Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 ··· 5 6 7 ··· 13 14

AIBU?

not to know if "brown sugar" is offensive.

342 replies

Charis1 · 20/08/2015 23:11

I am taking some gifts from work colleagues to a friend in hospital tomorrow. We had a collection, and one person bought the gifts from us all. We have some nice toiletries and things, but are in a toiletry bag with a picture of a teddy on it and the caption "brown sugar". I thought that term sometimes used in a racist context, so am reluctant to hand this over. but not sure if I am being paranoid and overly politically correct.

Please help!

OP posts:

Thanks

Share

Report

EcclefechanTart · 21/08/2015 12:44

I'm going to ask again: what do you think a Gollywog is supposed to look like? (If not a racist caricature of a black person)?

Thanks

EcclefechanTart · 21/08/2015 12:48

EcclefechanTart I feel the same as you regarding "I love chocolate" = racist, but I suppose this post will be followed by numerous sarcastic posts taking the piss, like there were above.

The problem is that I agree with all the sarcasm re. Gollywogs and Brown sugar. I guess I just think that "I love chocolate' is obviously not intended to be racist, whereas gollywogs are very obviously intended to be racist, and brown sugar may or may not be intended to racist on this toiletry bag, but is clearly not a good gift for a black woman. And those who are saying 'well should I throw out my bag of sugar from my cupboard?" are being unpleasantly disingenuous at best.

Thanks

Itsmine · 21/08/2015 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

horseygeorgie · 21/08/2015 12:49

Nope I wasn't defending the use of the Swastika actually, i was just pointing out that things aren't always so clear and transparent. It would be very easy to point fingers at anyone who disagrees with you and shout 'racist' or 'nazi' but doesn't that make you a rather close minded sort of person? I have a golly in my house. My india friend has seen swastikas used in india the traditional was. I am not a racist and she is not a nazi.

Thanks

BertrandRussell · 21/08/2015 12:52

This is almost too good to be true!

You've got an Indian friend? I bet it was her who gave your child the gollywog...................

Thanks

horseygeorgie · 21/08/2015 12:52

DO all black people find them offensive though?! My black friend doesn't. He says what offends him is white people getting offended on his behalf, as if he is incapable of making his own mind up.

Thanks

EcclefechanTart · 21/08/2015 12:56

I would hazard a guess at ~99% of black people finding them offensive, yes, what with them being a racist caricature of black people and all. But it's handy that you've found the 1 in 100 who doesn't.

Thanks

horseygeorgie · 21/08/2015 12:56

And how come I'm getting all the flack!!? There was a PP who had a collection of them! I only have 1 and I didn't buy it, let alone seek them out to collect! Have a go at them!

Thanks

BertrandRussell · 21/08/2015 12:57

"DO all black people find them offensive though?! My black friend doesn't. He says what offends him is white people getting offended on his behalf, as if he is incapable of making his own mind up."

I call bullshit. Ditto Indian friend with swastikas.

Thanks

Gruntfuttock · 21/08/2015 12:58

EcclefechanTart I wasn't for one moment saying that the other things aren't racist. It's just that I was taken aback by the comments about the "I love chocolate" mug being racist and unacceptable to have in an office and, having stated that, I am bracing myself for ridicule and accusations that I am stupid/naive/racist for not realising or accepting that it is racist to have such a mug. I suppose I'd better hide this thread before it all starts. I repeat:- Of course I am not for one second defending the other things mentioned.

Thanks

Jasonandyawegunorts · 21/08/2015 12:58

Where does it end? I have a golliwog on display in my French dresser

I take offence at you guessing that dressers nationality.

Thanks

EcclefechanTart · 21/08/2015 12:58

And personally I wouldn't want anything in my house that ~99 in 100 of any people within a particular "protected characteristic" group found grossly offensive.

I would make an exception for Hindus and the (reverse) swastika. But there isn't even that excuse for gollywogs, is there? They don't have any other meaning apart from racist caricature, do they?

Thanks

EcclefechanTart · 21/08/2015 13:00

Gruntfuttock Phew, we're in agreement!

Thanks

Itsmine · 21/08/2015 13:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

horseygeorgie · 21/08/2015 13:07

I don't give a stuff if you call BS bertrand, It honestly doesn't bother me! But you don't answer the point. I'm defending it because I personally don't view it as offensive. I've stayed to argue my point of view, I haven't scuttled off. Stuffed toys don't have to have a meaning. I don't chuck out DD orange dragon because he has no meaning. And to me, they are not a racist caricature because they don't even look like a person!

Thanks

JohnCusacksWife · 21/08/2015 13:09

*If your boss is a black man then it would be inappropriate to drink your tea out of a "I

Thanks

EcclefechanTart · 21/08/2015 13:12

Yes but horsey dragons are unlikely to be offended by your orange dragon toy, no? It wasn't deliberately designed as a crude, stereotyped, racist depiction of a dragon, was it?

Thanks

horseygeorgie · 21/08/2015 13:16

I don't know, it isn't flattering as dragons go! Perhaps we should ask one.

Thanks

Itsmine · 21/08/2015 13:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

horseygeorgie · 21/08/2015 13:23

But I'm not a black person. The original 'Gollywogg' in the Florence Kate Upton books was a gallant, brave, likeable character. The image of the golly only turned nasty when Enid Blyton got her hands on them.

Thanks

girlandboy · 21/08/2015 13:24

I must be incredibly simple and naive, but I thought the "I

Thanks

EcclefechanTart · 21/08/2015 13:30

I don't know, it isn't flattering as dragons go! Perhaps we should ask one.

Do you perhaps happen to have a friend who is a dragon who could come on and tell us we're all wrong to be offended?

Thanks

horseygeorgie · 21/08/2015 13:33

Nope, no dragons. I don't tell anyone what to think. You can all be as offended as you like, its not up to me to decide what offends you!

Thanks

bumbleymummy · 21/08/2015 13:34

Itsmine - yes,I don't think it's intentional. That's why I said in my previous post that the company may need to reconsider their branding and might not be aware that it was offensive. Doreen seemed to think it was impossible that it wasn't intentional.

Also, 'I love chocolate' mugs and stuffed vikings are racist now?

Thanks

Poofus · 21/08/2015 13:34

The thing is, though, horsey, dragons aren't actually a group of real people, with real feelings, and a real, very recent, history of awful oppression and abuse by white people.

Unlike black people, right?

Thanks

Flip

1 2 ··· 5 6 7 ··· 13 14

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.