Are Golliwogs racist?

Morag

So in 1992 the golliwog disappeared of the HB Gollybar same as the dispeared off the jars or jam and were written out of children's books.

Are Golliwogs racist? Sure the Term Wog which is a racist insult came from the
misappropriation and shortening of the work Golliwog but is that the Golliwogs fault?

Growing up in Ireland they were on icecream bars and were the wonderful brave and interesting characters in kids book no more real then talking teddy bears or goblins. I certainly never connected them to supposedly being a nasty slur on people who had dark skin.

Ok there are images of dark skinned people which are offensive Little Black Sambo, the Inki cartoon character to name two, and there are some pretty nasty images and items usually were created in the USA and I can see how they were used to belittle and oppress African American but here in Ireland
I think they were the same as leprecons, not real at all.

What do you think, are golliwogs linked intrinsically to imperialism, genocide, slavery and racism or just a kids toy?

Hande hoche!

I would love a golly bar right now.

Nodin

...for the love of jaysus, no, no, no.......

Yeah, you'd hear them coming out with some fierce insults

keano_afc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2pniymmkpg

3ndahalfof6

They were fierce fast, so I am told, that is all.

mathepac

We used to collect the labels off Robinson's Marmalade and send them away to get little goldie golliwog lapel badges for our school blazers / jumpers. We were racist and I didn't know it until today!! Please don't send me to jail.

We also brought in pennies for "na leanai gorma". Was this racist as well? How did all the blue babbies in Africa survive without "na pingini"?

Oh I've been such an evil person, will Peter Pan and Tinkerbell ever forgive me?

vicwatson

and I loved the kind of foil wrapper on it

Valetta

I'm never drinking Lyons Tea again.

vicwatson

Arnott's are racist !

Gyalist

While you are at it, maybe it's also time for a re-examination of the Punch cartoons to see if they were really racist or if the Irish just can't take a joke.

spankysue

The Golliwogs themselves weren't racist afaik, the people who came up with the idea of them most likely were though.

Tombi!

Course they are. So are milky bars.

If by racist you mean awesome, then yes, yes they are

Boombastic

Enid Blyton was a raging racist

Rasheed

I was called a golliwog when I was a child because of my curly (fuzzy) hair........

Aquagakka

I think they may have originated from a book character who was a chimney sweep.

Princess Zelda

Boombastic wrote: »

Enid Blyton was a raging racist

Who did they replace Mr Golly with in the Noddy books/tv show?

mike65

Still have mine in the attic somewhere.






















Restrained with some lidl 5.99 rope.

Tombi!

Princess Zelda wrote: »

Who did they replace Mr Golly with in the Noddy books/tv show?

According to Wikipedia, a white guy called Mr. Sparks

Boombastic

Princess Zelda wrote: »

Who did they replace Mr Golly with in the Noddy books/tv show?

Don't know, Wasn't Big Ears under attack too

1) Because of his name and
2) for sleeping in the same bed as Noddy?

kowloon

They were delicious, that's what they were.

efb

So big ears was a peado?

Boombastic

efb wrote: »

So big ears was a peado?

No, Noddy was old enough to Drive and had his own car for bringing Tessa Bear Shopping:)

Tombi!

Boombastic wrote: »

No, Noddy was old enough to Drive and had his own car for bringing Tessa Bear Shopping:)

Ah but it might give "the gay" to the kids watching and we can't be having that can we! :rolleyes:

HTML5!

Chocolate is racist!

Especially chocolate mice! They had a reddish, pink goo inside them, not entirely unlike blood and organs.

They were trying to say: black people are rodents!

Princess Zelda

Boombastic wrote: »

Don't know, Wasn't Big Ears under attack too

1) Because of his name and
2) for sleeping in the same bed as Noddy?

Bit o'Noddy research was needed, and came across this delightful article from the Independent no less.

Apparently "When negotiations began two years ago to screen a television version of the Noddy stories in America, Big Ears ran into problems. The network showing the programmes "could not be seen to sustain discrimination" against people with large ears. So they called him White Beard instead."

Boombastic

Princess Zelda wrote: »

Bit o'Noddy research was needed, and came across this delightful article from the Independent no less.

Apparently "When negotiations began two years ago to screen a television version of the Noddy stories in America, Big Ears ran into problems. The network showing the programmes "could not be seen to sustain discrimination" against people with large ears. So they called him White Beard instead."

:pac::pac:


His conclusions, which won him a mathematics competition in Auckland, reveal that contrary to general belief very little crime in Toytown was committed by the golliwogs; Tessie Bear, often portrayed by feminists as a poor role model, is assertive and full of initiative; and the milkman, often criticised for Noddy-abuse, in fact hit him on the head only three times.

Where To

I used to enjoy sucking Minstrels when I was younger.

April O Neill

Well, they were... but I think many children weren't aware of that fact.

Lelantos

Where To wrote: »

I used to enjoy sucking Minstrels when I was younger.

Is that why we don't see the Black & White Minstrels on tv anymore?

ITS_A_BADGER

They're not the best water type pokemon but there are better

Noel Kinsella

Whats the story with "black boards" in schools are they gone too ? I heard they had to be called chalk boards now is that true ? White boards are still good old white boards though............................

mikeym

Any pictures of a gollywog???

GoldenTickets

vicwatson wrote: »

Arnott's are racist !

Over 20 years out of date... I'd still go for one.

Noel Kinsella

There is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar too much PC crap nowadays when the Irish travel to other countries we have to blend in with that countries culture but when foreigners come here it seems we still have to blend in with their culture even though most DONT want to integrate with OUR culture. IMO.

The Road Runner

Well done Noel. Keep them coals stoked :rolleyes:

crockholm

OP mentions the word "leprecons", would that be a hate-filled neologist slur upon Irish right-wing conservatives ; )

Duck Soup

Archeron

I was in a shop a couple of years ago, and was surprised to see a large round basket full of golliwogs on special offer in the middle of the floor. They were expensive too, considering it was meant to be a special.

Anyone know what the collective term is for a group of golliwogs?

old hippy

Noel Kinsella wrote: »

There is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar too much PC crap nowadays when the Irish travel to other countries we have to blend in with that countries culture but when foreigners come here it seems we still have to blend in with their culture even though most DONT want to integrate with OUR culture. IMO.

If, by your culture, you mean racial stereotypes, then blending in, isn't always easy.

Used to be part of the culture here in the UK, we were called paddys, micks and all deemed potential terrorists. That's not so long ago. Also, they didn't much like us as paying guests in B&Bs. No blacks, no dogs, no Irish.

I bet you really miss the rare oul' times, just reeking of culture, eh?

Golliwogs, blacking up and the days of Bernard Manning have been rightfully disposed of. The same goes for anti-Irish stereotypes.

Nothing PC in the slightest about it, either.

Pawpad666

Archeron wrote: »

I was in a shop a couple of years ago, and was surprised to see a large round basket full of golliwogs on special offer in the middle of the floor. They were expensive too, considering it was meant to be a special.

Anyone know what the collective term is for a group of golliwogs?

A golly of Gollywegs.

nlgbbbblth

Noel Kinsella wrote: »

Whats the story with "black boards" in schools are they gone too ? I heard they had to be called chalk boards now is that true ? White boards are still good old white boards though............................

Complete myth usually uttered by people who say "it's political correctness gone mad".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_correctness#False_accusations

Nothing wrong with using black.

1) Ever heard of James Brown?
SAY IT LOUD I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD.

2) Black Music awards

3) A book I saw recently - "Growing up black in Britain".

On the subject of golliwogs - they were removed from the Enid Blyton books along with a load of other changes / edits back in the early 1990s.

As a member of the EBAS I don't agree with it. The books were written in a different era and the language used reflects that time. Censoring the past is bullsh*t.

If you want to buy Enid Blyton books then buy second hand copies printed no later than 1989. Buying them new is foolish.

minidazzler

eeny meany mineie mo...catch a ni**er by the toe.....

God damn parents...

Hedgemeister

On a related subject I saw an old (1950s) advertisement today for British Triumph Roadster bicycles:
It read " Go gay with a Triumph" and "Triumph - The gay bicycle for Jeanagers"
The ad was aimed at the American Market , but they sold by the thousand in Ireland.
(No Gollywogs though)

Corruptedmorals

Hedgemeister wrote: »

On a related subject I saw an old (1950s) advertisement today for British Triumph Roadster bicycles:
It read " Go gay with a Triumph" and "Triumph - The gay bicycle for Jeanagers"
The ad was aimed at the American Market , but they sold by the thousand in Ireland.
(No Gollywogs though)

Eh..gay had a different meaning back in the day. Gay is all over Blyton's books. And A-Wear used to be called Gay Wear.

onerone

well the golly was made in Australia according to the pic so i guess it could be racist just like the no irish thing a couple years ago

CollardGreens

New word to me! Only golly I can think of is that song "Good Golly Miss Molly" that was popular in the 50's. Gomer Pile on The Andy Griffith Show use to say Golly a lot and it had nothing to do with food or a person. It was more of a "Gee Whiz" comment.


We have candy called Goobers, that is also known as a booger in slang. We have another candy called Whoppers and they are big round things that look like large bunny turds (just wanted to share....hee hee)

Hedgemeister

We called them yokes Gob-stoppers & sugar-sticks called Peggy's Legs!
(They cost a penny which should've gone to the teacher for the Black Babies in Africa)

Henlars67

They are considered racist, no idea why. Some well-off white person who spends their lives getting offended on behalf of others probably decided that black people should be offended by them and that was that.


This woman was arrested for 'racially aggravated harassment' for having one in her window
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8746049/Neighbours-row-over-golliwog-in-the-window.html

old hippy

Henlars67 wrote: »

They are considered racist, no idea why. Some well-off white person who spends their lives getting offended on behalf of others probably decided that black people should be offended by them and that was that.


This woman was arrested for 'racially aggravated harassment' for having one in her window
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8746049/Neighbours-row-over-golliwog-in-the-window.html

Why don't you ask a black friend or colleague next time how they feel about golliwogs?