Darlie
Encyclopedia
Darlie, also known as 黑人 ("black person") and formerly known as Darkie is a toothpaste
brand of the Hong Kong
-based company Hawley & Hazel, which was acquired in 1985 by the US
corporation Colgate-Palmolive
, although the product is not marketed by Colgate-Palmolive. Darky, or darkie, is a term used primarily in the United States
and Britain
to refer to black people
, and is now generally considered a racial slur. The package featured an image of a wide-eyed, smiling dark-skinned black
male wearing a top hat
, monocle and bow-tie, very similar to the Golliwogg
in England. Because of the contrast with their dark skin, it was a common misperception that the teeth of people of Africa
n origin were exceptionally white.
Due to changing sensibilities, allegedly racist branding practices began to end in the 1950s. After its 1985 acquisition, the toothpaste was renamed "Darlie" in for English-language markets. The image on the packaging was altered to show a white face in a top hat. The Chinese name of the brand, "黑人牙膏" (in English, "Black People Toothpaste"), remains the same and a Chinese-language advertising campaign reassured customers that "Black Man Toothpaste is still Black Man Toothpaste".
The toothpaste is remains popular in Asian countries, including Japan
, Taiwan
, People's Republic of China
, Hong Kong
, Malaysia, Singapore
, Thailand
, and Indonesia
.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it serves as an abrasive that aids in removing the dental plaque and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing...
brand of the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based company Hawley & Hazel, which was acquired in 1985 by the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
corporation Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
, although the product is not marketed by Colgate-Palmolive. Darky, or darkie, is a term used primarily in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to refer to black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
, and is now generally considered a racial slur. The package featured an image of a wide-eyed, smiling dark-skinned black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
male wearing a top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
, monocle and bow-tie, very similar to the Golliwogg
Golliwogg
The "Golliwogg" was a character in children's books in the late 19th century and depicted as a type of rag doll. It was reproduced, both by commercial and hobby toy-makers as a children's toy called the "golliwog", and had great popularity in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and...
in England. Because of the contrast with their dark skin, it was a common misperception that the teeth of people of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n origin were exceptionally white.
Due to changing sensibilities, allegedly racist branding practices began to end in the 1950s. After its 1985 acquisition, the toothpaste was renamed "Darlie" in for English-language markets. The image on the packaging was altered to show a white face in a top hat. The Chinese name of the brand, "黑人牙膏" (in English, "Black People Toothpaste"), remains the same and a Chinese-language advertising campaign reassured customers that "Black Man Toothpaste is still Black Man Toothpaste".
The toothpaste is remains popular in Asian countries, including Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.