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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask any black posters how they feel about Gollywogs

252 replies

Bambambini · 18/10/2015 20:42

There's a very popular FB post doing the rounds asking people to vote if they the think Gollywogs should make a come back.

I commented negatively on it as I was under the impression that black people often find them offensive and I was suspicious as to the intent of this meme doing the rounds and if it was just trying to stir up trouble. Then I looked online to back up this view and on another board black folk (or poeple who claimed to be black)seemed to be saying they couldn't care less.

So if you are black how do you feel about them, I don't want to be misrepresenting you. And to all those folk on FB voting yes and commenting how all this PC stuff is out of hand - maybe they need to see what black people actually think.

OP posts:

Thread gallery

OstentatiousBreastfeeder · 18/10/2015 21:20

DH is black, and has mixed feelings.

We visited my elderly aunt last year who has a rather large collection of original gollies. She hadn't met DH before. DS ran up to some that were displayed and asked if he could play with them. My aunt turned an impressive deep scarlet and hastily removed them from view

My point is, even the die-hard collectors know they're offensive, despite the affection they have for the weird-looking things. Of course they shouldn't make a comeback. They should stay in the past and on elderly ladies display cabinets where they will eventually get inherited by the bin.

ghostspirit · 18/10/2015 21:31

so if they had been called gollie from day one and not gollie-wog would they have been ok to have? is it the name rather than the doll its self? i want to google where the word wog comes from. it feels horrible writting that word :/

FortuneVomitsOnMyEiderdown · 18/10/2015 21:31

White people's views can and are being easily dismissed if they say they are offended, I thought if black people's views could be heard that they might hold more weight and make people reconsider if these dolls are harmless or not.

Why Bambambini?

Are we so unoriginal as a society that we are incapable of developing non-racist toys?

Think about what you are asking for. If less than 10% of the population are an ethnic minority, ie 10 out of 100. You should realistically expect less than 1 out of 10 responses to be from ethnic minorities. Then consider that it is utterly exhausting to constantly have to waste our time trying to validate (I hope) a minority of peoples racist and frankly offensive ideas. Do you really expect that you are going to get thousands of black people say "hey, I didn't mind being called a wog, so why don't you just re-appropriate something that we find deeply offensive" along with whatever other racist gubbins is being lobbed in our general direction at any given time.

Imagine if the 750 million odd Hindus in the world decided to reappropriate the swastika. What do you think would be the impact of that?

AgentCooper · 18/10/2015 21:36

Not being black, I feel it's not ok for me to decide how offensive they are to people of colour. But I can still find them offensive, because they represent very ugly views, and I don't want those views to be present in our society.

And furthermore, if it's Britain First posting the pics then I fully hold onto my right to be offended by the very existence of those knuckle dragging cunts!

80schild · 18/10/2015 21:36

I definitely struggle with golliwogs even though I had one as a child and loved it. My MIL purchased one for our eldest son when he was born and I think I threw it out at the earliest opportunity - it made me so uncomfortable having it in the house (I don't have any close black friends).

for me it is not a case of what it represents, because I don't think "black / negative" I think "cute - positive". I think it was more a case of how I would be perceived by others.

fakenamefornow · 18/10/2015 21:42

I'm actually glad you asked this op. My mum has a golliwog and has given one to my children. She claims they're not racist and black people have no problem with them, oh, and they're not called golliwogs anymore, they're gollys now.

I've told her I don't like them because I think they ridicule and belittle black people. She doesn't agree so it would be good if this thread gave me some other points to argue.

Niceteeth · 18/10/2015 21:42

I'm black. And I find them sooooo offensive. It doesn't matter how many times people say some black people aren't offended, I am! And I do feel that anyone who defends them is denying racism.

ghostspirit · 18/10/2015 21:49

i dont think people who defend them means they are racist some people had not asosiated them with black people.

probably a really stupid question so please dont soon me it is a genuine question. we have black and white dolls/barbies/rag dolls... so why is the golly any different

BedTimeNow · 18/10/2015 21:51

I just find it weird out of all the teddies, soft dolls and comfort blankets a certain kind of person would give a golly to a young child or baby to play with.

steppemum · 18/10/2015 21:51

I am not black. I used to think they were friendly faces and it was all a pc over reaction, and had fond memories of Robinson's jam etc etc.

Then I heard Lenny Henry being interviewed and he talked about how it was used as a racist institute when he was a child, about other kids shouting gollywog at him in the playground.

I would not be in favour of any return of the golly wog on that basis.

BedTimeNow · 18/10/2015 21:53

ghostspirit, the golly is a racist symbol.

sorry I can't do links but goggle it if you can.

serin · 18/10/2015 21:56

Of course they are fucking racist, you don't have to be black to recognise that or find it offensive or challenge it.

Britain First are a hateful organisation.

BrendaandEddie · 18/10/2015 21:56

goggle?

Niceteeth · 18/10/2015 21:57

The golliwog is not just a standard black doll, its an offensive parody. With a racist term as part of its name. And they're not necessary to anyone's life, I don't see why people defend them so strongly! Fair enough if you liked them before, if you get new information might be worth accepting that if you defend them you will offend people. Like me.

Prettyinblue · 18/10/2015 21:57

No course they are offensive. When they were made they were offensive but many people were too ignorant/racist to acknowledge that. Now many people find them offensive, so therefore they are offensive.

BedTimeNow · 18/10/2015 21:59

*Google

Kind of obvious what I meant...

SycamoreMum · 18/10/2015 22:06

Consider me royally offended.

TeaAddict235 · 18/10/2015 22:11

sigh sigh sigh.

where to start first?

Warriorsoftheworld · 18/10/2015 22:15

U think they're no different to the baby annabel dolls you get with brown skin or any other doll im indifferent about them tbh

Warriorsoftheworld · 18/10/2015 22:15

moopymoodle · 18/10/2015 22:19

I love them! I'm very against racism and to me I view them as just a doll.

catfordbetty · 18/10/2015 22:21

... asking people to vote if they the think Gollywogs should make a come back ...

Trouble-making of the nastiest sort, IMO. The only motive in such a survey is to cause offence while pretending not to.

ProudAS · 18/10/2015 22:22

Interesting story Asteria. I always assumed they were an innocent toy that someone cried race over but then heard a different story about their origin.

Thinking back to the Enid Blyton books - not all the golliwogs were bad. Mr Golly who ran the garage in the Noddy books was a good guy and the most featured golliwog.

OP YANBU for gauging opinion.

Prettyinblue · 18/10/2015 22:25

Moopy if you are ' very against racism' as you say, and many black people find gollywogs hugely offensive how can you ' love' them.

CassieBearRawr · 18/10/2015 22:26

"I love them! I'm very against racism and to me I view them as just a doll."

Can't be that anti racism then.

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