Is the Golly offensive?

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/6l6cwjc

Is the Golly offensive enough to cause two Prospective Tory councillors to quit, or are they victims of political correctness?

Please do not just condemn them just because they are Tories, please just debate the Golly issue.

[askyourgran]

Do you want someone to spell it out gromit. The KKK is a dispicable bullying racist group of rednecks by anyones standards. Only nutters would pose with them and risk getting smacked.

[pastafreak]

welshlibranr
Not offensive at all!............not meeant to cause offence to black folk at all, in fact, it's a compliment to them!..........I love the golly!............

yes-to you maybe
But to a Black person-or anyone who has a bit of knowledge of the history of it-it's not that much of a compliment.

[DeadEndStreet]

In a statement reported by the BBC, Virginia (Ginny) C. Knox, previously brand director for Robertson's and now Chief Operating Officer of the Culinary Brands Division of RHM, told the Herald Newspaper in Scotland in 2001 that the decision to remove the Golly (Golliwogg) symbol from Robertson's jam and marmalade jars was taken after research found that children were not familiar with the character, although it still appealed to the older generations. "We sell 45 million jars of jam and marmalade each year and they have pretty much all got Golly on them," said Ms Knox. "We also sell 250,000 Golly badges to collectors and only get 10 letters a year from people who don't like the Golliwogg image."[2] Today, Robertson's Golliwog badges remain highly collectible, with the very rarest sometimes selling for more than £1,000, and even comparatively common and recent badges being worth £2.00–£3.00.


45 million jars with the golly picture on and 250,000 bages a year and they get 10 letters says it all

[Gromit]

@ DeadEndStreet

That was 10 years ago. Robertson's Jam is now promoted with a Peruvian Bear.

Says it all.

@ askyourgran
It is a matter of context. What you say about KKK dolls is correct. But if a child were given such a doll it would happily play with it and love it, not being aware of its political and racist context. It is the same with people who played with golliwogs. They were ignorant of its true meaning. They themselves were ignorant at the time.

But someone using a Golliwog to demonstrate against Political Correctness know what they are doing, they are not ignorant and they deserved to be banished to UKiP.

[DeadEndStreet]

Gromit
>>not being aware of its political and racist context. It is the same with people who played with golliwogs. They were ignorant of its true meaning. They themselves were ignorant at the time. <<

The Golly was loved by children as a nice and friendly person.
The Golly was also the hero in some stories gromit don't you think that is strange ?

[askyourgran]

As you say gromit a child would probably take to it and not know its connections. But what does that say about the parents? I didn't know these dolls were on sale. Older children may remember the Clangers, I believe they were mouselike creatures with strange headgear not unlike those dolls. Banishment to UKIP? I think quite a number of people were fed up with the three main parties, and were threatening to join the EDF and BNP after the mass immigration during Labour's disastrous tenure and these ridiculous PC constraints.

[DeadEndStreet]

Gromit it is called Paddington bear

http://www.dailymail....-sales-marmalade.html

[Gromit]

// I think quite a number of people were fed up with the three main parties, and were threatening to join the EDF and BNP after the mass immigration during Labour's disastrous tenure and these ridiculous PC constraints. //

But at the General Election they didn't. Says it all.

[askyourgran]

It was a hung parliament gromit and Lord knows how many have defected to those parties, I wouldn't be surprised if their numbers were growing.

Must turn in now. Goodnight.

[Gromit]

Sorry to disappoint you askyourgran, but the BNP had a disastrous General Election.

Maybe they should adopt the Golliwog as its party symbol, it seems very popular on here.

[DeadEndStreet]

After Barnsley maybe the Lib dems may use it

Labour have won the Barnsley Central by-election, while the Lib Dems slipped to sixth in the South Yorkshire seat.

UKIP, the Conservatives, the BNP and an independent all finished ahead of the Lib Dems, who came second in the seat in last May's general election.

[NOX]

I don't eally think that white people cna comment on whether it's offensive or not since it's not a stereotype of them, but I have some black friends whose child has several gollys so you can say that tose particular black people are not offended by them. You can say as a white person that you do not associate them with their negative stereotypical past and therefore any use or like you have for them is purely innocent and nice but you can't be offfended at what's not aimed at you. That being said, I'm Irish and I'm not offended by Pog and Rog even though they are thick stereotypical bog trotter puppets, but I'm sure you could find plenty of Irish that are ( I am offended by Michael Flatly but that's another story;-)

[ummmm]

Lol NOX...I'm yet to discover an Irish person offended by Pog & Rog. I'm more offended by the fact that people think we say 'top o' the mornin' to ya' everyday...

[DEN53]

I remember when I joined AB there was a similar thread - I said a Golly was just a doll and I got torn to shreds on here and called a racist...................I still think its just a doll.

[NOX]

There's a lad who ever since he was about 6 has yelled ' Would you loik a potatooo' at me in the worst Irish accent you ever heard- he doesn't offend me either- just cracks me up every time he does it-offence is strange thing- it takes a lot to genuinely offend me and inanimate objects rarely do, people on the other hand....lol

[Old_Geezer]

Folk can choose to be offended by anything at all, either making that decision consciously or subconsciously.

Personally I don’t find it the slightest bit offensive, but find the objections to a simple toy character more offensive. But apparently that sort of offence is ok.

[ummmm]

Would you loik a potatooo

Lol...that made me laugh...spud head :-)

[NOX]

Yeah quite Ummm, his mum has a fit but it's got to be a bit of running joke if he ever sees me in the street now, been going on years:-)

[Gromit]

Old Geezer.

Would you find the burning of a paper poppy offensive?

It's just a bit of oaper after all?

[tinkerbell23]

I dont get offended by scottish stereotypes! Lol for the record im not ginger, tight fisted, dont wear tartan, and i dont say och aye the noo....drink whiskey, i do however eat porridge......lol x