I attended a majority black high school for two years, and heard the term used a number of times, and it was never an insult. Maybe humorous ribbing, but not actually an insult.

I don't see it having any appeal in that crowd beyond a similar humor at poor-english packaging (joke gifts probably), but I don't see it being insulting either. But hey, maybe black people can have diversity within their culture too.

Or maybe making an Oreo version of a line of dolls whose African American iterations have widely been criticized for having too-white features is hilariously apt.

You're missing the point, anonymous (maybe of the whole site). Just because you (or the people you've known) weren't offended by it doesn't mean the term definitely isn't offensive, i.e. it's an example of that whole diversity thing you're talking about. Also, sometimes there are terms within a community that are acceptable for use among its members and not for non-members. Oreo might be one of those terms (and I'm sure we can all think of others).

Anyway, epic fail on the part of Mattel, though it really doesn't surprise me.

Right, K, but I think you're actually the one missing the point, in the case of my comment. The point is that there's a difference between not recognizing a term that's offensive to the entire "black community" and a subset of that community. The post strongly implies that it belongs to the former, but perhaps it is actually the latter. I wouldn't consider myself a member of the aforementioned community so I wouldn't presume to speak for them, though.

Depending on how large that subset is, this might not actually be as stunning of a mistake. Obviously still a mistake, but maybe an understandable one.

@anonymous
"The point is that there’s a difference between not recognizing a term that’s offensive to the entire “black community” and a subset of that community. The post strongly implies that it belongs to the former, but perhaps it is actually the latter."

That fact that there was enough protest to prompt Mattel to pull the dolls implies that it *is* the former and not the latter.

But either way, we (white people) do not have the authority to decide what is and isn't offensive to black people. Which is why diversity in the workplace is a good thing.

"That fact that there was enough protest to prompt Mattel to pull the dolls implies that it *is* the former and not the latter. "

I would not be so quick to reach that conclusion. First we really have no idea what Mattel's "threshold" is for complaints. It may be 50, it may be hundreds of thousands. Secondly, even if you do reach a large amount of complaints that doesn't mean that it is a large amount of individuals actually complaining.

For example, the FCC received about 240,000 complaints in 2003 about indecency on TV, however 99.8% of those were sent by one activist organization by the name of "Parents Television Council". Leaving less than 500 actual complaints, and there may be even further duplication.

That said I can definitely understand why certain individuals and communities would be offended by it. I think in some ways it is difficult for outside communities to understand why "oreo" is a bad thing, because it is so often lobbed as an insult toward members of the black community who are successful.

I grew up in upstate NY, and oreo was definitely an insult. An insult people actually used -not an epithet - but an insult for sure.

then theres always the people who think barbie in general is an insult... an insult to women. the whole perfectly toned, tanned and tamed woman with blonde hair and a willing smile has been considered demeaning for years. talk about reading too much in to it.

ps: im considered a "minority" and i try not to be offended by every snide or nasty crack that comes out of someones mouth. its a toy. if you dont like it, dont buy it.

"This points to both (1) white privilege and the ease with which white people can be ignorant of non-white cultures and (2) a lack of diversity on the Mattel team."

Or it could mean that racialists should get a life. Wouldn't it be equally insulting for a Black girl who likes Oreos not to be able to get a Barbie of her choice if the White girls can?

So saying a person is white on the inside being an insult is OK with everybody? If I implied someone was white on the outside but black on the inside, even if I meant it as a good thing, everybody would be all over me saying I'm essentializing, dehumanizing and whatnot.
Yay diversity.

Although I've heard the "oreo" insult before, and understand how it can offend people, you have to look at the context. To take off from what opminded wrote at the end of her comment, should the Oreo folks not feature blacks in their advertising?

Anonymous, what Black high school did you go to? Micheal Steele High? The Condoleezza Rice Academy?

The last time somebody made the mistake of calling me that word I slapped the crap out of them, then chewed their ass out.

The only Black person ever comfortable with being called an 'Oreo' is one that will sell their people out at a moment's notice.

You know, like Clarence Thomas

It's just odd that out of all the snack foods there are, Oreo is the one chosen. Why not Fudge Stripes? Why not Baked Lays?

@yikes - Yeah, the whole snack food connection was mystifying me too. Baked Lays Barbie, hilarious.

How do they not know what it means?? I live in a school with not much of a black population (and with a lot of self-segregation on both sides) and I, a not-black biracial kid, know what it means... as probably do most of my non-black friends.

"This points to both (1) white privilege and the ease with which white people can be ignorant of non-white cultures and (2) a lack of diversity on the Mattel team."

Or (3) they did actually know that the term "Oreo" is used as an insult, but believed that the presence of actual, literal Oreos and the clear branding on the box would be sufficient to indicate to people that it was the actual cookie they were referring to and not the racial insult. I'm not saying they were necessarily right in their belief that this distinction would be clear (or even possible), but just suggesting that this could be one possible thought process that went on behind the scenes.

only color "on the inside" i can think of is red. why is everybody just accepting ethnicized self-perceptions and the hunt of "traitors"?
seekay said "should the Oreo folks not feature blacks in their advertising?" - so what if they did that? wouldn't you tell them the same thing? that the actors or actresses "embodied a well-known insult in the Black community"? so maybe oreo should stick to white actors?! this is farcical.

"then theres always the people who think barbie in general is an insult… an insult to women. the whole perfectly toned, tanned and tamed woman with blonde hair and a willing smile has been considered demeaning for years. talk about reading too much in to it."

Was this a joke? I can't tell. Are you straight-up saying that people whos ay Barbie is a bad influence on young women are "reading too much into it", with no sarcasm?

Think of this scenario; if there was no white Barbie, but instead there were only black ones. They decided to create a black Barbie advertising a food product 'cracker', then they decided to make a white version with the same name 'cracker Barbie' are you trying to say that white people wont be offended by that? This is similar to the Black Oreo Barbie scenario.

This is ridiculous. It is a freakin cookie. Kids who will play with the doll would only think about the cookie. Maybe this is a good thing to give the term "oreo" a positive connoation. This is like saying the white barbie could not have a 'marshmellow' themed doll. Black people need to get over this kind of stuff and not be overly sensitive. Our ancestors would laugh at the fact we even care about this.

Orea is a Cookie and slang is not proper nor will it ever be. I could say they making fun skinny ppl cause skipper and skinny ppl are called zippers. If people would stop using race as something to get to them. For those who believe in God they would not let slang of ignorance bother them because God is one man and he made us all we are all Gods children. I could get poed cause they call blondes air heads and I am not air head..

I'm pretty sure the only people who would actually call a black person an Oreo are other black people attempting to imply the individual is a sell out.

The slang meaning of the term "Oreo" implies the idea of being white is insulting, so whites wouldn't be super likely to know about it, use it, or automatically come to the conclusion it would be offensive. Why would we? Essentially, the people who complained were offended by the shit their own culture made up, and then blaming it on white people. ? For what, though?

According to this article, for not being up to date on all the ways POC insult each other. That's a privilege, apparently, and whites should feel mega super guilty for that. ? A bit far reaching, don't you think?

Nabisco obviously paid Mattel for advertising on the Oreo brand products. If black people don't wish to be included in that advert campaign because of the slang term they made up, okay. Nabisco doesn't need to use black people in their advertisements if it's a problem. ? They're only trying to make money, they don't give a fuck.

When was this?

Dang! And here I am 45 year old black barbie collector in 2023 wanting the Oreo AA barbie. Because of unnecessary complaints this doll is now between $300 to $700. To look back on something so foolish. Nobody ever said that Mattel has made Kool aid, pizza Hut, Kraft cheese, coke, and life savers barbie. I just need a time machine right now. 💩‼️