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???

Round eyes with lots of white showing.

Like a gollywog.

What is your point, MrSpoc?

this topic came up not too long back. There are, if I rwemeber right, some good links on the historical significance of blackface, golliwogs, minstrals etc.

As for staring eyes, haven't the time to explain..maybe later.

The BNP sell golliwogs on their website. Nuff said IMO.

I also never understood that golliwogs were meant to represent black people - also thought they were some kind of fairylike creature, like Moonface in Magic Faraway Tree.

But yes, they are very offensive now. And more to the point they're horrible. Not cuddly at all. (I never had one by the way).

I don't like them. They might have been acceptable in the past but then so was sending small boys up chimneys. Nowadays society has moved on and thankfully, people are more aware of the offence that crude racial stereotyping causes.

What I particularly dislike about the current fashion for selling golliwogs is that they are peddled by people with extremely dodgy agendas who attempt to hide their vile right wing views behind the ludicrous "it's political correctness gone mad" banner.

So, OP, I'd lose the golliwog since YANBU to feel as you do.