Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To give my son a "golly" toy?

72 replies

xalyssx · 04/09/2014 19:10

DS1 has a few Noddy books from when his nan was a child, and his favourite character is a golly. I was in a charity shop today, and I saw one being sold for a pound, so I got it for him. I know that people find them racist, so I told him that they are "gollies" not anything else, and I don't let him take soft toys out, so hopefully it shouldn't offend people. AIBU to have bought it?

OP posts:
burgatroyd · 04/09/2014 19:29

I've seen a couple in carboots in Norfolk.

burgatroyd · 04/09/2014 19:29

I didn't buy them

SaggyAndLucy · 04/09/2014 19:29

We were on the children's ward recently. One of the consultants was wearing a Dr Golly pin. He looked very like the golly. (and that's a statement of fact NOT an 'all Chinese people look alike' comment) I really didn't know what to say! I'm sure he was wearing it to entertain the children on the wards, bit it made me very uncomfortable.

wombat22 · 04/09/2014 19:30

You wouldn't be asking if you thought there was nothing wrong with it Hmm

Bulbasaur · 04/09/2014 19:31

My DD wanted a Nazi uniform and isn't even a little racist so I bought it for her, since you know, her grandfather was in the 3rd Reich as a young man. Good family legacy.

It's not bad because it's a children's uniform and obviously a toy.

Next year I'm thinking of getting her a KKK uniform. What do you think? It'll add to her dress up collection. :)

Kimaroo · 04/09/2014 19:32

I'm surprised that charity shops sell them, they usually have a long list of things they can't accept and this should be one of them.

BathshebaBabbling · 04/09/2014 19:33

The most incredible thing about this is that you found one in a charity shop! For a POUND!

Wow!

Ludways · 04/09/2014 19:36

My sister had a golly which she adored, she called it her ing'a'ling, lol.
She's 52, though and I was more acceptable then, she hasn't grown up racist. However, I wouldn't give my dc one, too sensitive and I'd hate to offend anyone.

VestaCurry · 04/09/2014 19:36

Um.....if one expressed the FULL word associated with these toys from yesteryear, ie golly...', IMO it is not appropriate!

I actually have a badge that was given to me as a child (the badges were available from a well known jam manufacturer). When my dc's were old enough, I let them have a look at it, we talked about it and why it's now inappropriate for the badges to be available.

One of my dc's asked me to explain more to him about the concept of a 'master race' yesterday. It's not difficult to work out what he is studying in the first term in Y9.

As parent, I feel it's my responsibility to help my children understand the historical context of anything that may be considered unacceptable or controversial today.

Only1scoop · 04/09/2014 19:37

There is a child at dd nursery and on a recent pj and teddy day he bought his much loved golly in with him.

thecatfromjapan · 04/09/2014 19:41

Out of interest, how do you report things to Mnhq when you're on you 'phone?

Silvercatowner · 04/09/2014 19:41

Full name for the toy..... gollywog. Not quite so wholesome sounding as 'golly.

I8toys · 04/09/2014 19:42

My grandmother bought one for my son 12 years ago. Quickly hid it(binned it).

Sixweekstowait · 04/09/2014 19:44

You know you are BVVVU. If I saw a child with that toy, there is no way I would let my dgs anywhere near that child because of the assumptions I would make about the kind of values s/he was bring brought up with. It is now a racist toy and there is no way round that so having one is making a statement that you couldn't give a damn about a really serious issue, or that you are a racist or that you are just really really stupid

eagle2010 · 04/09/2014 19:45

YABU for buying the toy for all the good reasons stated above (which you probably know deep down or you wouldn't have posted).

catfromjapan, I think you press the blue dots at the end of a post and a "report" choice comes up.

lorriehearts · 04/09/2014 19:46

I find it all a bit hard to believe, tbh. Your son just happened to see Golly in an old book, just happened to have him as a favourite character, and you just happened to find a matching toy in a charity shop, even though most shops won't stock them any more because they're widely recognised as racist... Hmm

Forgive me for being sceptical, but this just seems like a thread designed to get a reaction. If it's genuine, I'd still say YABU because you've said it yourself: you know these toys are racially offensive, and you bought one anyway.

IfNotNowThenWhen · 04/09/2014 19:47

DawnDonna, I must copy and paste your post to give to my mother (one too many "I had one as a child it's just a toy" arguments).
I have walked out of an astonishing number of naice gift type shops in touristy locations because they sell gollies. Or golly WOGS as they are actually called. Hmm

Bulbasaur · 04/09/2014 19:47

What about "children don't see colour"?

Yes. I hate this argument too.

Children don't see color, they are taught to. Adults do, and they understand the implication of such a toy.

No one is going to judge a child for a toy or even making racist statement. They will, however, judge the parents as they should. Children are fickle, they'll love a kitten as much as a gollywog toy a parent buys them. But they have deliberately chosen to buy a culturally insensitive toy among all the other toys on the shelf. Parents that buy these toys for their children are racist. End of.

My DD wouldn't understand a KKK uniform if I put it on her either, she'd probably pretend she was a ghost. I don't think any one would be thinking it was cute, and they would be rightfully judging me for buying that for her.

In short, children don't understand these toys. Adults do, and an adult who fully understood the implications bought it.

WineWineWine · 04/09/2014 19:48

I can't imagine why anyone would want them.
They used to be acceptable because it was acceptable to ridicule black people.
Now when it is clearly unacceptable to ridicule black people, most right minded people have put any they had, in the bin.

Changing the name to "golly" doesn't change what it is and why it existed.

thecatfromjapan · 04/09/2014 19:50

Eagle 20: I don't have any blue dots on the end of a post . I have a "more" button but report isn't one of the options in "more".
Thank you for answering, though.Smile

fatlazymummy · 04/09/2014 19:54

I had a golly when I was little (one of very few toys, so we did play with it a lot) ,we also collected them from the jam jars. The thing is, OP, we just saw them as black teddies, we never connected them to real black people.
We know better today and for that reason I would never even dream of buying them for my kids, and they would have been returned if anyone else had bought them.

MyFairyKing · 04/09/2014 19:57

It is only a toy but it's a toy that represents an awful lot of history. Would you say that the swastika is only a symbol? I'm not comparing the two btw, I'm just asking if you'd ignore all the history because something is 'only' .

gordyslovesheep · 04/09/2014 19:59

get him this as well ...it's just a toy

wafflingworrier · 04/09/2014 20:18

YABU
just don't. seriously. It's not ok. End of conversation.

Some things really are that simple.

If your child is desolate, buy them a doll that is black (ie-made to represent a girl/boy with black skin). JoJo Mamman do some nice ones.
look at that. a nice toy that is not racist. who'd have thought it would be that simple.
www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+bonnie-pearl-polka-dot-outfit-in-christening-and-new-baby-gifts+d3675

MNHQ
EllenMumsnet · 04/09/2014 20:26

Evening all. This thread was flagged up at our end. We've had a look behind the scenes and don't think the OP started it to be deliberately provocative, so will leave it to stand. Thanks to all those who politely posted very eloquent reasons why they wouldn't give that type of toy to a child Flowers Flowers.