Don't Question My Intelligence

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If there's one thing that bothers me it is being manipulated by the media.  It is an insult to my intelligence and I refuse to tolerate it.  As I have said before our credo in the Marketplace is "challenge everything, question everything, and validate everything."

Here's the latest one.  The picture on the left is going viral on the internet.   On Monday WBLS 107.5 posted this picture on their facebook page.  The caption with the picture was:

The new black Barbie just popped up on the internet which some are calling offensive!
Is this the true essence of our beauty and how America perceives the black woman?
Who do you blame for this image? 

There's also an article entitled "Image of New Black Barbie Doll Sparks Outrage" the author writes:

An image of a brown Barbie doll has surfaced on the Internet, causing people to question whether or not it is supposed to be the next African-American Barbie. The doll is sporting blonde hair, gold chains, cleavage, and two bags that are strikingly similar to the Louis Vuitton monogram multicolor collection.

Why would I have an issue with this?  It may be because this doll is not a Barbie.  Barbie dolls are made by Mattel.  This doll is a classic for doll collectors.  It was designed by Jason Wu, marketed in either 2005 or 2006 and produced by Integrity Toys, a Black family owned doll manufacturer.  These types of dolls are not designed or made for play.  The name of the doll is Adele and is part of Integrity's Fashion Royalty collection. These dolls are high-end collectibles.  Integrity Toys' website notes:

Always reaching for the next level, Integrity Toys designs, produces and markets a variety of dolls and related accessories, with a specialization in high-end fashion dolls.  Founded in 1995 by Mr. Percy Newsum, Integrity Toys' extensive experience and capabilities in the field of doll making allows us to create products and programs for many of the world’s best-known retailers, consumer products companies, celebrities and other intellectual property holders.   

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Integrity currently produces high-end fashion dolls ranging in size from approximately 12 inches to 16 inches tall, under a number of brands, including Fashion Royalty, the Dynamite Girls, Poppy Parker and the Brides of Dracula, among others.   The Company’s products typically retail from $50 to $250 each, with most of the products retailing in the $130-150 range.  Our products are known for their superior engineering, high-end aesthetics and of course, fashionable, detailed clothing and our company is well known for its top notch customer service.

I don't know a thing about doll collecting but I do know when I'm being manipulated.  We should be questioning the reasoning behind this posting.  Is this a case of the race card being played?

Who do I blame for this image?  I blame those that choose not to tell the entire story.  I blame those that attempt to manipulate us by sharing the equivalent of a 30 second sound bite.  I blame us if we don't begin to challenge, question, and validate.

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By the way, was there an uproar when Mattel manufactured and distributed a Cat Woman/Halle Berry look-alike Barbie?

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Update: February 20,2013
Mattel, Inc., which owns the Barbie brand, said Monday the doll whose image is being circulated on the Internet was not made or sold by them.