With the advent of social media, the general barometer for human sensitivity is on a sharp decline. In a world where everything is put on display for likes and in hopes of “breaking” the internet, people go to great extremes to make a video or a photo go “viral.” In post-modern society nothing is off limits; from subtle racism to forcing children to tears—anything goes. The below video posted to YouTube earlier today, raises questions about cultural sensitivity, the malicious use of video, and private moments that end up on display. The ESSENCE team had a myriad of responses to this video and we have a few questions for those persons behind the filming of it.
1. What’s so funny?
2. What was the purpose of buying the dolls—was this intended as a prank?
3. If it was a prank, were you using Blackness as a tool to make the child unhappy or were you using it as a tool to show the rejection of Blackness?
4. Why post this to YouTube, do parents need cultural sensitivity lessons too?
5. Assuming that this was a prank, what happened to the dolls after the filming was over?
6. Where is the second video of you explaining to the child that a doll is a doll, regardless of its’ race?
7. Can we send Iyanla or Oprah to the house for an intervention?
8. Were you gifting the dolls as a social experiment?
9.Since you recorded the this and laughed throughout the duration of the video, were you purposely planning to out your children’s potential racial ignorance?
10. Why did your assumed need to film this video overshadow your desire to comfort the child when she began to cry?
11. Why is it that the older child seems to have more sense than you, given that she knew to politely abstain from verbally rejecting the gift while you made her and her sister the butt of your joke by laughing, filming and later sharing this video?
12. Why is this classified under “Entertainment” on YouTube?
13. Again, what was so funny?
Sound-off on Facebook and in the comments below and let us know what your thoughts are on the video.