Banning golliwogs?

[Dreamgal]

After watching a C4 programme on "PC gone mad" last night, I spotted a link to a Facebook video - see link below which gives 3 key reasons. Not sure how I feel about actually banning golliwogs (as that's censorship), but they do seem to bring out the worst in some factions of our society.

www.facebook.com/Gollytots/videos/1598189463544441

I don't see the inherent issue with Golliwogs? Except the name of course, that is offensive, the term Golliwog is just vile but what about the dolls themselves is actually offensive? They are black and disturbingly ugly with exaggerated features? So? There are plenty of white dolls that are fucking terrifying. I can't even look at Cabbage Patch Dolls. Or those weird things with the bendy arms and massive eyes. All rag dolls are butt ugly, black or white. In fact they're mostly not even white but alarming shades of pink or orange. Perhaps I'm a product of my generation but I just don't see what is so bad about a clown like rag doll, whether it is black or white. I look at them and aside from the colour, they are no different to any other rag doll.

Look further up thread for explanation of their origins/era in which they were created. They were designed in the image of minstrels.

Its got to be banned , obv.

Not sure what we are banning, but that's not the point. right ?

what's next on the ban to do list?

What you people do not understand is that we have to ban one thing a day. Otherwise ....well..otherwise...bad things will happen

I don't see the inherent issue with Golliwogs?
Then you need to read the thread.

Under who is 'you people'?

It has been explained many times throughout the thread. It's not an opinion, nothing to do with being PC, they are racist - for reasons already explained by myself and PP. Things don't lose their racist status over time. There's no good reason to keep them, and again, they're racist. If you were aware of it or not, familiarise yourself with the facts made available to you in this thread.

No one should require an explanation as to why these dolls are products of racism. I could write a list of things that are blatantly racist but that doesn't mean that I'm one of the "PC Brigade", on the contrary it means that I am fully aware of history (the rights and wrongs of it) and the atrocities/injustices perpetrated at the hands of bigots the world over.

Something doesn't lose its racist intent simply because the decade/century has changed; Racism is on par with cancer, it lingers and spreads!

I've seen them sold at a local Christmas market, amongst other hand made toys, in the last few years. I don't know who's buying them. Racists I suppose.

Starryillusion

Did you even read the thread? There are plenty of posts explaining the 'issue'.

Comparing Golliwogs to Cabbage Patch Dolls and rag dolls is absurd and foolish. The latter don't have a racist history.

The wide-eyed, faux bewildered posts on this thread are nauseating.

They're quite popular still in Australia.. maybe not as much as they were 20+ years ago, but still easily found and loved by many people.

I don't see a problem with them. I loved mine when I was a little girl. She was my favourite doll. But I can see why people in the US/UK would have an issue with them.

StrawberryShortcake: Dawndonna did not insult you, you are just being over-sensitive....

We used to love collecting the little tokens tucked behind the jam label. I have loads of the badges. But as soon as I developed any kind of analytical chemist consciousness I could see that they were a charicature and one based on a racist premise, and in the context of a very racist society (when I was a teen).

Playing with one as a kid doesn't make you racist. insisting they have no racist connotations as a grown up, seems perverse.

Yes, because as we all know, there are no racists in Australia 😂

Yes, because as we all know, there are no racists in Australia

I don't believe I said anything about racism in Australia, just that they're still relatively popular here, and that the minstrel/slave etc. thing wasn't an archetype based in reality here.

"Whenever people use phrases like PC gone mad or politically correct brigade, I want to ask then about the words and actions they feel prevented from using."

Me too, ilove.

Anyone want to elaborate? (Regarding race, as that's what's being discussed here).

You would have thought that despite not having the "minstrel/slave thing as an archetype" the new generation of white Australians would be particularly sensitive when it comes to racial issues........

Just want to check- this is 2017 & not 1967 isn't it?

I know, anddow.

Saying that, it wasn't that long after 1967 that my mother explained to me why golliwogs were racist and wrong and no we weren't going to buy that jam.

I must say, the determination not to understand what makes golliwogs racist and offensive is a bit of a wonder. I mean, it's not possible to actually be that obtuse so it's very striking, the grip racist memorabilia has on its fans.

Yes. The dogged determination not to understand things Is almost admirable.

I loved my childhood golly but I haven't passed him on to my children or grandchildren nor have I put him in the bin . He is wrapped in a blanket in a box in the loft with a couple of other soft toys to keep him company.
I lived in Sierra Leone in the 70s and was asked by my nanny's children to bring them one from England as they had seen a picture in a book.
They called him Mr Gentleman!

I actually shuddered when I read your post greylady that's quite terrifying.

Determined not to understand? That sentence doesn't make much sense to me.

Do I understand that the gollywogs is racist and would offend? Of course. Would I give one to my son now? Of course I wouldnt!

The point I was trying to make is as a child, I didn't realise that it was racist untill I wasn't allowed to wear my favourite jumper anymore.

The point I was making is that people aren't born racist. It's either inherited, or perhaps from a horrible experience etc.

Am I racist because I look back at that jumper fondly? No. I loved it because it was made for me by someone I loved very much. Not because of the picture on the front.

StrawberryShortcake32

Well at least some good has come from this thread. You've gone from saying:

Golliwogs aren't racist, people are racist. People are so worried about offending. A as long as there is no racist intent what's the issue?

To

Do I understand that the gollywogs is racist and would offend? Of course. Would I give one to my son now? Of course I wouldnt!

I had one too as a child. I really liked it, but it didn't represent to me then a black person, rather a clown. I also had a white clown like rag doll too. I was rather surprised when I was told they represented anything to do with black history! It was years later I made any connection whatsoever!

I too remember the jam jar tokens and had a couple of gollies myself as a child. And sadly i saw them for sale on a market stall only a few years ago.

As said, children do not know the history behind them but if I saw a child today with a golly I would be concerned about the parents and their choice of 'toys' that they felt where appropriate for their children to play with.