "hat tip", as in "Hat tip to Fnarf". Your attribution makes me wonder if it's actually "Hot tip". Anybody help a brother out?

Posted by Have I always had it wrong? | April 13, 2007 10:36 AM
7

Hey #1: What television programs and radio are you listening to? I think I've only heard that word once on TV and that was part of a recent Daily Show sketch about the NYC City Councilmember who wants to ban the word.

Except for stories like this, (and Dave Chapelle parodies) I have never actually heard someone use that word in conversation in my whole life

Posted by question | April 13, 2007 10:43 AM
8

There's an explanation over at Language Log.

Posted by Julia | April 13, 2007 10:56 AM
9

I remember quite a while back, when I was working in hotels, there was a thing that was circulated about bad translations in hotels (The maid will be happy to service you in your bedroom, etc) but it was nothing quite like that.

Posted by catalina vel-duray | April 13, 2007 11:07 AM
10

I'd like to know what color is listed on the invoice or catalog. I used to work for Eddie Bauer and we must have had 15 different words for green alone. I can't remember how many words for brown we had, but one of them was NOT n****r.

Posted by elswinger | April 13, 2007 11:08 AM
11

As somebody who does a lot communicating with, and importing from, China, I can attest that bizarre English language errors, mutilated grammar; "Chinglish," is common, even on 100 foot billboards in formerly English-controlled Hong Kong. It's not surprising that n-brown winds up being a perfectly acceptable English color translation on a couch label being printed and assembled by workers who don't speak a lick of English in a factory somewhere in Shenzhen who wouldn't have the slightest idea what the cultural ramifications would be upon final delivery to the end user. And just try picking up the phone and finding the guy in China who the buck DOES stop with -- you'd need 10,000 jade dragon warriors for that kind of luck.

Posted by Nick | April 13, 2007 11:10 AM
12

Bonus points to the Toronto Star for not using asterisks to protect our delicate eyes from the word "nigger".

Posted by pox | April 13, 2007 11:37 AM
13

Imus should have put it to Hip hop he would of been better off. Look at eminem. He's doin fine. and so is Ice cube. he's makeing cute movies with kids . what a great guy.
And i hope no one is offended when i bump this rap. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. And censhorship and langueage debate is for hypocrites. From Ice cubes sleepin with the enemy. Oh and white girls were called Cave bitches on that album. Any apology there? Nope. So bend over and take it cause the Black man and women is gonna rise up and shove hundreds of years of oppression down your throat. Wasn't that the revolutionary cry of this style rap.

sleepin with the enemy.
Now I change my style up, my style up,bodies pile up
just to trouble you, throwin out the W
sent me a subpoena
cause I kill more crackas then Bosnia, Herze - govina
each and every day out a siz-tre Chevrolet
with the heavy A to the muthafuckin K
now you treat me like a germ
cause your scared of the su - per sperm
please don't bust til you see, the whites of his eyes
the whites of his skin, the whites of his lies
nappy head nigga with the bone in his nose
ya scared I'ma put this bone in your hoes
but I don't wanna, I've been to cona
from the cavebitch with the nasty persona
hit me with the big black billy club
cause you white and your hoe than a silly nub
three men in the tub, rub-a-dub-dub
and it's really scary, now they're in the military
Sodom and Gomorrah, devil read your Torah,
Bible, Holy Qur'an
once again it's on, got the hollow point teflon
and the brother Ron [2X]
so who's next?
(devil)

Oh and I like Cube and this style of rap was huge for a reason. You can change Imus. but you can't change this ever. Its in everyones blood to be pissed off and say stupid things when they are upset. Deligating it certain colors of people though can be a mistake. Little johnny and mry love the beat and what did that rapper say. Oh thats coooool. He made a nice mvie to. He's a hero. Imus is zero and a devil cave bitch.

and no one can tell me they didn't know that existed in streets, the classroom or where ever they worked for the last 18 years. Go ahead fire Imus. But that doesn't change a thing. NHH or as Cubes says it NHN brings big money , big bucks and gets the point oacross that Black people say it better than white people anyway. So pass the hennessy and lets bump some free speech. Even if your white you invited to the party. You bought the records. Why toss them out.
You felt the soul and even chanted along to the lyrics and the beat. Why suddenly thats a sin. Everyone is hysterical. Calm down and forgive already. Imus is not a racist. He is just a fool. Screw him. Bring on the next craker to left or right to make a dumb mistake like he did.

Posted by summertime | April 13, 2007 12:18 PM
14

I apoligize for sayin cracker. Thats not me. Just repeating what is sayed in the streets and schools.

Posted by summertime | April 13, 2007 12:20 PM
15

Cracker was a pejorative used by whites against whites of a lower economic class.

There has never been an epithet supposed to demean a white person that comes close to the N-word.

Honkey makes me laugh and White Devil makes me feel sexy.

Posted by elswinger | April 13, 2007 1:01 PM
16

@7

I was referring to pop music, MTV, and other garbage teenagers listen to these days. Granted, the ending of the word is sometimes changed.

@15

I agree, we really need a more offense pejorative term for white people. The bet I can come up with is"hick." A lot of white people get offended when you call them "ordinary." I don't know though.

Posted by James Gonzales-Meisler | April 13, 2007 2:43 PM
17

When I lived in England in the late '70's that was a familiar color descriptor, mostly with older people. For instance when my friend bought a tweed jacket the salesman told him that's what color pants he should get for it. I think it's an old English color description that made it to Hong Kong and they never got the memo about not using it any more. I haven't heard it in more recent trips to England.

Posted by s. partridge | April 13, 2007 3:06 PM
18

As a big fan of black cinema, circa the 1970s, my favorite white--or rarely black--epithet has always been "jive turkey." Sure, it makes me laugh, but really, who wants to be called a jive turkey...? And Richard Pryor had a way of making it sound just as profane as "motherfucker." God bless him.

Posted by Kathy Fennessy | April 16, 2007 3:06 PM
19

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Posted by penis patches | April 30, 2007 11:26 AM

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