Are Golliwogs racist?

twinQuins

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I had a golliwog as a child. It was a bloody creepy thing. I used to put it under things so that I didn't have to look at it. When did 'black' become a dirty word?

It didn't. The idea that it is, is nothing more than a myth perpetuated by the terminally outraged to take a shot against the equally mythical "PC brigade".

Grand Moff Tarkin

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

No. You're just a prick for not reading the rest of the thread where it was clearly pointed out that:

1) it's not racist.
2) people who claim that they can't say "black" anymore are full of sh*t.

No need to use that sort of gutter talk.

Rosy Posy

old hippy wrote: »

We are all ethnic but the idea of calling people "non white" does feel racist, to me. As if everyone else should aspire to whiteness, like it's the dominant ethnicity?

I use terms such as 'person of colour' and 'non-white' to refer to my ethnicity because, being of mixed race there is no handy blanket term that I can employ. I think that old hippy's discomfort with the term 'non-white' may be due to its use by South Africa's apartheid regime. Again it's our knowledge of history that projects meaning on to words and symbols.

9959

old hippy wrote: »

We are all ethnic but the idea of calling people "non white" does feel racist, to me. As if everyone else should aspire to whiteness, like it's the dominant ethnicity?

Rosy Posy wrote: »

I use terms such as 'person of colour' and 'non-white' to refer to my ethnicity because, being of mixed race there is no handy blanket term that I can employ. I think that old hippy's discomfort with the term 'non-white' may be due to its use by South Africa's apartheid regime. Again it's our knowledge of history that projects meaning on to words and symbols.

I don't believe that there's anything wrong with the term 'person of colour', it just sounds antiquated and better suited for use by a right-wing columnist in The Daily Telegraph.
I've heard the term 'mixed race' used by people of mixed race, as far as I know it's 'baggage free' and perfectly acceptable, it's certainly a huge improvement on its pejorative precursor 'half-caste'.

Like 'Old Hippy', I too am uncomfortable with the term 'non-white', I can't imagine any situation where such a description would be appropriate, it's akin to a Roman Catholic being asked their religion and answering: "non-Hindu".

I totally agree with the last sentence of your post, which is not incompatible with the opinions stated in the post you quoted from 'Old Hippy'.
Context is 99% in matters of race and descriptions thereof, the other 1% is common sense and decency, which 'Old Hippy' displays in abundance.

Pumpkinseeds

9959 wrote: »

Personally I don't believe that 'black' is a dirty word, or one not to be uttered.
Have I missed something?

I only meant that black is a word like any other word to me. I'm not racist and I feel obligated to have to point that out as a result of the insane PC twats on Boards and in Ireland in general when I do use the word. I see all people, regardless of Race, Religion, Creed or Colour as being equal. It just seems to me that all this ridiculous PC nonsense does more harm than good.

9959

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I only meant that black is a word like any other word to me. I'm not racist and I feel obligated to have to point that out as a result of the insane PC twats on Boards and in Ireland in general when I do use the word. I see all people, regardless of Race, Religion, Creed or Colour as being equal. It just seems to me that all this ridiculous PC nonsense does more harm than good.

Have you any examples of where/when you were criticised for using the word 'black'?
As a 'PC twat' I'm hurriedly thumbing through my weighty PC rule book, it's definitely not listed under the category marked: Verboten.

Pumpkinseeds

9959 wrote: »

Have you any examples of where/when you were criticised for using the word 'black'?
As a 'PC twat' I'm hurriedly thumbing through my weighty PC rule book, it's definitely not listed under the category marked: Verboten.

* Sighs and gives bored yawn:p

9959

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

* Sighs and gives bored yawn:p

....and me.:p;)

Nodin

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

* Sighs and gives bored yawn:p

You think thats boring? You should see the amount of discredited crap that surfaces over and over and over.

Killer Wench

Nodin wrote: »

You think thats boring? You should see the amount of discredited crap that surfaces over and over and over.

You mean like that one book that says black people have a lower intelligence than all other races? It continues to pop up even though their argument and methodology have been discredited.

Nodin

Killer Wench wrote: »

You mean like that one book that says black people have a lower intelligence than all other races? It continues to pop up even though their argument and methodology have been discredited.

O yeah. And the free prams, the 'preferential treatment because they're black' and so on.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I think Gollies are cute little fellas and make nice play things for small children.

stoneill

I'd love a sambo followed by a golly bar now.

9959

stoneill wrote: »

I'd love a sambo followed by a golly bar now.

I'd love you to write something humorous now.

lanarty94

You fool

stoneill

9959 wrote: »

I'd love you to write something humorous now.

You completely missed the entire point.

old hippy

Rosy Posy wrote: »

I use terms such as 'person of colour' and 'non-white' to refer to my ethnicity because, being of mixed race there is no handy blanket term that I can employ. I think that old hippy's discomfort with the term 'non-white' may be due to its use by South Africa's apartheid regime. Again it's our knowledge of history that projects meaning on to words and symbols.

A few of my older black/mixed race friends in the UK use the term "person of colour" but not "non white". My cousin calls her daughter "bi-racial", which I'd never heard until I got to the southern States.

I had a black doll when I was a kid, btw. It was an Action Man soldier called "Tom Stone".

old hippy

stoneill wrote: »

I'd love a sambo followed by a golly bar now.

I'd love you to say that in public.

old hippy

Henlars67 wrote: »

there you go again, deciding what is and isn't acceptable.

It isn't up to you to decide that

Fine. Use whatever language you like. It's a free country and I respect freedom of speech. Incitement to hatred, however...

newport2

Killer Wench wrote: »

You mean like that one book that says black people have a lower intelligence than all other races? It continues to pop up even though their argument and methodology have been discredited.

I think that black people are naturally better athletes that white people seem to be. I've read that it's genetic, black men tend to have more fast-twitch muscle fibres than white men. Is this a racist view to have?

9959

stoneill wrote: »

I'd love a sambo followed by a golly bar now.

9959 wrote: »

I'd love you to write something humorous now.

stoneill wrote: »

You completely missed the entire point.

I don't believe I did, but feel free to enlighten me.

Henlars67

old hippy wrote: »

Fine. Use whatever language you like. It's a free country and I respect freedom of speech. Incitement to hatred, however...

Please do show me evidence of where the term 'Non-white' would be viewed as incitement to hatred

9959

newport2 wrote: »

I think that black people are naturally better athletes that white people seem to be. I've read that it's genetic, black men tend to have more fast-twitch muscle fibres than white men. Is this a racist view to have?

In a thread such as this one, the above is something of an 'Uber Troll', and one in which those who would wish to accentuate/exaggerate any perceived differences between 'races' seem to revel.

Is there a unique genetic component in Asia and South East Asia to explain the dominance of China, Indonesia, and South Korea in Badminton?

Why do the Arab nations of North Africa produce so many gifted middle-distance athletes?

What do those pesky Spaniards have that we don't, in winning the European Championship in 2008 and 2012 plus the World Cup in 2010 plus Real Madrid and Barcelona's bucket full of European Cup/Champions League titles?

Why do we (Ireland) dominate the 'world of hurling', there must be a reason?

Why are people of the Jewish faith so damn good at Chess?

Besides, if being black was a guarantee of sprinting success, where are all the gold medalists from Nigeria (pop. 170 million) or South Africa (pop. 50 million)?

Genetics maybe, culture probably, opportunity - or the lack of in socio/economic walks of life - definitely.


"Is this a racist view to have?"

I don't know, perhaps 'racist' would be too strong a word to use to describe such a 'view', perhaps 'trite' would be more apposite.

Bipolar Joe

This thread is dumb.

old hippy

Henlars67 wrote: »

Please do show me evidence of where the term 'Non-white' would be viewed as incitement to hatred

I think Rosy pointed out its context in the apartheid regime in SA. But also on a day to day basis, it can cause offence. It's comes across as dividing humanity into whites and non-whites. As if whiteness is the dominant, most important thing.

Henlars67

old hippy wrote: »

I think Rosy pointed out its context in the apartheid regime in SA. But also on a day to day basis, it can cause offence. It's comes across as dividing humanity into whites and non-whites. As if whiteness is the dominant, most important thing.

it isn't a term I have ever used, though if I heard it used I definitely wouldn't think that it meant whites were the dominant race.

To come to that conclusion one would most likely need to have underlying racist views.

old hippy

Henlars67 wrote: »

it isn't a term I have ever used, though if I heard it used I definitely wouldn't think that it meant whites were the dominant race.

To come to that conclusion one would most likely need to have underlying racist views.

Ah, right. So it's actually racist of me to point out that people might be offended by the term "non white".

I see.

Henlars67

old hippy wrote: »

Ah, right. So it's actually racist of me to point out that people might be offended by the term "non white".

I see.

You would do well to read my posts before replying to them.


What I said was to view the term 'non-white' as meaning that whites were the dominant race one would have to have underlying racist views.

I stand by that statement

twinQuins

Allow me to explain - 'non-white' implies that 'white' is the default state and everything else is simply lumped into 'non-white'. You're describing the person not in terms of their skin colour but whether or not they're white.

It'd be like calling women 'non-men'. Basically, you're describing the person as what they aren't rather than what they are. I won't say it's racist but it is lazy and doesn't offer any information - saying a plant for example is "not a tree" means it could be any other kind of plant and so tells you nothing.

stoneill

9959 wrote: »

I don't believe I did, but feel free to enlighten me.

Indigenous words used in innocence are hijacked by a minority to promote whatever agenda they have.
Sambo is a sandwitch
Golly bar is an ice cream.

If it means anything else to you then that's your problem not mine.