to ask what the issue is with golliwogs

[TheoriginalLEM]

not a goady thread. i know they are racist and idiots from Britain first are posting pictures on Facebook. I just wondered what the history is?

i remember them from the 70s and i remember feeling uncomfortable with them then.

[cardibach]

Seriously? You can't just...think about it a minute and understand the issue?

[Vaginaaa]

You couldn't just google "golliwog"?

[TheoriginalLEM]

i made a point of saying that i find them racist and i am aware of a history but googling hasn't found me a straight answer.

i know it isn't because they are black dolls and there is more to it than that

[QuietWhenReading]

A 10 second Google will tell you all you need to know.

Confused as to the purpose of this thread.

[3sugarsplease]

here, have my first ever

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

Try here

[AlwaysHopeful1]

cant you google it instead of being goady?

[gamerchick]

Ah OP you're going to get all the frothers to see who can out indignant themselves

[gamerchick]

And LEM is never goady, have a word with yourself!

[janethegirl2]

When I was a kid I thought golliwogs were cute and I wanted one!

[TheMouseThatRoared]

If you are aware of their history then why are you wondering what their history is?

[MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge]

The wikipedia page will tell you all you need to know.

[QuietWhenReading]

gamer I agree that LEM is generally pretty sensible hence my deep confusion about this post.

if you didn't recognise LEM how would you feel about the post?

[TheoriginalLEM]

i have googled and still not clear.

my question was really were they racist in the first place? or did they become racist because people referred to black people as golliwogs. So it appears to be the latter? rather than the original book being derogatory.

Thanks gamer. i was expecting some froth yes and i have done plenty ofgtothing of my own on the subject. because ofcourse they are racist NOW i just wasn't sure they always were.

[MagpieCursedTea]

I believe it's the stereotyping in the features of the golliwog and connections to slavery that is considered to be offensive.
IMO if something represents a group of people e.g. A whole race and even a few of that group object to the representation (like seeing golliwog as having negative connotations) then that is what makes it offensive. Not sure if I've explained that well. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable and less tired can do a better job.
No idea why you're getting a hard time for asking a question. People learn by discussing things, that's why you can't get every answer in life by googling. No one would ever post on MN otherwise!

[TheoriginalLEM]

the mouse- i am aware there IS a history i don't know what it is.

i am still undecided as to whether the books were deliberately racist. Was hoping to have someone actually spell it out because as with many questions these days my first stop is mumsnet not google !

i can have the thread deleted if it offends as it certainly isn't my intention.

I have encountered racism as a child and i hate it as much as anyone else.

[QuietWhenReading]

LEM if you had asked that question in your OP you might have received less annoyed responses.

[Lostmyxmasspirit]

Apparently now they are called 'golly people'
Tbh I do think the whole racist thing gets blown wayyyy out of proportion sometimes.
My sister has a mixed race child and she would dream of screaming racism if someone had a golliwog doll/magnet/cup. She wouldn't be happy if someone called my niece a 'wog' and in that case they would obviously be a racist.
Then again my niece actually received racist comments from a couple of black women (she was a baby but they were made about her) they said she wasn't 'full black so she may as well be called white' and they made some repulsive comment about white women 'riding their black c**ks' and said she should have stuck to her own!

[StrattersDD]

I've always wondered (being 18 so they've never been around in the media), and having googled, I think it's that it's been turned into an insult.

[TheoriginalLEM]

Thanks magpie. That fits with how i understand it.

[Sallyingforth]

these days my first stop is mumsnet not google

Next time, try Google.

[BertrandRussell]

Oh, purhlease.

[NiNoKuni]

As far as I know, it's because their features have a lot in common with minstrels, which in turn were mainly racist caricatures of black people done by white people in blackface. The lips, the hair, the garb. Not very nice at all, and not the same as having dark-skinned dolls.

[gamerchick]

Id think it was a fair and clear question that didn't need to be jumped on. I don't believe in eradicating the past and never let it be spoken of again.. Because that's how you're doomed to repeat the bastard.

Plus that bloody bun puts my hackles up.

[BertrandRussell]

OK. Look at a gollywog. Think about the name. Look at a black person. Think again. Got it now?