Reader comments
TheSockObama Co. writes about the closing of its business

There is a clear history, in the US, of using a monkey to represent African Americans. It's called racism. Some people are still of the opinion that African Americans are a lower race, and representing them as monkeys is a way to convey that opinion.
Monkeys are also used to represent less-than-intelligent human beings (which is why Utah legislators and President Bush are sometimes drawn as monkeys).
If you think Obama's dumb, pick something that doesn't have strong racist overtones.

Freedom of speech and commerce extend to include things which many might consider vulgar or otherwise offensive. Accordingly, no government thugs have acted to close this enterprise. It was the marketplace, which no one regulates, that was the undoing of this little business. Someone made a decision, a bad one, to make little toys in the first place. But no one was attacked, assaulted or bloodied, other than perhaps financially. Better luck next time.

I say take it to another distributor and see if they will make it. Go for it!

Don't let the clowns on the left shout you down! Go make your money any way you wish.

If you quit, then the liberals have won. Don't let them have the satisfaction.

I surely hope you find another outlet and make your monkeys....

quit whining...you don't like it, don't buy it. Your self-induced thin skin mantra is boring. People will find offense in anything. You seem to be one of those.....

Only people who are looking to be offended can actually be offended.

I hope they make a sock of you and your many wives. I know that is a winner for you....

I really don't believe that you are this naive, which only punctuates your racism. Good luck.

This company is/was trying to make money off of something most people do believe is offensive. And their statement did more to continue bad feeling than it did to correct it; such as "(u)nfortunately this is America." No, it is fortunate that this is America, where we pay attention! There is a bitter history of racial divisiveness that included comparing people who are black to monkeys. I for one am glad that company got such a backlash.

I noticed no apologies in this letter but a lot of blame on others. Seems they have not understood and probably never will. At last, they stopped....

Get a hold of me. I'll take over since it is great idea. How much do I have to pay for full rights.

A friend told me how she was walking through the mall and her toddler saw a black baby and a said, "look Mom, a Monkey"! Now if a small child who has yet to be indoctrinated into a racist world can make an observation like that, then I say there is probably some resemblance there. My kindergarten son got in trouble for calling the "Asian" girl "the black one". Turns out he had a hard time pronouncing her name and so he called her the black one--- because he hair is black... duh- why else! Yah, the parents and the teacher thought he was being racist. We just need to lighten up folks... race is something to proud of and not to get all bent out of shape because someone notices your visual differences. Black and monkey should not hold negative connotations-- monkeys are actually very cute!

I'm very sorry that the Lawsons received threats; I hope they went to the police to determine if any of them were credible. However, this statement only highlights the willful ignorance that was behind the doll.

Wow, I really don't think these people have a clue. Here they are criticizing America because people exercised their First Amendment right in criticizing this disgusting product. Its' fine to produce garbage like this. There is no law against it. But if there is a public outcry against it, don't blame America. I feel disgusted to have these people living in the same valley as myself. Good riddance to these bigots!!!

Oh boo hoo. There's nothing wrong with the free enterprise system. They put out an offensive product and the free enterprise system let them know that the market was extremely negative.

Waaaah! Waaah!

Call Merriam-Webster - there's a new picture to put in the dictionary next to "Utard".

I am disappointed with the company response. Initially, I doubted that the company intentionally meant to be derogatory. However, the response from the company clearly indicates otherwise.

The google sites are also in the wrong. Those responding in support of the company seem to want the merits of the free enterprise system without the accountability.

I teach my children to be respectful of all people--even with those with whom they disagree. Respect is earned. It appears that the original idea was never bounced off someone with an ounce of intellect.

re: Look Monkey@7:31
How do you live with yourself? I wish there were some way to revoke Utah Statehood. Do the majority of people in Utah think as you do? Please seal your borders and keep your vile and ignorant view of the world isolated. We do not want to be contaminated with such sickness.

You sure stuck it to them, didn't you The Sock Obama Co. You pushed through the "liberal" adversity, and through perseverance, you made something out of...
Oh wait...
You guys closed up shop??
Sheesh.
Talk about being un-American.

Not only are you guys quitters, but you blame OTHER people for your problems. Nice.

Regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on, you can't possible align yourself with whining quitters.

As a wordsmith, I love this letter. Read it aloud to yourself, particularly the part just below the first ad: "An electronic battery of fiery darts flowed swiftly but silently through the veins of technology."
Wow.
"Feverish finger frantically clicking coast to coast..." You gotta love it!
Anybody know where to send entries for that annual Worst Writing contest? This might win more cash than they'd make selling sock monkeys.
If they would have somehow worked in "It was a dark and stormy night" this'd be a shoe-in.
Thanks for publishing it verbatim, great stuff, I hope the sockmonkey folks write a followup. Almost makes me want to subscribe. Almost.

How can you be a racist and not even know you are one? Welcome to America! Get a life and learn to live in the greatest country on earth without being a bigot.

For those on the con side, you sure are spending a lot of time worrying about a worthless heap of nothing. For those on the pro side, you are the worthless heap of nothing.

I am proud to be one of many who wrote to this company expressing my opinion of their product. If they are going to market via email then I get to respond via email. THAT is the American way of which they speak. THEY chose to stop selling this product. NO ONE passed a law making them stop. I am also proud that there are seemingly more of us who found this product to be offensive than those who found it humerous. If this company really wants to make this a battle of the American way vs. censorship and put themselves on some sort of moral, political, or free speech high ground then find someone else to make the puppet...there is no one but themselves stopping it from happening.

There are states where wearing T-shirts bearing the names of soldiers killed in action in Iraq is illegal. Now that is true censorship. Marketing, selling, making or owning one of these dolls is not illegal. If you want to make this about censorship then at least get truly censored. Not called on the carpet. Stand up for what you believe if it is truly about that.