I had read about the controversy over Django action figures on Kastor’s Korner but couldn’t believe it when my wife pointed out this news blurb on the Huffington Post. I think this is just posturing by the Weinsteins – by now I imagine production and distribution of the figures is done, and I can’t see a recall of product at retail over this.
I saw the movie – I don’t think it trivialized slavery. I don’t think the action figures trivialize slavery either. They’re movie collectibles. Looking at those head sculpts, I’d probably buy them, if Mego was my thing. But if owning action figures of black characters is insensitive, I better throw out (sorry, emancipate) my Black Panther, Black Lightning, and Black Goliath figures. What somebody really ought to figure out is why these guys all had to have “Black” in their character names.
‘Django Unchained’ Action Figures Discontinued
LOS ANGELES — The Weinstein Co. has asked a toy maker to discontinue a line of “Django Unchained” action figures after receiving complaints that they were offensive.
The studio said Friday that such collectibles have been created for all of director Quentin Tarantino’s films, including “Inglourious Basterds,” and that they were meant for people 17 and older, the audience for the film.
“Django Unchained” is a violent mix of spaghetti Western and blaxploitation genres about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who becomes a bounty hunter. Civil rights groups argued that the toys trivialized the horrors of slavery.
“We have tremendous respect for the audience and it was never our intent to offend anyone,” The Weinstein Co. said in a statement. Toy maker NECA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.