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Friday, Jan 25, 2013 8:15 PM UTC

“Django Unchained” dolls violate eBay’s “offensive materials” policy

The auction site has banned the controversial doll

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Topics: eBay, django unchained, django dolls, Quentin Tarantino, Racism,

(Credit: Ebay)

EBay has banned the sale of NECA’s infamous “Django Unchained” dolls, action figures inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s controversial slave revenge western. Deadline reports:

Listings for the dolls “were removed as they were in violation of our Offensive Materials policy”, an eBay representative tells Deadline. EBay forbids offensive products “that graphically portray graphic violence or victims of violence, unless they have substantial social, artistic, or political value” including “racially or ethnically offensive language, historical items, reproductions, and works of art and media”.

The auction site is the latest to take a stance against the dolls, which have been deemed offensive by advocacy groups for trivializing the horror of slavery. Pressure from these groups compelled “Django Unchained” studio the Weinstein Co. to recently yank the toys off of shelves, inadvertently causing prices of the now-collectibles to skyrocket from $39.99 apiece to upward of $300. Bids on eBay went as high as $5,000.

But, as CinemaBlend points out, “it’s strange where they [eBay] choose to draw the line, as these controversial dolls are for sale through the site.”

Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com. More Prachi Gupta.

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