Hallmark Greeting Card Gets Accused of Corporate Racism

[celeb_2006]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXJh8bBYXj4&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

Hallmark Greeting Card Gets Accused of Corporate Racism | FavStocks

I’ve seen misunderstandings in my day and then I’ve seen mega-misunderstandings. The most recent example is a case in which the Los Angeles NAACP has attacked Hallmark Greetings for releasing what they believe to be a racist greeting card. On the card, two characters called “Hoops” and “Yo-Yo” (two brightly-colored, non-controversial and odd-looking animals) are celebrating their graduation. The theme of the card is “taking over the world,” and one of the characters says, “Hey world, we are officially putting you on notice.”

There is another part of the card’s audio in which a character says, “And you black holes, you are so ominous. Watch your back.” This statement was made relative to the fact that you shouldn’t just take over the world, you might as well take over the universe.

The NAACP of Los Angeles took offense to the card, apparently unaware that the theme of the card is taking over the world/universe and that black holes are part of the universe. The organization thought that rather than saying “black holes,” the characters were actually saying “black hoes,” or “black whores.” Either way, they were wrong. For some reason, this has not stopped them from holding press conferences speaking on the fact that they believe the card is insulting to African American women.

Sorry to the NAACP in Los Angeles – this card was created by Hallmark, not the rapper Lil Wayne. With all due respect, I’m not sure why you would presume that Hallmark would ruin a multi-billion dollar corporate brand by referring to black women in a derogatory way. Perhaps a conversation with representatives at Hallmark can make this right, but I am hopeful that this issue can be squashed before you end up squashing your own credibility in the process.

As a business school professor, the best thought I can share with Hallmark is that they may want to take a note from a lesson I learned long ago from my brilliant Dissertation Advisor, Andrew Karolyi. Professor Karolyi, an award-winning researcher at Cornell University, taught me that if your audience doesn’t get your message the way you intended it, you may want to hold yourself accountable for not properly communicating the message. From what I’ve seen of Hallmark’s card, there is nothing on the front or inside of it that sends a clear message that the card is making reference to outer space. Also, if you use names like “Hoops” and “Yo-Yo,” many people are going to think that you are targeting the card to an urban audience. When I hear those names, I think about “Hoops,” one of the girlfriends of Flavor Flav on Vh-1. When I hear “Yo-yo,” I think about the rapper “Yo-yo” who once rolled with the rapper Ice Cube on the West Coast. Hence, we have the formula: The card is targeted to black people who don’t know you’re making reference to outer space, and the term “black holes” gets turned into a Superfly movie

At the end of the day, this is all a big misunderstanding. Unless I am unaware of something else going on, I think that the Los Angeles NAACP needs to stand down and focus on more serious issues. I encourage their leadership to give me a call or send a friendly email if they think otherwise. Their work is too important for them to spend their time attacking a company that doesn’t appear to have done anything wrong. Hallmark might have some diversity issues to deal with, but this is clearly not one of them. At best, an African-American focus group could have helped them to avoid the embarrassing PR of this debacle.

[eboni]

Huh??? I mean I didn't even get it. Hoops and YoYo are mostly funny but sometimes a little esoteric. But does the NAACP think Black women are holes??? Huh??? Oh well...

[stef]

The organization thought that rather than saying “black holes,” the characters were actually saying “black hoes,” or “black whores.”

oh good god. they're kidding, right?

[cupcake]

Ahhhh this card has been out for years and now all of a sudden they want to make something of it. They are makng themselves look like FOOLS. There is nothing to this at all except people wanting to start trouble.

[BigBen]

I heard about this a while ago and I was just completely outraged. It's pathetic and stupid and ridiculous and all sorts of other adjectives I can't think of right now because I'm in a good mood.

[Star]

Wow.. I just want to punch that lady speaking and holding the card. It clearly sounds like BLACK HOLES. What a whore.

[Mivvi21]

People that make something out of nothing like this make it harder for the legit claims of racism to be taken seriously. Grow up and get real,lady.

[cupcake]

Im sad that Hallmark bowed down to them and removed the card. They should have stood their ground, this is bullying!!!

[Penny Lane]

I LOVE HOOPS AND YO YO! This is just stupid.

[Sundance]

Im sad that Hallmark bowed down to them and removed the card. They should have stood their ground, this is bullying!!!

It is. This is why I have such a new respect for Carvel. When Dina Lohan started her shit they basically told her to fuck off. Until businesses grow some damn balls people will always pull crap like this because they know they will get their way even when they're wrong.