Comments on: Here’s a noosey-noose to go with your Klan robe

By: tekanji

tekanji — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:05:42 +0000

Phil said:

Does anyone think the most likely explanation is that the folks at Disney (or elsewhere) who approved the design were intentionally creating a racist symbol?

No, but given the amount of money and resources Disney has at their disposal there is no excuse for not being aware of the racist implications.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:45:51 +0000

Pietoro,
Your point is well taken, unless someone was wearing other PotC gear to contextualize the charm. The most likely explanation for this seems to be that the people responsible for the decision to make a necklace like this just didn’t think about its implications. Does anyone think the most likely explanation is that the folks at Disney (or elsewhere) who approved the design were intentionally creating a racist symbol?

By: Pietoro

Pietoro — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:36:49 +0000

It’s only ‘clearly’ meant to be a PotC charm IF YOU SEE IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AD. In the real world, anyone seeing someone wearing this would only see -a person wearing a noose-, and the cultural meanings it would imply in that context is impossible to just ‘brush off’.

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:18:02 +0000

I can see how a noose ornament could be an example of unintended racism, in much the same way that a Confederate-flag lapel pin (even if it were for a movie set during the Civil War) would be racist.

I have trouble seeing how this is an example of being actively, racist, however, since it’s clearly meant to be an example of a pirate-noose, and not a Deep-South-lynching noose. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t a bad idea, but it just seems like a corporate gaffe. The goal with a lot of Disney products is to be a bit macabre, and I can see how they could cross a line without realizing it, or necessarily meaning to.

Although the Pirates movies were sexist and kind of silly, I enjoyed the fact that an interracial relationship between was presented without attention being drawn to the races of the characters involved.

The problem with boycotting a company like Disney is that there are so many other groups urging a boycott of Disney products that it’s unlikely that your reason for not buying Disney products will really be felt or heard by the people who are making the bad decisions that you disagree with.

By: Jade Reporting » 23 August

Jade Reporting » 23 August — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:57:22 +0000

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By: Godless Heathen

Godless Heathen — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:10:08 +0000

The entire Pirates of the Caribbean line of movies has been fairly problematic from the start. I pretty much wanted to smash in my television while watching the first movie. Elizabeth, the only female character to have more than a few seconds of screen time, gets threatened with rape twice! It’s not like I’m expecting frigging Disney to revolutionize the world, but just…damn.

Noose jewelry, maybe Disney is trying to reach out to their consumers in Jena. I’m sure a lot of anxious white dudes would love to show off how “edgy” and anti-PC they are. Money talks I guess.

By: Beste

Beste — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:36:09 +0000

The only thing I remember, is that Capt Jack was about to be hanged near the end of the first Pirates movie.

By: tekanji

tekanji — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:27:26 +0000

I know! I mean, I was thinking, “I’ve only seen the first Pirates, so maybe I’m missing something,” but still.

By: Pai

Pai — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:02:00 +0000

What baffles me, is that when I think of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, the LAST image I’d get in my mind would be that of a noose. Of all things!

How are nooses pirate-themed in the least?! Gawd, talk about being criminally clueless.