LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 11 Rumours & Discussion

[Jargo]

I'm still leaning towards the gingerbread man being a costumed character. It just seems odd to have an inanimate object as a minifigure. I know the crash test dummy was done but that's usable as an actual crash test dummy. An oversized gingerbread man just seems too weird to me. So I can only see it as a minifigure in a gingerbread man costume like this or this.

[CMP]

If the Gingerbread Man ends up looking anything like this (a custom created by BrickArms), I'll be happy.

[TrumpetKing]

That would be a great gingerbread man! For a minute I thought that was an official picture!

[TheLegoDr]

I did too at first glance. That's why you should always read the note...(kudos to the reference catchers)

But hopefully it will look at least similar to that. I could see that happening.

[8BrickMario]

I would actually prefer it to have a minifigure head. A flat round head wouldn't look as good to me, for some odd reason. He should have wavy frosting printing on his wrists. If not, -1 point to LEGO for not doing so! Is anyone going to get into involved discussion about someone other than the Scarecrow, Gingerbread Man, and Barbarian? Any comments on the Lady Robot?

[TrumpetKing]

Well, I think if the list is real (It still sounds kinda fake to me), the Lady Robot will probably be a pink or purple version of the Clockwork Robot from Series 6.

[8BrickMario]

I hope it isn't girly. What happens in Friends should stay in Friends. Just a few lavender accents, but I hope to high heaven it won't be completely pastel. Why is everyone saying it'll be a Clockwork Robot recolor? I don't see the CW's head as feminine at all, so I think it will A. have a new head or B. use a minifig head with stylized printing and gray/silver hair.

Edited June 8, 2013 by 8BrickMario

[TrumpetKing]

Well, we saw a recolor of the Series 1 Robot, but not a Clockwork Robot. And it easily has the possibility to become a feminine piece. It just needs some extra printing.

[8BrickMario]

I guess, like the Alien Villainess, but we'll just have to see. I guess a Clockwork Robot recolor would make sense, as they're apparently doing one of the other CMF machine, the Battle Mech.

[adventuresinlego]

I don't see that post as rude, but whatever. It most likely will be golden-brown, but I don't see why they would need a new mold. I would say a normal minifigure head would be fine.

I'm sorry that I came off as impolite. I just think that, being an international company, LEGO wouldn't produce anything that could cause racial conflict. I was in no way trying to be rude.

People on messages boards will forever shut down what someone says, put up a brick wall to say "conversation over because I don't agree" and I get snooty about that, these things are mneant to be about conversations, not shutting each other down.

My fears are completely warranted since they haven't exactly been non-stereotypical in the past... Geisha Girl? Sorry, Kimono Girl! Total stereotype. The Mexican Man! The image of the drunk mexican, tequila bottle next to him, he's asleep in the sun wearing his poncho and combrero- very cliche! It's not as though it's done out of racial stereotyping, but is just how it is when you do certain images of certain nationalities. At least the Rapper wasn't stereotypically black hahaha

Heck, the only "Irish" minifigure is a leprechaun! hahaha So a gollywog looking Gingerbread Man scares me lol

[Sandy]

My fears are completely warranted since they haven't exactly been non-stereotypical in the past... Geisha Girl? Sorry, Kimono Girl! Total stereotype. The Mexican Man! The image of the drunk mexican, tequila bottle next to him, he's asleep in the sun wearing his poncho and combrero- very cliche! It's not as though it's done out of racial stereotyping, but is just how it is when you do certain images of certain nationalities. At least the Rapper wasn't stereotypically black hahaha

I have to ask, what would be the option of not having any stereotypically "foreign" minifigs in the line? Should all the minifigs only be based on Western stereotypes then, in your opinion?

Of course these minifigs are all stereotypes (or I'd rather call them archetypes) - they are meant to represent a certain job, a nationality or a fictive character. How else would you do it besides leaning on clichés?

In my opinion the CMF-line has been very diverse in an extremely family-friendly, non-offensive way. I would have been very offended if the "Kimono Girl" would have been blonde just to avoid racial stereotypes, for example.

[8BrickMario]

They aren't sterotypes, as they aren't (intentionally) offensive. I see it more as a neat shoutout to other cultures. The Lederhosen Guy is said to have been made specifically for the fans of that culture in the Minifigures Encyclopedia. The Maraca Man is not the stereotypical "drunk Mexican", he's someone playing traditional music from his heritage. If the Kimono Girl was portrayed in a negative way, she would be a racist stereotype. But she's not. And I still think that the Gingerbread Man won't be chocolate brown. He will most likely be a lighter brown, to look like gingerbread.

Edited June 9, 2013 by 8BrickMario

[JeagerEX]

Maybe the Scientist's appearance will be inspired by Erwin Schrodinger since Henrik Kowalski is based on Albert Einstein.

[8BrickMario]

What? That last part of that post made no sense.

[adventuresinlego]

I have to ask, what would be the option of not having any stereotypically "foreign" minifigs in the line? Should all the minifigs only be based on Western stereotypes then, in your opinion?

Of course these minifigs are all stereotypes (or I'd rather call them archetypes) - they are meant to represent a certain job, a nationality or a fictive character. How else would you do it besides leaning on clichés?

In my opinion the CMF-line has been very diverse in an extremely family-friendly, non-offensive way. I would have been very offended if the "Kimono Girl" would have been blonde just to avoid racial stereotypes, for example.

They aren't sterotypes, as they aren't (intentionally) offensive. I see it more as a neat shoutout to other cultures. The Lederhosen Guy is said to have been made specifically for the fans of that culture in the Minifigures Encyclopedia. The Maraca Man is not the stereotypical "drunk Mexican", he's someone playing traditional music from his heritage. If the Kimono Girl was portrayed in a negative way, she would be a racist stereotype. But she's not. And I still think that the Gingerbread Man won't be chocolate brown. He will most likely be a lighter brown, to look like gingerbread.

I'm not saying they're offensive stereotypes, just that they're there and they exist. with no sort of agenda behind them. But as for translating ol' Ginge into a MF, well that one scares me lol Have a laugh people, for crying out loud, ya'll take eeeverything so seriously!

Of stereotypes are there, but to claim whether they're deliberately racially offensive or not is a useless statement since lego is all about storytelling - Just like everytime I hear those boneheads at the Brick Show claim that "lego doesn't promote war" what rot. A totally useless statement since war merely FEATURES in lego sets, in different forms of battle, just like these racially diverse stereotypes exist and are featured but whether or not it's a promotion/vilification of said stereotype is a completely useless statement. It's all for Storytelling, people and in order to do that you need different costumes of a worldwide nature. But I digress, as I say, Ginge... Golliwog... Be afraid, BE VERY AFRAID! (and have a bloody laugh about it for crying out loud)

And I assure you if Lego put out a Crocodile Dundee inspired CMF and claimed it as an Aussie, we'd all take that as a personal insult and drown some adorabubble kittens or something

[Itaria No Shintaku]

And I assure you if Lego put out a Crocodile Dundee inspired CMF and claimed it as an Aussie, we'd all take that as a personal insult and drown some adorabubble kittens or something

Why? Isn't Mr.Crocodile Dundee like an australian hero?

[Yooha]

What? That last part of that post made no sense.

According to brickipedia, that Kowalski guy is a character in a LEGO video game, who looks like Einstein.

Why? Isn't Mr.Crocodile Dundee like an australian hero?

I think he was sarcastic, or at least I hope for the sake of those kittens.

For the whole stereotypical story: Why would a non-offensive stereotype be offensive. There is nothing wrong with the Kimono Girl/Maraca man/Lederhosen guy. They emphasize the sterotypic aspect of those countries, but absolutely not in an offensive wa. Not mentioning their nationality in the official name is strange to me, but that's okay. And I would be happy to see a hungarian hussair or a sheperd in a fur coat!

[8BrickMario]

LEGO has the whole "refer to the obvious as something obscure" trend with the CMFs, save for some "no other way to name them" ones, like Medusa and The Monster. But the Grandma Visitor? Really? It's cute, but at the same time, seems like it was forced and awkward alternate naming of the sweet little girl who brought treats to dear old Granny (next series!).

I can see how blatant names like "The Mexican" or "The Chinese Geisha Lady" (okay, a little exaggerated) could be considered offensive due to it sounding uninformed about the culture, and thus prone to sterotyping. The names work fine, as they are nice little nicknames kids will understand and sound intelligent enough.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

For the whole stereotypical story: Why would a non-offensive stereotype be offensive.

Stereotypes can be funny.

To me, I don't care if they think scots as or german as or italian as

since then they depict american as

[Yooha]

I can see how blatant names like "The Mexican" or "The Chinese Geisha Lady" (okay, a little exaggerated) could be considered offensive due to it sounding uninformed about the culture, and thus prone to sterotyping.

For the record, geishas are Japanese :) But why would a "Geisha girl" or "Japanese geiha girl" have been offensive? Geishas ARE Japanese, it doesn't mean that every japanese women are dresses like this all the time!

And the "grandma visitor" name was the weirdest ever! Why not "liitle red riding hood"? Are there copyright issues for that name?

[Itaria No Shintaku]

For the record, geishas are Japanese :) But why would a "Geisha girl" or "Japanese geiha girl" have been offensive? Geishas ARE Japanese, it doesn't mean that every japanese women are dresses like this all the time!

And the "grandma visitor" name was the weirdest ever! Why not "liitle red riding hood"? Are there copyright issues for that name?

At least nobody yet called the gangster "the italian" :D

[-GZ-]

As for me, that's my real dream to get any Russian CM fig, even offensive stereotypical one.) Though now it's nearly impossible.

Edited June 10, 2013 by -GZ-

[fred67]

Stereotypes aren't necessarily negative; the stereo-typical Scottish Bagpiper is not insensitive; neither is "Maraca Man," which I believe was the official name for the "Mexican." He came with maracas, not a bottle of whisky. Nothing wrong with "Geisha," either. I actually have a problem with companies like TLG sometimes being too politically correct. If you're going to use historical figures, then use them the right way, don't pretend they're something they're not. TLG has been pretty good - Leiderhosen guy, Geisha, Bag-Piper, Leprechaun, Disco guy... all perfectly fine representatives of what they are, no less than the Roman figures or the Imperial Guard, or any of them.

I won't hazard a guess about what the gingerbread man will look like. I'd like to see a lighter brown, I'd like to see an interesting head (although I doubt we'll get that flat round head - I think it won't be solid enough for a minifigure neck post); however, if we got ones like the dark ones posted above, they look perfectly find to me.

Ultimately, it's not worth "arguing" about until we see some pictures.

[TheLegoDr]

I think the problem people have with the Kimono girl is the negative misconceptions that all Geishas are prostitutes. That couldn't be farther from the truth. So they aptly named her Kimono girl while still providing this beautiful figure for all to enjoy.

[adventuresinlego]

I think the problem people have with the Kimono girl is the negative misconceptions that all Geishas are prostitutes. That couldn't be farther from the truth. So they aptly named her Kimono girl while still providing this beautiful figure for all to enjoy.

Thank you, TBH since this is an adult message board I didn't think I needed to explain why some people might consider certain CMF's to be stereotypical, or perhaps even offensive.

- And no, Crocodile Dundee (and Steve Irwin) aren't very well liked by Aussies as the archetypical Antipodean. Kath and Kim are more who we see Aussies as. Paul Hogan is a tax evading american now, to represent my Country via his image would be the ultimate insult. That, or making one of Pauline Hanson.

So I'm glad ya'll verified what I was saying, whether you found them offensive or not is all relative to the individual- but there's no point denying that they exist coz that'd be silly.

As for Ginge, yeah, I'm worried about it, but since my initial comments got people's knickers in a twist, hilarrrrious.

AND FTR, every country has it's own national dress. Lego could easily do them instead of stereotypical characters. So it's not as if the options aren't there, no need to justify their subtle racism with more ;)