Dwarfs object to "Evil" Lego Dwarf

[TeufelHund]

Don't tell GRR Martin but apparently a vertically challenged group has taken objection to a dwarf being characterized as "evil" despite this being a dwarf of the beardy fantasy type rather than someone affected by dwarfism:

http://www.brickfanatics.co.uk/charity-saddened-by-the-lego-groups-evil-dwarf-minifigure/

The figure is also from series 5 which came out years ago...

This is about on the same level as Muslims complaining about Jabba's Palace being a Mosque full of gangsters.

[Mesabi]

Oy. And there are even plenty of good dwarves, I mean all of the LOTR dwarves are good guys. I think all this proves is that we live in a culture that is currently very easy to offend. 

[zux]

WTF, people are easily offended and trying to find problems with everything these days.

[Littleworlds]

Now that took a while. Series 5 is ages ago. I guess the current battle dwarf wasn't offensive enough, so they had to dig deeper 

 

[Trekkie99]

Understandably, there are things to be offended by. This isn't one of them. I'm sure this issue between TLG and RGA will be resolved very easily.

Edited June 9, 2017 by LegoMonorailFan

[VaderFan2187]

Edit: Removed animated GIF

Edited June 10, 2017 by Jim
Made me nervous ;-)

[Trekkie99]

5 hours ago, VaderFan2187 said:

 

The very fact that RGA made a complaint about a minifig that came out all the way back in 2011 sort of discounts the entire complaint by itself.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Darkdragon
Please don't quote pictures.

[ColletArrow]

It's a bit less face-palm-y than all that, there is reason this turned up 6 years late. If one reads a few lines down, it states:

Quote

[The charity] picked up on the use of the Evil Dwarf from Collectible Minifigures Series 5 in the Create the World trading card series...

...and also goes on to mention that:

Quote

The chair of RGA UK, Gill Martin, said: “We were saddened to learn about LEGO’s evil dwarf character – now a popular trading card among children...

So it's only an issue now that the figure is 'popular' as an image on a small piece of card, rather than the actual figure 6 years ago, even though both are completely out-of-context. Perhaps it's the comparison between this figure and the rest of the figures used for the trading card game; if the rest were normal, modern people in different job roles it would indeed be an issue. However, I don't think that's what the case, although I have no idea what the card game is about. An unusual case; what does anyone know about the card game in question?

[Littleworlds]

So it seems they are sold at Sainsbury's in the UK. A couple of the cards are on ebay, like this one. I can't help, but I still don't understand how someone could take offence on such a thing. Ok, the caption is a bit silly, but I think the writer might been at lost what else to say. Did they complain about the guys in the Hobbit-movies as well? 

 

[badgerboy]

I have no concept of what it must be like to be in any kind of minority. I'm a white middle-aged male and whilst I've had tough times in my life, that is nothing like enduring any sort of adversity day in, day out.

I get cross when idiots in cars cut me up when I'm on my bike, but that's only a few moments of anger at one or two individuals who've failed to be considerate.

I initially thought getting upset about this was an overreaction, but I think I can see where they're coming from, even if they're five years late, I think they have a right to be offended. This is a couple of large corporations who in retrospect probably should have known better.

Do I think Lego and Sainsbury 's should have acted differently? Possibly, but I think what's important is how they handle it going forward, and that doesn't mean censorship, it means sensitivity.

Without checking, I don't know whether there was balance, good vs. evil being represented... perhaps male and female would have been safer?

Edited June 9, 2017 by badgerboy

[Vindicare]

1 hour ago, badgerboy said:

I have no concept of what it must be like to be in any kind of minority. I'm a white middle-aged male and whilst I've had tough times in my life, that is nothing like enduring any sort of adversity day in, day out.

I get cross when idiots in cars cut me up when I'm on my bike, but that's only a few moments of anger at one or two individuals who've failed to be considerate.

I initially thought getting upset about this was an overreaction, but I think I can see where they're coming from, even if they're five years late, I think they have a right to be offended. This is a couple of large corporations who in retrospect probably should have known better.

Do I think Lego and Sainsbury 's should have acted differently? Possibly, but I think what's important is how they handle it going forward, and that doesn't mean censorship, it means sensitivity.

Without checking, I don't know whether there was balance, good vs. evil being represented... perhaps male and female would have been safer?

I will disagree on the group having the right to be offended. While we don't know, at least I don't, the context of the game, we know how these "evil" guys play out in the CMF series. We always...well, mostly, get a good & a bad guy, we've seen it dozens of times. Their complaint would mean even less if the good Dwarf is in the cards somewhere. May have to look into this. 

[xboxtravis7992]

 Keyboard warriors strike again! Its a fantasy setting so why bother about it? The "south pole elf" in the film Elf was far more offensive than this! 

(Then again I am 6' 3" so I might not measure up to the be the right judge of this situation. But still, just seems to be people crying out for attention )

Also go and count the "good" Lego dwarves: https://brickset.com/minifigs?query=dwarf

Edited June 9, 2017 by xboxtravis7992

[anothergol]

"it reinforces stereotypes of people with dwarfism as mythical creatures", "We would love to see positive and realistic figures that show people with dwarfism as everyday people, with regular jobs and families"

wtf, I know I'd rather be a mythical creature than an average joe with a regular job.

 

[Robert8]

This just can't be true LOL

[VaderFan2187]

@Jim why'd you remove my gif  lol made my day

[StarWars8Spoiler]

Wow, really looks like they got the short end of the deal. 

Am I going to get chambered for this?

[Brick-of-the-Wild]

It seems they have got nothing left to fight for.

 

 

 

[Cobb]

So...they forgot all about the Penguin. I guess...

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I think some people should work and produce, instead of wasting resources like oxygen... or food that would be way better used by third world people.