Al Jolson sheet music signed by child star removed by eBay for offensive material

[rebekaj]

 This item was removed from my store for being racist, but even a cursory search for Al Jolson
Returns hundreds of results that are actual photographs of him in black face, rather than a background illustration in this sheet music that is very abstract 

i’m assuming somebody reported the listing, maybe somebody who also sells autographs, and I’m wondering if I should contact eBay because reading the scope of the rules this does not violate any rules

[deltilogical]

"

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

George Orwell

[powell-memorabilia]

Blackface isn’t illegal.  And it wouldn’t support a civil case.  I don’t think anyone sued Ted Danson or Justin Trudeau.  Certainly, bad taste and hurtful.  But, come on - no one is going to jail, no one is being sued over sheet music.

[deltilogical]

There are 54 listings for White trash cookbook right now.

Who is racist?

[steelernation2007]

Obviously a liberal activist who thinks laws don't apply to you. So you're advocating going onto someone's private property and committing a crime? That doesn't make you any better than the person owning the statue which  you despise.

[mam98031]

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@powell-memorabilia wrote:

Blackface isn’t illegal.  And it wouldn’t support a civil case.  I don’t think anyone sued Ted Danson or Justin Trudeau.  Certainly, bad taste and hurtful.  But, come on - no one is going to jail, no one is being sued over sheet music.

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Like so many things now days, it isn't socially acceptable.

Other things are getting actually banned all the time, simply because someone thinks it is inappropriate by today's standards.  Especially in the written word.  There are books being banned all over for some of the silliest reasons.  

Whether you or I agree doesn't matter.  Ebay needs to react in a way that is socially responsible until the tide changes, if it ever does.

Holding our books and our history to todays standards that may have been written or happened long ago is simply short sited and silly.

[gone.c-33]

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@steelernation2007 wrote:

Obviously a liberal activist who thinks laws don't apply to you. So you're advocating going onto someone's private property and committing a crime? That doesn't make you any better than the person owning the statue which  you despise.

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I won’t speak for Ms Rodriguez, but personally, it’s not that I don’t believe that the law doesn’t apply to me, it’s that I would be willing to do the crime and pay the fine to ensure no one had to see that hurtful thing. 

[house*of*paws]

@rebekaj wrote:

This item was removed from my store for being racist, but even a cursory search for Al Jolson
Returns hundreds of results that are actual photographs of him in black face, rather than a background illustration in this sheet music that is very abstract 

Hi @rebekaj 

I searched eBay for 'Al Jolson photos' ... which brought up a list of about 500 items.  Exactly SIX (6) were in black face, including one that was a caricature of him in black face ... similar to the one in your sheet music.

I would be interested in knowing the keywords you used in your 'cursory search' that yielded 'hundreds' of them.  

[penguins_dont_fly]

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@rebekaj wrote:

So you are saying that you believe that my listing violates the hate speech rules of eBay?

there is no racist language in this sheet music, it was actually used again for a Disney cartoon a few years later

nobody is in black face, so my question is how is this breaking the rules? As written this is not a violation, but it has been flagged as such

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@rebekaj 

Your own photo shows Al in blackface --- look at it a bit closer --- above the little girl's head.