McWhorter on "Negro" [Was: on "Negro English"] (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Judy Prince]

Yes, Russ, I saw the original toothpaste ("Darkie")  in Taiwani 20 years
ago, too.  In the year I lived and worked in Taipei and traveled somewhat
(Taichung, Ilan), I saw one African-American person (whom I asked where he
came from) and no other blacks.

Stereotypes are highly exportable.  When asked where I lived in the USA, I
frequently got this response:  "Bang Bang!" with the person mimicking
holding a pistol, and apparently thinking of Al Capone.  My then home was
Chicago.  As frequent a response was "Michael Jordan!!!" with a huge smile.


Best, and "dzai jyan"!  (phonetic spelling learned at U of Michigan....Wade
Giles, I think)

Judy

2010/1/21 Russ McClay <mcclay at taolodge.com>

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Russ McClay <mcclay at TAOLODGE.COM>
> Subject:      Re: McWhorter on "Negro" [Was: on "Negro English"]
> (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On the term "darky", darkie.
>
> 20-something years ago when I first moved to Taiwan the
> ubiquitous toothpaste was (and still is) Darkie Toothpaste.
>
> The brand features a black man in a top hat.
>
> In Chinese the brand is: Hei Jen Ya Gao (Black man tooth paste).
>
> Around 1985 Colgate-Palmolive bought the brand and changed the
> name to Darlie.  Exact same packaging.
>
> The word Darkie had none of the baggage for the Taiwanese that
> it apparently had for the new brand owners, who didn't live in
> Taiwan.
>
> I still think it was a very clever brand name change.
>
> Change the K to an L.
>
> Darlie Toothpaste
> --
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlie
>
> -r
>
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