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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
18
SenecaFalls · 19/10/2015 23:28

Why do people take things so seriously?

You mean things like racism? I grew up in the American South. So there are many reasons. But I have a feeling that you have some sense of what those are. So I won't waste my time.

IamlovedbyG · 19/10/2015 23:29

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ReginaBlitz · 19/10/2015 23:31

No like a doll.

MistressDeeCee · 20/10/2015 01:50

OP I do find golliwogs offensive. Everyone knows what they represent but too many disingeniously pretend they don't and that its "just a toy" - the need to do that shows they know its offensive but don't care but can't just come out and say that

More offensive are those who want to answer for us - if Im offended then Im offended I don't actually want or need a non-African to jump in and say how THEY feel about it in negative fashion towards my feelings about it & then give a diagnosis on how I SHOULD feel about it - or not as the case may be...why are we offended..its just a toy why so serious... I have black friends 1 has a golliwog she finds them funny...oh and the wide-eyed innocence "oh golliwogs are fine we had one when we were little on my great-grannys dressing-table....

Yet when I arrived in UK at a young age and lived on an estate in east London I never actually knew any white families who had a golliwog on display.

In fact in some form or other the golliwog topic comes up pretty regularly on MN which I find extraordinarily strange & tbh most times its just an excuse for a racist goady thread so some can feel good in completely negating how black people feel about an ugly offensive caricature with nasty historical connotations.

I don't expect so many people to care about that. But I just wish they'd stop goingon about it, its naff in the extreme. The ones who in the past on here have claimed its just a toy or "oh I have one".give it to your DCs to take to school in a show & tell session then..if its all so alright with you... its just a toy isn't it?

MistressDeeCee · 20/10/2015 01:57

Regina do make sure you take yours to school alongisde with your black as the ace of spades dad too ( the ace of spades is VERY black - you sure about that..? lol ) - just be sure not to be ranting and foaming at the mouth and not to call any Indians "wog" on your way... Im sure you racially insult people in real life exactly as you specify & rather than tell you to get da fuk out of their face they quake in your path... you daring internet warrior you...

MistressDeeCee · 20/10/2015 02:07

In fact its a silly thread Id rather hide it now..in the hope you had good intentions OP.

& reading back its actually good to see there are some smart folk on thread who don't pretend they know how racism feels...but they refute it and call it as they see it with no agenda to tell Africans how to feel

ShebaShimmyShake · 20/10/2015 07:13

It doesn't matter that there might exist some black people who don't find them offensive (or more likely are frightened of saying that they do). They were created purely to caricature black people negatively, we know that for a fact, and for that reason alone we should be avoiding them. We do need better representation of minorities but we don't need those nasty racist dolls to do it.

If there was some doll in existence with a huge nose, yellow star and fistful of banknotes, it wouldn't matter if you found the odd Jew who didn't think it was offensive, or at least wouldn't say so. It would clearly be racist, vile and unacceptable.

merrymouse · 20/10/2015 09:08

Many black people didnt live in Britain in the 50's/60's and 70's and I imagine have no more knowledge of the history of minstrel shows, slavery and discrimination in America than anyone else.

Black people are no more a homogenous group than white people.

Doesn't make golliwogs less racist

BrianCoxReborn · 20/10/2015 09:11

"Regina do make sure you take yours to school alongisde with your black as the ace of spades dad too ( the ace of spades is VERY black - you sure about that..? lol ) - just be sure not to be ranting and foaming at the mouth and not to call any Indians "wog" on your way... Im sure you racially insult people in real life exactly as you specify & rather than tell you to get da fuk out of their face they quake in your path... you daring internet warrior you..."

I wish MN had a 'like' button. Well said.

Salene · 20/10/2015 09:35

My ex partner who is Nigerian had no issue with them I assume, I remember we were in a tiny tourist type gift shop once and they had some small ones for sale, he bought one to send back to Nigeria to his niece as a gift , he was delighted to of found one , I remember him laughing about it.

I never really questioned it at the time as to be honest I wasn't really that aware they were so offensive to people , I had one when I was a child (I'm 36 now)

I grew up in a small Scottish town and there were no black kids at my school but thinking back I do remember the word wog being used offensively to describe black people , but never really put two and two together if I'm honest.

Salene · 20/10/2015 09:36

I still keep in touch with him , he now lives in USA I will ask him why he bought it, as I'm now interested to know if there was any reason behind it and if he finds them offensive

Original poster
Bambambini · 20/10/2015 09:48

Well looks like some black people are offended and some are not. I think the black perspective is interesting. I really don't see the point of these dolls making a comeback as there is just too much division and obviously many people are offended. It's just a silly doll, not necessary in any way so no one's going to suffer if they just fade away.

OP posts:
merrymouse · 20/10/2015 10:11

But why should all black people have a perspective on golliwogs? The world is a big place and golliwogs and what they represent were not a world wide cultural experience.

Their history still clearly shows that they are racist.

ReginaBlitz · 20/10/2015 10:25

Brian cox aren't you a tool. You have just been racist in your comment assuming that I talk like that! Like I corrected my comment earlier I said I heard them being referred to that,not that I said it I wouldn't have even known what it meant!. And black as the ace of spades is a saying it's not literal.

ReginaBlitz · 20/10/2015 10:30

Sorry you quoted a tool called mistress.

ReginaBlitz · 20/10/2015 10:37

And who said my kids had them? My dd wanted to take one on the school picnic at the vicarage..I said no. She also wanted a golliwog themed birthday party I said no. Kids see them as just a toy an innocent toy. We see them as a joke, I'm struggling to see how me commenting on a thread that has asked "black" people to comment on makes me a keyboard warrior? Why are so many non black people getting wound up on our behalf? News flash 99 percent of real life black people have bigger (salt) fish to fry so please use your energy elsewhere we don't care about a doll.

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 20/10/2015 11:26

UGH this thread is still running

honestly OP you might as well write "To ask any black posters how they feel about SLAVERY" as its that fucking obvious they are vile and racist

OP I really hope you don't ever contemplate even starting a thread with the word "wog in it ever ever again.

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 20/10/2015 11:28

In fact in some form or other the golliwog topic comes up pretty regularly on MN which I find extraordinarily strange & tbh most times its just an excuse for a racist goady thread so some can feel good in completely negating how black people feel about an ugly offensive caricature with nasty historical connotations

Yes!!!! no one in RL even discussed them, its like we KNOW they are just terrible and a no no

are MN users especially naïve??? stupid

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 20/10/2015 11:29

Some MN users I meant, of course

but still shocked at the fact this thread was even fucking started TBH

noeffingidea · 20/10/2015 11:33

I have seen this topic on another forum, it's not just mumsnet. It was just one thread though.
Similar viewpoints, as well.

noeffingidea · 20/10/2015 11:35

I've never heard it discussed in real life though, or seen one of the things in real life for years. I'm not on facebook though, which is where the OP came across it.

standinginthedoorway · 20/10/2015 11:37

I'm on fb a lot and have not seen this. I'm white but I would rethink any friendships I had with people who 'like' this sort of shit.

Original poster
Bambambini · 20/10/2015 12:23

"Yes!!!! no one in RL even discussed them, its like we KNOW they are just terrible and a no no

are MN users especially naïve??? stupid"

Well many people obviously don't know that they are just terrible and a no no if hundreds of thousands of people have responded to this stupid meme. Not everyone thinks and lives their lives like you do. A lot of folk could possibly do with seeing it discussed and made aware that they might think more about what they often mindlessly like or comment on on the likes of FB and what the agenda is of people behind it.

OP posts:
hesterton · 20/10/2015 12:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noeffingidea · 20/10/2015 13:02

hesterton it's only an irony if you know what the origin was in the first place. If something looks like a teddy instead of a person then that's what it looks like. The golly I had as a child was handknitted and looked like a teddy (it was probably really crap and basic, it looked nothing like the ones on the jam jar).