Sassy Piestawa doesn't quite roll off the tongue as easily.

Someone should Sioux them.

timujin: True, it has been used derisively for a long time, they should have known that.

By who? Do you think they meant it derisively?

Besides, I don't think they are marketing this to Indians.

doglover: Yes, it's racist.

Trick or treat !

squaw=coont

There was a great map I saw years ago changing all the places in Idaho with the name squaw in them in to coont...coont creek, coont valley, coont butte...It was pretty damn funny.

Well it's kinda to late for the marketer to take back the costume now because that would make them an



uhm... that would make them someone that takes back halloween costumes.

What a load of sitting bull.

timujin: The acceptability of racism in 1899 versus now also has no bearing on the conversation. Whether or not you find the book to be good is irrelevant. It is, as you say, racist and therefore inappropriate for use as a child's Halloween costume.

As long as people can be silenced and controlled with political correctness, that's all that matters to you, right?
Look at Calbert's pic, nothing wrong with that costume, change the name on the package and move on.
If it had been called "Warrior Princess", nothing would have been said.
/try not to piss your pants before the day ends.
//oops, too late

Political correctness run amok. How can I help it what someone else finds offensive? Grow a thicker skin, chief.

SevenizGud: Political correctness run amok. How can I help it what someone else finds offensive? Grow a thicker skin, chief.

Will do white devil.

Oh great, now you will have to go to scalpers to get it.

Stereotypical images of anyone, including hillbillies, should be banned because they might offend someone.

I just checked with my neighbor Mr. Patel and he didn't have a problem with it.

log_jammin: cretinbob: squaw=coont

I'm pretty sure that's been debunked.

I wish I still had the article. Yes, I think it has with regards to being a word for vagina, which is not really the same as coont. It's still regarded as a derogative term either way.

It was still a funny map.

Can we get over this "make sure noones feelers are hurt" crap.

log_jammin: An Incharacter representative said the company didn't know the term "squaw," which is believed to be derived from the Algonquian word for woman, has come to be considered demeaning and offensive by many Indians.

uh.....

In the American Southwest, they don't refer to themselves as Native Americans, but Native Indian or American Indian, or sometimes just Indian. To call them "Americans" at all is more derogatory than Indian.

I am outraged...outraged..that they have a "Cracker Jack" costume. I Demand one million dollars from the United Italian Negro Fund to ease the suffer to my sensibilities that this vile piece of cloth has done to me.

JRoo: SevenizGud: Political correctness run amok. How can I help it what someone else finds offensive? Grow a thicker skin, chief.

Will do white devil.

I'm Asian, dillhole.

log_jammin: An Incharacter representative said the company didn't know the term "squaw," which is believed to be derived from the Algonquian word for woman, has come to be considered demeaning and offensive by many Indians.

uh.....



"I have no problem with the costume. I find it very offensive that you want a refund for the costume when it states no refunds after October 20th. That is not policy and I cannot give it to you."

/You read that in an Indian accent.

I just don't understand the things that some people find offensive. It must be exhausting to be that sensitive.

disapproves, unsmilingly.

I'm quite interested in etymology, but have no high level training. I've long hand an opinion on the evolution of this word, but first I checked wikipedia, which strengthened my hypothesis:
"Squaw is an English language loan-word, used as a noun or adjective, whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America. It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme meaning 'woman' that appears in numerous Algonquian languages variously spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que, kwa, ikwe, exkwew, xkwe, etc. At present, the term is often held to be offensive, though controversy surrounds the historical evidence claimed for such a view."

I presume in the original language, it meant woman, without any other particular connotation. Then bigoted whites used the term in a pejorative way, generally meaning "whore", projecting their own desires and prejudices into the words. And thus the word was sullied, but not in polite company. So for most or all of the time since, the word has had a literal meaning (neutral) and a prurient connotation known to a minority of people.

My comment on the above, which is probably accurate: Why not merely restore the literal meaning, and disavow the pejorative connotation? One reason for this is the lack of a viable alternative: Who out there knows an "acceptable" indian word for "woman".

Enough with the PC police.

Our society is composed of thousands of groups. Just about anything is offensive to at least one.

Stop worrying about what's offensive, and let the market decide. If the costume is stupid, people won't buy it.

Poke a haunt us?

/lame, but hey, had to say it
//let the hate roll out
///racism isn't dead, it's just undead