golliwogs?

[gina32]

ive just had a booklet delivered and in it arewhat we always call, golliwogs, but the description is a set of 3 nostalgic characters! i know this will bring out the pc brigade but i was brought up on them being called golliwogs, its pathetic

[DrFilth]

andy posted this the other day as a kind of test, did not notice anyone speak up about it

Gromit
You're not from bog-trotter descent are you AOG?
16:50 Wed 15th Sep 2010

Gromit

Let the old Kraut come if it makes a few million bog-trotters happy.
16:23 Wed 15th Sep 2010



bogtrotter

bogtrotter [ báwg tròtter, bóg tròtter ] (plural bog·trot·ters)


noun

Definition:

a highly offensive term for an Irish or Irish-American person ( slang insult )

[pastafreak]

I had never seen gollies until I came to the UK......I instantly disliked them and found them to be pretty ugly,as they seemed to be a caricature of Blacks.
Some research I did, showed they were modelled on the Black and White minstrel shows that evolved out of the Deep South,and that had white performers in makeup that exaggerated Black facial features,and mannerisms. So-no-I don't see them as particularly nice or cute...and it has nothing to do with being 'pc'. I'm not Black,but I can see where Blacks may certainly find them to be in bad taste.

[pusskin]

me and my school pals set up a club just for the 4--6 of us, and called it the " Gollywog club"
We had the wooden shed in one of their back gardens , and you could only join if you collected the golliwog labels and stick to them to the walls lol. --so much innocent fun.

[pusskin]

p.s. golliwog labels from the jam jars I hasten to add (robinsons?)

[sammmo]

I used to have a few of the robinson golliwog statues years ago... apparently they are quite collectable today.. My nickname at school was Sambo not because i'm black but my elder brother was a blue eyed blond lad his nickname was sammy and When i started with my black hair and brown eyes I suppose Sambo was an obvious nickname.. I still have old school friends call me sambo now.. although most people call me sammmo as its more Pc..

[Dris]

I think its an insult to black people to find it offensive -im sure they dont want anyone singling them out as a race to pussyfoot around.I dont pussyfoot when people have a go at at the 'Jocks' grrrr .....
I had gollywogs when I was young (1958 child) and one of my dollies was black and was fondly called 'darkie Nannie'-just cos she was darker then me being a 3/4yr old and named after my Nannie cos I loved her:) Still rattling about the old family home and is still brought out along with Barbies for visiting kids to play with.
Its daft and if I was a different skin tone I would be fuming at the PC brigade-they only serve to segregate by highlighting the 'difference' which to kids isnt apparent until adults tell them.

[woofgang]

dris my point is it isn't up to a white person to decide if its offensive or not.

[pastafreak]

Golliwog-definition: a *grotesque* * caricature* of a Black male...........that's what I found on numerous on-line dictionaries.
In the first book that a golliwog featured in,in 1895-it was described as "a horrid sight,the blackest gnome"

[DrFilth]

pastafreak children for many many years have loved these gollys and i have never in all my years heard one say they are grotesque

i have heard someone say the same about wayne rooney ( a horrid sight ) bet that football fan would change his mind if he played up front for his club

city fans fans use to say it about tevez, they don't say it anymore :)

[Eleeza]

Thanks to all those that do understand but for those that don't this is not an attack on your childhood or an attack on your parents or grandparents as this was a popular toy and maybe many didn't understand the full history as those were more backward and less educated times but my point is the gollywog is bad for what it represented. A lovable hitler doll with funny hair and a cute mustache or a Bin Laden doll would be just another pair of loved toys in a childs room but would be upsetting to educated adults and this is the point.

[pastafreak]

I too understand that many generations of children have loved them. I did not say,or imply that children have seen them as ugly-that is clearly not the case.

But-they WERE described as "horrid"...."gnomes" in the first book by the woman author who created them over 100 years ago. They were a product of a far more racially intolerant time.

[woofgang]

you are right eleeza...imagine the jewish reaction if someone brought out a nazi version of Action Man...or a corresponding Dachau figure...

[DrFilth]

The 1895 book included a character named the "Golliwogg", who was first described as "a horrid sight, the blackest gnome", but who quickly turned out to be a friendly character, and is later attributed with a "kind face". He sported red trousers, a shirt with a stiff collar, red bow-tie, and a blue jacket with tails — all traditional formal minstrel attire.

The golliwog doll became a popular children's toy throughout most of the 20th century, and was incorporated into many aspects of British commerce and culture; for instance, some of Enid Blyton's books feature them, once as a villain and at other times as heroes.

Upton's Golliwogg was jovial and friendly, but some later golliwogs would be sinister or menacing characters. However, small boys in the 1950s, who would never dream of playing with sissy dolls, had no qualms about a big rag golly and as many golly badges as possible.


(((( But-they WERE described as "horrid" ))))

but they were also described as happy face

and

be a friendly character,


once as a villain and at other times as heroes.

HEROES.......................................
.........................................

[DrFilth]

talking of heroes


classic , enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AuxJH2Mj

[DrFilth]

try again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AuxJH2Mj30