AIBU to tell my mum to find her own racist knitting patterns

[gamerwidow]

I am currently embroiled in a disagreement with my Mum because she wants me to find her a knitting pattern for a golliwog.
I have tried unsuccessfully to explain that this not the innocent toy she thinks it is and have told her that I am staggered that she thinks it is anything but racist. She is only 70, she should know better.
She is now in a massive sulk.
Am I right or should i just have let her have her knitting pattern?

Well OP, here's hoping you spend your 70s being reviled by your kids because a new sanctimonious generation has judged your harmless hobbies to no longer be acceptable.

Been reading this thread but not contributing, just following with interest.
I'm sat firmly on the fence, and this comment has prompted me to speak my piece.
I can see why some deem golly's racist,if they are indeed a caricature of black people and were originated to mock.
(But on my googling, the original story was wary of the golly but then friends with her golly once she got to know her unless I'm misunderstanding?)
For reference,I was on the recent thread and I was saying how disgusting the monkey t-shirt and the colonial connotations were.
To me,growing up, the golly was just another toy in my story books.I'd never have connected it with black people or negatively.

Further to this point, my great-grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother all knitted; I've even got dolls clothes that my great-grandmother made. No gollywogs though.

I can't go and ask, because none are with us today, but I bet none of them ever knitted gollywogs or would have seen them as a sensible thing to knit.

Ahh, virginia the professionally offended meme. I have scars from being beaten up by the NF. I'm not professionally offended, I'm intelligent, articulate and sensibly aware that gollywogs are racist. Using the tired old trope of professionally offended does your no favours; unless of course you're racist...

Are you saying that racism is nonsense?

If by racism you mean violent and unequal treatment towards others based on bogus theories of racial supremacy, then no, racism is a very real and serious issue indeed. But getting het up because an old woman wants to knit a doll that's not terribly PC? That's nonsense.

Gilead

Using the tired old trope of professionally offended does your no favours; unless of course you're racist...

Is there any trope more tired than the one you just deployed, i.e. "if you don't agree with all my positions then you're a racist"? Sorry, that's not the instant argument-winner that it used to be or you still think it is.

But she doesn't want to knit a doll, she wants to knit a gollywog, generally regarded by most sensible people as a symbol of racism.

Whilst ignoring my experience...

imightmention

Im fairly positive my gran got me the gollywog

Which is weird as she was the mother of three black children and would have been well aware of the racism they faced

I can't have had it for long as im sure my perents ditched it as soon as they could

generally regarded by most sensible people as a symbol of racism

This thread clearly shows that there is plenty of room for disagreement on that issue. You are of course entitled to your opinion.

I was when DM brought a knitted black doll def of golly origin from South Africa with her for dc. But it had been given to her by a group of women who have turned them a bit more like dolls and sell to raise money for their and other townships. I’m still in two minds.

So why would you argue that gollywog (not a golly) isn't a symbol of racism?

Rufus Clearly she should've knitted it, and she would have been able to supply young you with a continuous stream of identical replacements.

She took a wrong turn there. All the cool grandmas have a hobby of knitting gollywogs, to the exclusion of all other garments, toys or whimsical items.

imight

Absolutely

All the cool hep grandmas knit gollywogs

(I never got another one and neither did my brother...so maybe she clicked that it was racist)

I remember my Nan had one of those creepy knitted dolls on the bed in the box room. Pretty much my only memory of going to see her is the absolute fear of that damn 'doll'! I had to hide it on the landing so I could sleep in the room. When she died I was asked if I wanted it :O Reading this thread brings back the trauma. Save a child, don't let her knit another one!

PC
Professionally offended

Here we go again.

Here we go again

Yes, the people who don't thrive on outraged sanctimony have again put in their tuppence-worth. How very dare they!

don't get it for her but let her know when people see it if they accuse her of bring racist then it's her fault

I regard being called professionally offended as a compliment. The last recourse of the scoundrel

the golliwog wasn't a racist doll but thanks to racist it made everyone associates it with racism so that is why it is offensive
like the swastika means good luck but thanks to the Nazi everyone now associates it with racism

Thinking a gollywog is racist = outraged sanctimony

Alrighty...

My poor deprived children just got baby blankets and matinée jackets from their other gran.

Do you think I should phone MIL in the morning and tell her to be cooler?

imight

I would definitely get her to up her gane

What is she thinking!!!!

I regard being called professionally offended as a compliment

Then consider yourself complimented in the very highest degree.

My mum is 82. When I was about 3 I was given a golliwog for Christmas. It disappeared within the hour. I remember asking about it. This was the 60s. Political correctness hadn’t been invented but my mother wouldn’t have a golliwog in the house.

Hmm. Virginia, Rufus and I have just been discussing knitting requests. When If my MIL unaccountably refuses to make gollywog toys for me, do you think I should lead with telling her she's sanctimonious or not?