To be shocked by this?

[malovitt]

I went to our local council offices today to have a look at a neighbour's planning application.

The planning officer I was dealing with made some small talk about this being her last month as she was coming up for retirement age.

She then took off her cardigan and was clearly wearing a largish (3 inches?) Robinson's Jam Gollywog pendant around her neck.

I couldn't believe my eyes - would this be not frowned upon in most normal working environments? I could hardly bear to speak to her after that and left the building as soon as I could.

Every time these thread come up, I ask those who earnestly defend "Gollies and Gollywogs" as not being offensive,

To go to Southward,Lambeth or Croydon and stand on any street corner and shout it repeatedly,

or walk up to any black police officer and say it,

no one has yet taken up the challenge to do so and report back, which is funny considering how sure people are that it isn't offensive.

Please let me know if anyone wants to take up the challenge as I would love to film it.

one might ask considering it was such a successful marketing campaign for Robinson's, why they dropped it?

www.ferris.edu/JIMCROW/golliwog/

enemiesofreason.co.uk/tag/rod-liddle/page/2/

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2001/aug/23/netnotes.shoppingwww.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=golliwog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.guardian.co.uk/news/2001/aug/23/netnotes.shoppingwww.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=golliwog

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1092640/Golly-Theyve-junked-jam-Robertsons-axed-144-years-shelves.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034203/Neighbours-war-golliwog-Gran-race-hate-charge-planning-dispute.html

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/21/golliwogs-vile-throwback-tory-mps

www.northlondon-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=36256

I wouldn't have given it a second thought and I lived n London for 16 years. I loved collecting gollies when I was little too.

They just like them for some reason that has nothing at all to do with racism, and everything to do eith their love of bygone commercial advertising symbols. And continue to like them after being told that they're racist. For some reason.

I liked them because collecting and sending off tokens then getting a badge in the post is fun when you are 8/9/10. But mainly, I liked all the different outfits

Jesus wept!

I have a black friend and when I went to visit her on one occasion I was surprised to see, on prominent display, in her dining room, not one, but two Gollies.
Clearly she does not have a problem with them at all and is far from trying to provoke an argument!
As someone upthread said, some people find them offensive (black and white), some people don't (black and white).

Lovesabadboy, I used to tend bar in the US at a real working class sort of sports bar. These builders would come in as a group and drink and watch football. One guy in the group was black. It was sort of a running joke with the group that they'd call him all sorts of racist things, including the N-word. He'd just sit there and laugh. I guess he wasn't offended.

So, you know, I knew a black guy who didn't find it offensive to be called a N***. That doesn't mean it's not a racist word.

I've seen more of them around in the last year or so, lots of shops selling Golly Dolls, keyings etc. I went to a toy trade fair and there was a whole stand dedicated to them.

She was probably a member of the KKK. She should be sacked and shamed in public for her behaviour. And lose her gold-plated council pension.

On the other hand, maybe it was just a pendent. Everyone loved the Gollywogs back in the day, including black people. It's just ridiculous ultra PC types today that get all het up about them.

It's just ignorant and stupid people that think they are ok.

So, you know, I knew a black guy who didn't find it offensive to be called a N*. That doesn't mean it's not a racist word.

Well, the other thing is he might have known from experience that (as we see on this thread), many people are very defensive about their right to use racist words and display racist symbols, regardless of how anyone else might feel. He may have concluded that it wasn't worth the hassle, because reading this thread, he could be talking to the wall.

Racists are none too bright, and certainly don't think that any consideration is more important than displaying pigshit thick ignoance in the most cretinous manner possible.

I don't have a problem with gollies (but then I'm not black) and op's reaction does seem a bit melodramatic. Really? You were desperate to leave the building? A bit over the top.

Having said that I think for someone working with the public it was a stupidly insensitive item to wear. Whether or not she is racist is actually irrelevant. She has made a member of the public feel uncomfortable. Perhaps a rationally worded email to your councillor, even without naming the officer in question asking that all staff be reminded of cultural sensitivities would be appropriate.

who does not know that they can and often do cause offence. Everyone knows not everyone cares

times change, society changes move on it is thankfully no longer acceptable to cause offence just because when you were young it was differently

no one is going to die if the can not wear their golly necklace

I used to have a golly and em and df said I had to change his name as his name had a naughty word. We drew names out of a hat and golly was to be called James! Sorry bit of nostalgia there.

I would think it in bad taste, certainly. Proud she may be of her collection, but it should remain in her home.

So, OP... you were that bothered that you only left as soon as you could... didn't ask to speak to anybody else instead and didn't challenge this woman on her choice of adornment?

No? Just faux outrage then... If you were truly bothered, you'd do something about it, not just start an impotent thread on a chatboard.

I still have my Robinson's apron, it was my school cookery one. lots of happy memories.

I have put it in a safe place as I don't want to offend anyone.

like the memories it belongs to another place and time.
(30+ years ago in the least ethically mixed corner of rural Wales you could imagine. The only black people Id ever met were the lovely lads at Birmingham ice rink who picked you up when you fell over).

It's not hanging up in my kitchen and I definitely wouldn't wear it in the work place.

When I was little I was given a Golly and I loved it, I played with it along with my teddies and dollies (and he wasn't naughty or the bad character in my games). I still have a Golly, in a box in the attic. I still love it as it reminds me of something I loved and the person who gave it to me. However I haven't given it to my dd to play with and it isn't on display because while it might have positive meaning for me that obviously isn't the same for everyone and I don't want to offend people.

If a significant section of society is offended by Golliwogs they are, by definition, offensive so professional people should respond accordingly and not wear them to work. Common sense I would have thought.

Still love my Golly though.

Pendants aren't racist - people are.

I've just looked on ebay....there are pages and pages of gollywog stuff on there.

I don't find them offensive and not do I know anyone who does.

I find this all ridiculous quite frankly she is entitled to wear whatever she fucking wants you the one with the problem with it. People find tattoes offensive should they have to peel their skin so as not to offend?

The world is going pc mad if you ask me. And as for it bein racist is it not a racist assumption that will offend people as your basically saying "don't talk about or show the black person the gollywog as it will upset them" which means your basically making an assumption about them base on the colour of their skin!

Lying what exactly could she have done? She could tell the woman what she thinks of her necklace and I bet the woman would spout back a load of guff. Then what? OP has to deal with this woman as she's the planning officer. If I needed her services I'd probably leave it until the end to point out that she's wearing an offensive symbol around her neck and that I don't expect to see it when she's at work again, but it won't actually make her do anything, will it?

I'm shocked at someone wearing such a strange pendant. The sheer sartorial choice...what an odd thing to wear. How does a gollywog motif get on a pendant in the first place, and why would you put it there? Do people actually manufacture these things, or was it homemade?

I'm off to have a look on ebay too. Sounds vile I can hardly believe such things exist and people even pay money for them!

Thanks FairyJen, what a thoughtful and articulate post.

Lying - no faux outrage - I'm usually the first one to speak up in a situation like this, but I was one of a group of fellow neighbours there who would have been furious with me for derailing the meeting. This woman is dealing with something that is very important to them AND she is in the last few weeks of her career of over thirty years with the council. I genuinely think she forgot she had it on. Had I been alone, I would have said something, and if I have the chance of seeing her again, I will.

Interesting responses though!

Say what malovitt? She's an ageing woman wearing a relic of a bygone era. She probably has no idea it is offensive - and, tbf, it is people choosing to being offended rather than genuine offence lets face it. So say what to her? Tell her she is racist? She is offensive? Seriously, where do people like you get off constantly looking for offence in absolutely bloody everything. Why can't you just live and let live FFs.