[Kevin]

Read this article

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americ...rss_topstories

While the word is bad, I think the family here in question are over-reacting. Maybe looking for some lawsuit money?

"Moore is consulting with a lawyer and wants compensation. Last week, she filed a report with the Ontario Human Rights Commission."

"Moore, 30, has three young children, and said the issue has taken a toll on her family.

"Something more has to be done. We don't just need a personal apology, but someone needs to own up to where these labels were made, and someone needs to apologize to all people of color," Moore said. "I had friends over from St. Lucia yesterday and they wouldn't sit on the couch.""

Yeah it's a bad word. But give me a break.

Maybe I am being insensitive about it. I don't know.

What do you think?

[design219]

I'm on the fence with this one. I think this country is waaaaaaay too law suit happy, but not being black, it's hard to really know how hurtful this was. I do think the problem was explained, and will be corrected, and so the reaction has done some good... but a lawsuit seems over the top. This was not Don Imus who knew what he was doing.

[JoshuaZ]

I would say yes. But then again, I would say people over react to most everything these days in the US. Honestly people, get over it and move on in life. There are much bigger issues in life to deal with.

[Dakarʒ]

Oversensitive or greedy? I'll go with greedy.

[Y3a]

I wanna know more about the decision to call that boring brown the name they picked. WHO did that? Why THAT word, and WHat culture(if any) did they come from??

[design219]

Originally Posted by Y3a 

I wanna know more about the decision to call that boring brown the name they picked. WHO did that? Why THAT word, and WHat culture(if any) did they come from??

Read the story and you'll see they say it was an out of day translation program.

Makes you wonder what year (or century) that program was coded in.

[Sherman Homan]

Originally Posted by Y3a 

I wanna know more about the decision to call that boring brown the name they picked. WHO did that? Why THAT word, and WHat culture(if any) did they come from??

Uh, it means dark or black. The slip was printed in China for an Indian manufacturer shipping to the US. At worst it is a translation mistake. Like "Nova" for a car, or trying to explain to a Hungarian why a straight man would enjoy eating a "cookie", or why a straight woman would enjoy:
jussipussi

[faragbre967]

I think people tend to forget that that word isn't really a racial slur in some Latin based languages. I know Wiki isn't the greatest but, ****** - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. That's probably why there was a slip up. Next we'll have homosexuals offended by old songs when they say "happy and gay." The lawsuits are getting pathetic.

I guess the n-word doesn't go through so the link won't work. Everyone knows what it is, replace the stars with the letters and you'll see the page.

[Mastrap]

If I were affected I would accept the apology and move on. But then, I don't have any first hand experience of how this affected this woman.

[Kevin]

I would say what mattered would be the intentions behind the word usage. Not the word itself.

Words by themselves aren't very powerful. Unless you let them be.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

I would say what mattered would be the intentions behind the word usage. Not the word itself.

Words by themselves aren't very powerful. Unless you let them be.

For once, I agree completely and unconditionally with what Kevin says.

Had this been deliberate—a corporate plan to include offensive words in all items sold to black people, and only black people, for instance—the black community in general (though not this woman specifically) would have been entitled to something more than an apology.

It’s clear, though, that this was an accident that happened due to a break in the lines of communication (the part where some Chinese factory worker should never be trusted to be able to translate even the smallest bit of information on his own, but rather have every bit of information needed on the product delivered, fully completed, to simply put on there), and that there was no ill will or evil intentions, neither by the company, nor by whatever poor sod happened to (ab)use that translation software to commit this atrocity of a translation. As such, they got their apology from a duly outraged president of the company, and that’s all they can and should expect to get.

[Kevin]

I think most people will agree.

The one person that voted no didn't even reply to the thread. I'd love to have heard his/her opinion on the matter.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

I think most people will agree.

The one person that voted no didn't even reply to the thread. I'd love to have heard his/her opinion on the matter.

No you wouldn't. It's CATS CEO.

[Oisín]

The nay-sayer is CATS C.E.O.

Perhaps he got one of the offending sofas as well

Edit: Damn, too slow. Got distracted before hitting ‘submit’.

[Dakarʒ]

[Kevin]

Ah more than likely he voted no just to be doing so then.

[Chuckit]

1. Yes, they're oversensitive. Honestly, to allow a misprinted label on a couch to have that much control over you is just bizarre.

2.

[OldManMac]

In the context of this situation, I think they are being ridiculous. This appears to be a simple, honest, mistake on the part of the manufacturer's translator, and nothing more, yet this is being blown way out of proportion. This woman, saying that "something needs to be done" won't accept the fact that something already has been done to correct the problem, and is now causing more problems by tying up lots of people with an absurd claim that she's entitled to something more than a sincere apology.

I'm German born and a naturalized American citizen. If I bought a couch that was cabbage colored and found a label on it that said it was kraut colored (kraut = cabbage, and kraut is also a word sometimes used to describe Germans), I would point it out to the manufacturer, who I'm sure would apologize, and then I would rip the label off, get myself a Guinness, and watch TV. I certainly wouldn't intimate to my friends that they shouldn't sit on my couch because of a stupid label. This woman is just looking for an excuse to try to get her couch for free.

[Randman]

sentsitive?

[centerchannel68]

That is ****ing hilarious. But then again, I find a lot of things funny.

[Jawbone54]

I'm afraid we're all being much too insensitive and not even close to empathetic here. Don't you understand that reading that particular word is psychologically damaging on a number of levels? If they are compensated monetarily for this, I'm sure whatever they get will fall WELL short of how much years of therapy will cost. Simply reading that word is enough to make someone incapable of being comfortable in a social setting, perhaps forever. My heart goes out to the victims, and I need to stop typing now before my tears drip into the keyboard and damage my PBook.

[olePigeon]

Man, too bad Chappelle's Show isn't running anymore. Dave could make one hell of a skit outta this.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Man, too bad Chappelle's Show isn't running anymore. Dave could make one hell of a skit outta this.

QFT

[SVass]

I get a kick out of those who complained above that the US is too lawsuit happy. Toronto is NOT in the US yet. sam

[design219]

Originally Posted by SVass 

Toronto is NOT in the US yet.

In their dreams.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

I'm afraid we're all being much too insensitive and not even close to empathetic here. Don't you understand that reading that particular word is psychologically damaging on a number of levels? If they are compensated monetarily for this, I'm sure whatever they get will fall WELL short of how much years of therapy will cost. Simply reading that word is enough to make someone incapable of being comfortable in a social setting, perhaps forever. My heart goes out to the victims, and I need to stop typing now before my tears drip into the keyboard and damage my PBook.

[Dakarʒ]

Wow, you need a new hobby.

[Gossamer]

Like I said. Anything to avoid studying.

[Dakarʒ]

Yeah, I made a bunch of graphics last week. Slowly releasing them as is suitable.

[Gossamer]

It appears that reviews of them have been mixed.

[Dakarʒ]

Oh man...

[Kevin]

Just noticed this.

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ 

I would say yes. But then again, I would say people over react to most everything these days in the US. Honestly people, get over it and move on in life. There are much bigger issues in life to deal with.

TORONTO, Ontario (AP) -- Doris Moore was shocked when her new couch was delivered to her Toronto home with a label that used a racial slur to describe the dark brown shade of the upholstery.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

Just noticed this.

Just noticed this.

Originally Posted by SVass 

I get a kick out of those who complained above that the US is too lawsuit happy. Toronto is NOT in the US yet. sam

[design219]

SVass beat you to that one a few posts up.

[Dakarʒ]

This thread has officially been labeled albino white.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

This thread has officially been labeled albino white.

Someone call me?

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by SVass 

I get a kick out of those who complained above that the US is too lawsuit happy. Toronto is NOT in the US yet. sam

Originally Posted by design219 

SVass beat you to that one a few posts up.

Gossamer beat you to that one post up.

[design219]

I'll beat myself up later.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

This thread has officially been labeled albino white.

I prefer "Light Saltine"

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Gossamer 

Just noticed this.

Originally Posted by design219 

SVass beat you to that one a few posts up.

Gossamer beat you to it a post above you.

Originally Posted by Gossamer 

Gossamer beat you to that one post up.

Originally Posted by Kevin 

Gossamer beat you to it a post above you.

Gossamer beat you to it a post above you.

Or something.

[lpkmckenna]

I think these customers have every right to pursue this through the Human Rights Commission. I don't think this is worth a million dollars or anything, but the HRC was set up to deal with these kind of things. Selling products with derogatory labeling isn't much different than denying service. (What?! He wouldn't sell you a cup of coffee?! Cause you're black?! Get over it!! It's not slavery or anything!!)

[Dakarʒ]

Kevin is teh lashing out at Gossamer

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

QFT

I can imagine a commerical with Dave in his large mustache. He'd have Honkey Loungers and Wetback Wet Bars.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

Kevin is teh lashing out at Gossamer

I'm trying to take your advice to heart.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

Kevin is teh lashing out at Gossamer

Why would I do that?

[Dakarʒ]

Originally Posted by Gossamer 

I'm trying to take your advice to heart.

Rock out with your cock out?

[kmkkid]

They deserve an apology, but not any monetary compensation imo. Whether the word was directed at them personally or not, it's still an offensive word, that should not be printed on labels in modern day. They got their apology from whomever, case closed.

[Dakarʒ]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

The 'teh' denotes non-seriousness.

[kmkkid]

Originally Posted by Gossamer 

I prefer "Light Saltine"

How 'bout "Cracka Beige"

[forkies]

Bulletin board supervisor faces charges for not deleting message calling girl 'ugly'