To chuck this "toy" in the bin??

[ginmakesitallok]

DMIL brought DDs presents from her hols as usual. DD1 got a doll and a key ring, DD2 got a Golly (!!) DMIL thought it was lovely and that as DD2 "doesn't have a gollywog she'll like this". DP let DD2 take it with her to SILs house for tea - lots of questions asked of MIL "Where on earth did you get it?", "Why did you get it?", "Isn't it rascist?". DMIL insists its "not rascist, its just a gollywog, she likes it.."

I feel uncomfortable having it in the house - should I just bin it???

It's going in the loft. I don't like it, she won't even notice.

Good for you OP.

A racist incident or term is defined as something someone (anyone) finds offensive, even if its not directed at them. I'm white and was born in the 80s so pretty much avoided Golliwogs, but I find them offensive.

my mum has a rag doll which could be described as a golly - she got it in the caribbean, made by a local stall. DD plays with it when she's over there. i don't know where i stand on it to be honest!

I'm glad you did!

I found my childhood golli in my parents attic, of course I didn't know what it was at the time but I had no trouble chucking it. They are vile. Reading about that Upton book makes my skin crawl.

I think all the golliwog stories and references have been removed from Enid Blyton these days haven't they? - I think she specialised in making golliwogs naughty or bordering on criminal, so obviously a sort of double whammy of offensiveness. She was a pretty strange woman by all accounts.

(that was in answer to Melly's post, in case it seems as if I making a rather random point )

No, don't throw it away, letit meet with a nasty ireparable accident, falling in the pooy potty and getting a 90 degree wash so it melts should do nicely.

Look. It's a toy which represents a racial stereotype. Why would anyone want their child to play with one? ANd while many people may not be offended, some will - so why do it? It's not as if it's the only toy in the world! If even one person is made unhappy and uncomfortable by seeing your dd carrying it round surely it's not worth it?

Incidentally, you're popping up on some....interesting.......threads, dearyme.

I wasn't allowed one as a child - a black doll was bought for me instead. I never liked this and somehow ended up with a golly. I never associated it with black people any more than I would associate a rag doll with a white person, but not originally buying one for me made an issue of it.

I do think that a lot of small DC tend to think of golliwogs, if they see them at all, as non-human dollies like, as someone else said, fairies/elves. I had one as a toddler in the late 60s, an age at which I didn't knwo there were black people (lived in very whitebread suburb). Small DC are unaware of racism and (these days) are used to figures like Iggle Piggle and the Tellytubbies and the Fimbles and would categorize a golliwog as something along the same lines. However, the stress of having the thing seen by other people and having them make comments and having to explain yourself - probably isn't worth it

Put it this way.

Would you like to be the subject of a thread on mumsnet "AINU to be outraged that I saw a 2 year old in a push chair with a gollywog?????? FFS how stupid must her parents be????"

Enid Blyton wasn't strange! Not that I knew her or anything of course. She was a fantastic writer and I still love reading her stories, especially The Famous Five :)

But she was, undeniably, racist in the way she represented black people, foreigners and gypsies.

I think she was a rather unusual person Melly with some odd ideas but that's just an opinion I've formed reading a biography and seeing a few things on TV. She was partly a product of her time, but also had some strange views.

I too enjoyed reading her books as a child, but I was obviously less discerning in my reading matter then. As an adult, I find her books a little disturbing on many levels. But each to their own.

I wouldn't bin it but give it to a charity shop - if they'd have it! Surprised you can still buy them. DD1 reads my Enid Blyton Amelia Jane book with a Golly in it though.

I used to collect Golly badges from Robertson's jam and marmalade- I thought it was just another 'toy' like a clown with a black face or something, never made the connection.

Given what her children say about her, I think it's fairly obvious that E Blyton, was at minimum, strange. (I would be so harsh as to say pretty damn horrible, but I didn't know her and cannot verify obviously.)

The golliwog was originally a "minstrel doll" - based on the minstels who themselves originated from slave owners having black slaves dress up and dance/sing for them. The costume of the golliwog reflects this.
I wouldn't have one for my child.

I never made the connection between a blck person and a gollywog when I was a child but I wouldn't buy one now because it is offensive to black people. It isn't particularly offensive to me because I still don't see a connection. It is just a black doll.

I too always thought (as a child) that a gollywog was just a clown with a black face. I never made the connection. If its potentially going to upset or offend someone though, I'd just get rid.

Off topic but intrigued - LaWeasel what did her children say about her? why was she "strange"?

I had a golly rag doll as a child, and a lady rag doll with long blonde plaits too, and still have them somewhere in the loft. They were my favourite dolls and I slept with them in my bed every night.. even as a teen they were still sat on the bed.

I also used to collect the golly lables off Robertsons jam and send off for badges too. I never saw anything racist in it. To me they were just another toy, like a bear, or a doll...

I also grew up reading all the Enid Blyton books. To me a golly was a fairytale / fictional sort of character, I certainly didnt associate it with black people, or grow up to be a racist either.

I saw somewhere selling Gollywog mugs the other day, think it was Amazon. I was shocked!

I live in the West Indies. They're really common here, for sale in lots of shops and made by local women. I've never heard anyone comment that they're racist, although since they're viewed that way in the UK, I probs wouldn't have one there because of the way others may perceive it.

barbie More or less that she didn't like her own children, and prefered her fans! Would have parties/treats for fans and not for them etc.

To people who liked them as children: no, playing with them isn't going to make you a racist adult. But I'm sure you can imagine how incredibly awful it would be for someone who does know the racist side - who has been called a wog etc to see them out and about?

There are a million other great toys. Why are we dragging the vile racist ones back?

Golliwogs were originally minstrel dolls which is why they have the clothes they have. Ministrel singers evolved from black slaves being made to dress up and sing/dance for their "owners".
I would definitely not give one to my child - they are slave dolls.

It doesn't matter if people here played with gollies when they were children and never thought they looked like black people and therefore weren't racist.

They were based upon 'minstrels'. They were made to mock black people, so stop kidding youself that they aren't racist.

I would not buy one for my child. My mum wouldn't buy one for me, either although she was always very vague as to why. I used to think they were chimney sweeps (too much Mary Poppins). I think I would explain why.