The Golliwog

Dorset yes it is an offensive toy, in this day and age. It's offensive to black parents and parents of black children.

My best friend in primary school was mixed-race black ... the only child of colour in the whole school if I remember rightly. She was often called 'Gollywog' and because she had green eyes, 'Greengolly'. It made her cry.

A black doll or barbie is a wholly different concept - its purpose is not to make fun of a child but to give young black girls something to identify with.

No, a bear can't be demeaned by a teddy wearing a smoking jacket but a black child can be demeaned when confronted with a grotesque caricature.

I don't think any of us would want to humiliate a child, would we?

Anagram do you never stand up for something you feel is wrong - do we just say it's nothing to do with me - that only black people should object. Have I got that bit wrong? Sorry if that isn't what you mean but I'm an old protest marcher so you get the picture?

dorset
Your American friends are years ahead of us.!!!!!!

I've thunk.

Phew! Did you hear my brain cogs working there?!

You've changed your tune, jingl!

Yes. I agree with You!

Bad taste.

I'm surprised children like them. They are ugly. Have never been tempted to buy one for grandsons.

I'm pretty sure I didn't connect my golliwog with a person. Alright, there weren't many black people around in those days where I lived, but I just sensed that no-one actually looked like that. I thought he was a species apart.

I must admit that on holiday last year, when we went in a gift shop, I was a bit shocked to see golliwogs for sale. Bit archaic. We (me and DD) put it down to the shop keeper being a bit of a fuddy duddy.

Having said that, there is a posh teddy bear shop in a market town near us who have golliwogs for sale.

Hmm.

Johanna just saw your post. You're so right but I find it upsetting and that is my problem, I just care too much and think other people should to.

I notice you didn't respond to my suggestion, dorsetpennt. I understand that you feel strongly about this matter, but shouldn't we leave it to those who feel they are entitled to feel aggrieved to report such things?

now look on wikepedia he was more then a rag dog - it was how he was depicted - if he'd been an ordinary doll no problem. My American white and Black friends find it extraordinary that people still want gollys in this day and age. Am I flogging a dead horse here? - friend thinks I should give up. Do none of you have black friend you can ask?

dorset

Racism is inherent in some people, and not in others.
It was always thus and always will be.

Political correctness cannot change that.

Ah, since my very recent thread an unexpected visitor has arrived with some books for me to read. I've shown her this thread and she has said please feel free to ask HER any questions about this issue. She's staying for supper.

Right. Firstly Jacey has said it very well, it's not how we feel about golliwogs but about how Afro/Caribbeans feel about golliwogs. But sorry I think someone in their 20's would know what a white stick means - she was just a nasty young woman. You are all saying how in the past you had gollys, you loved them, had no racist views of them. What I'm trying to get across is that now that we know, we should object to them. Bags nothing wrong with a black Barbie, or a black doll or a chinese doll. My black and Chinese friends are delighted with them, about time they say something for their children to relate to in the doll world. A golly was an unpleasant caricature emphasing the black look with the mad hair, big eyes and large lips. There is information on the web but try Wikipedia it gives an excellent history of golliwogs. Just remember it's not you, unless you are black, that is offended it is your black neighbour/countryman. My daughter has actually contacted the Moderator at the university to have the round-robin removed. I'm also not asking you to bin your golly that you have from the past - perhaps keeping it will remind you of our past history. harrigan on both your comments, really?

I didn't actually like my golliwog much.

Bit weird.

My black dolly, called Susie, had her eyes looking out sideways, so I had to sit her sideways on to the blackboard.

Barbie dolls are alright.

You can find the history on Google he came over as a rag doll at end of 19th century first known as a Golly Dolly.

But surely better than a bare bear?

I never gave DD a Barbie because that doll was really offensive. I knit teddies for DS and dressed very old bears in hand knit smoking jackets, that was probably demeaning to bears.

You can get black Barbies now. Oh (excuse me, but) bloody hell!

Mind you, Barbie dolls are pretty offensive.

Can you tell us more about the history of golliwogs, dorset, and why they are considered offensive? I'm asking because the golliwogs (soft toy plus various badges and little figures from jam) I had and was aware of when I was little had no negative connotations for me and I'm pretty sure they were not designed to be insulting. I knitted a golliwog when I was seven years old and had it for years. It was part of my family along with my teddy and my other dolls. My sister had a black girl doll called Caroline. Surely we were just accepting that some people had dark skin and (to quote my four-year-old daughter when she was describing a girl in her class who had lovely 'afro' hair, back in 1985) 'fluffy hair'.

Please educate me. My current view is that if no offence is/was intended, no 'looking down on', then why is offence taken? Is it the name 'golliwog' that's offensive rather than the thing? That I could understand.

Someone will tell us teddy bears are offensive to grizzlies next.

I'm sure there must be Afro-Caribbean staff or pupils at the University, dorsetpennt. Perhaps it would be better to let them complain to the distributor of the round-robin if they wish to.