Homies.tv: racial stereotypes all around
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
Racialicious reader Krys tipped me off to this web site, which includes some videos that bring the Homies dolls to life in the crudest racial stereotypes you can think of.
What is up with these dolls? According to Wikipedia, “Homies are a series of 2-inch figurines loosely based upon Chicano (Mexican American) characters in the life of artist David Gonzales. First created in 1998, these plastic figurines were initially sold via vending machines typically positioned in supermarkets, but quickly became collectibles among young children through teenagers.”
Are these actually popular with kids? Anyone have any insight?
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
dnA wrote:
From what I understand, part of the joke of Homies is that the detailed description of the Homies always contradicts their outward appearance. I remember them coming out, and at least at the time, each Homie had a very specific backstory that complicated the observers initial impression.
I think the original point of Homies was to encourage people to reconsider their stereotypes, but I’m not sure that that’s been the case.
Posted 04 Jun 2007 at 10:44 am ¶
Kai wrote:
I’ve seen these thingies in special little vending machines (”Homies” and also “Psycho Clowns” which kinda look like evil gangster clowns or something) at highway rest stops in New York. I guess they’re targeting bored fighting road trip families? First time I saw one, I stopped and stared for a while, just absorbing what I was seeing. Homies. Wow. I don’t know about the backstories, but I distinctly got the impression that these items were not attempting to combat racial stereotypes.
Posted 05 Jun 2007 at 7:52 am ¶
Dumi wrote:
Ahh the homies. The first time I saw them was the collection of middle aged white woman in her 50’s. She had them at work all around the rim of her cubicle. Every single one of them looked very stereotypical, when I asked her about them, she told me “They were so cool and wanted to collect them all.” So now whenever I see them, unfortunately I think of folks wanting to “collect em all”. Yeah, you get the lineage of human ownership. I have too heard the homies were intended to break down stereotypes, but lord knows they lack the capacity to seriously do that in a 1.5 inch figurine. Lastly, I do have to say this stop motion animation was kinda funny, I did laugh. Yeah, I know “even my conditioning conditioned”.
Posted 05 Jun 2007 at 11:48 pm ¶