Lost In Translation: 'N-Word' Bag For Sale On eBay

In the market for a racist accessory? You’re in luck. Right now you can buy a $7.98 faux-leather satchel in "Nigger-Brown" on eBay.com.

The seller "collecting_coins" based in Shanghai, China, has listed its "Korean style Lady PU leather handbag shoulder bag 4656” in several colors, including rose pink, peach blossom and watermelon red -- but the seller failed to describe their dark brown shade without throwing in a racial slur.

Over the last 12 months, the seller has received 1,536 positive reviews and only 14 negative comments; none of which point out the distasteful description. It’s unknown how many of the dark brown bags have been sold.

eBay's rules and policies state that they "don't allow using hateful, offensive, profane, or vulgar language in almost all public areas of the website, including listing titles or descriptions." But these bags have been on sale since at least July 15, 2011.

This isn't the first time the derogatorily titled color has painted an unpleasant picture.

In 2007, a black woman in Canada purchased a couch from a store in Toronto and upon delivery, her 7-year-old daughter spotted the label calling out the color as “Nigger-Brown.”

Furniture Today reported that "according to Associated Press reports, the unidentified manufacturer was using an old version of translation software from Beijing-based Kingsoft Corp., which got the definition from a Chinese-English dictionary."

Most recently, Apple came under fire this June for its "Picture Effect Magic app," which allowed users to tint their pictures in various shades, including "Nigger-Brown." Again, a faulty Chinese-to-English translation was to blame. Lin Xuehua, the app's creator issued an apology and promptly changed the color to "brown."

Comments

[bnww]

02:34 PM on 08/15/2011

America's pathology is racism so to allow this to get onto eBay is no shocker!!

http://Educate-Empower.com

[BeatlesPrudence]

11:31 AM on 08/22/2011

This year on a popular tv show, a black man called a white kid "cracker". Where's the outrage over that racial slur? America also plays to "discriminated" people very well too.

[Pamla Perez]

05:55 PM on 08/22/2011

What show was this? Why didn't you just put the name of the show the show out there?

[banjokuzi]

06:40 PM on 08/22/2011

i ve never heard of a color called cracker white, i ll be outraged when i do

[dre in minnesota]

01:50 PM on 08/15/2011

Why can't it just be freakin call brown ? So that's what china thinks of us huh ?

[Parkite]

12:59 PM on 08/15/2011

Just one more reason to BUY American and shop locally. No translation required.

[pray4words]

10:18 AM on 08/15/2011

negro woman is term used in Mac products but this is not an error this was and is insulting I have not used eBay and add this the reason why I will not...fact check the websites used there has to be some responsibility set for those wanting to use this service this is insulting...the bag was cute now the image will be transplanted in the and the seamstress loses this one

[berryessence]

11:25 PM on 08/14/2011

uuuuuuuuummmmmmm why everything has to be racist........

Niger-Brown

NIGER is the latin word for Black........

is it possible that it was a typo

[fnartin]

01:10 PM on 08/15/2011

Oh I get it. Thanks for clearing things up since it obviously needs clearing . . .from you . . . It sounds like you're typically saying, that as usual blacks are over-reacting, too sensitive, and need to just get over being constantly disrespected and why do we still see racism EVERYWHERE? What on earth is wrong with us black people? Can't we all just get along? Thank you so much for making sure that we blacks get an education on how to not be insulted. It's NIGER people, calm down.

[MYWORDISTRUTH07]

08:00 PM on 09/03/2011

Tell him!

[whenthedustsettles]

02:47 PM on 08/15/2011

Latin is a dead language. I doubt it is being used in today's translation software applications.

[BeatlesPrudence]

11:33 AM on 08/22/2011

It's also in in my Webster dictionary as the colour black.

[Fred Lane]

09:08 PM on 08/14/2011

This wasn't a mistake, nor did it happen by accident...

[haval2]

02:41 PM on 08/14/2011

This is almost, almost too vile to address. Where are we? I am sure nothing is post racial yet but this is a giant leap backwards. End this.

[robjh1]

12:42 PM on 08/14/2011

I need to pull out the race handbook on this one.

[Fun Seeker]

10:03 AM on 08/14/2011

Lets also review how many anti-asian slurs are used in the comments below. I guess the Huffington Post's enforces its standards as well as Ebay. The difference, you work for HP so why do you complain.

[Fun Seeker]

08:16 AM on 08/14/2011

Doing two minutes of research showed why this item is listed this way on Ebay. Its on wikipedia. The seller is just using an outdated translation system. Back in 2007 it happened to a major Canadian furniture company that ordered a bunch of brown sofas from a Chinese supplier and when they arrived they were labeled that way. The Chinese guy probably doesn't even know what the N word is. Are the Chinese and their pocket books oppressing you now too?

[jusathot]

11:59 AM on 08/14/2011

How did that even get listed as a color in the first place? Does it also come in Cracker White?

[alondraw]

02:13 PM on 08/14/2011

Or perhaps chink yellow

[Fred Lane]

09:14 PM on 08/14/2011

F&F'vd....it wasn't by accident!

[Ferrante Photo]

08:19 PM on 08/14/2011

"Are the Chinese and their pocket books oppressing you now too? " No but they own WHITE America.

[Fred Lane]

09:10 PM on 08/14/2011

...they haven't noticed yet, or are in denial.

[Species5618]

12:51 AM on 08/14/2011

Would have been awesome if the white bag was labeled as "teabagger white".

[Euphoria123]

09:30 AM on 08/16/2011

No white people involved here buddy. Sorry to dissapoint.

[Species5618]

01:38 PM on 08/16/2011

Right. Cause you were there, you would know.

[VolcanoInsurance]

10:01 PM on 08/13/2011

Does this mean I can't sell my shanty mick shot glasses and sheeny jewelry cleaner on Ebay?

[GoodNews]

07:10 PM on 08/13/2011

what? no chink yellow bag?

[BowlingForRevenge]

10:15 AM on 08/14/2011

lol....omg my 1st thought!

[Ian Gord]

05:44 PM on 08/13/2011

"however failed to describe their dark brown shade without throwing in a racial slur."

If it's a racial slur the black community should quit using it. Why do they disrespect their own people and complain when others do the same?

[Bados]

06:44 PM on 08/13/2011

Your use of the word they seems to indicate that you really arent concerned with this issue you just dont understand why you cant use it too.

I say you it as much as you would like but dont just use it around white folks. Use it around black folks too. You can explain why you called someone that as you come to in the waiting room.

Some issues have a twisted and unjustified justification that havnt been totally worked out yet. Should black folks stop using it? Probably. Is it gonna happen soon? Probably not.

I'm not here to argue for the use of the word I'm just being realistic. Why not just chalk this one up to just one of those words white folks cant use? Why dont you just work on that of the problem and let black folks handle the rest.

Let me guess your response is gonna be something along the lines of " Well if you guys can call each other the N word I should be able to use it too." LOL

So obvious.

[Ian Gord]

09:29 PM on 08/13/2011

How about I give you a list of words black folks can't use?

Excuuuuuse me!
Disrespect!
Blah, blah.

[greasedog]

06:53 PM on 08/13/2011

Unfortunately, you're unaware of the historical dynamic involving the use of the word from non-whites toward people of color. It's the historical context that makes the difference. It's not so much about the word itself. For instance, if YOU, in jest, call your spouse a knucklehead, it's very different when someone outside of your relationship with your spouse calls them the same thing. What if I heard you call your spouse, "sweet cheeks"? Since you use the term toward her why should you be upset if I called her that too?

[Ian Gord]

07:17 PM on 08/13/2011

I don't see black married couples, when I can find any, using the n-word to address one another.

My students at an inner-city Detroit high school used it among themselves with a casualness that was revolting. They also didn't mind shouting "cracker" at me through my open door.

[ButterFlyGirlFly]

05:38 PM on 08/13/2011

The seller has already removed the item. As stated on E-bay, This listing was ended by the seller because the item is no longer available

[Congo Line]

09:22 PM on 08/13/2011

The item is still available for viewing as well as the offensive terminology. It should be removed completely.

Thank you.