Thursday, December 17, 2015


The Golliwog controversy surfaces again



I liked my Golliwog when I was a little kid -- and children still like them.  They were a very common soft toy once.  They ARE based on a caricature of Africans but there are plenty of odd-looking rag dolls with fair "skin".  Have a look here. I think it is fair to say that all rag dolls are a caricature to some extent

Glasgow gift shops have come under fire from shoppers and campaigners for selling and displaying golliwog dolls in their windows.

The two shops, Cards and Gifts, and Party, which sit opposite each other on Sauchiehall Street, in Glasgow, both have window displays featuring the controversial dolls, dressed in minstrel clothing.

In both shops they are displayed next to other children's toys and Christmas decorations, and members of the public and anti-racism groups have slammed the shops for selling the items.

One angry shopper, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's ridiculous in 2015 that people are still selling these things.  'They're very offensive and I'm sure I'm not the only person to have noticed it.

'To not know they are a racist symbol is baffling, and I doubt anyone would buy one anyway.'

Nicola Hay, campaign manager at Show Racism the Red Card Scotland, said: 'We are deeply saddened to hear of this.

'Golliwogs are demeaning racist caricatures rendering black people as submissive and lesser.

'SRtRC are against the buying and selling of golliwogs as they hark back to a time when mockery and stereotyping of black people was considered acceptable. 'In today's more enlightened times such items really have no place.'

The manager of Cards and Gifts confirmed the two shops had the same owner. He said that he understood the dolls may be deemed offensive , but added the shops had the right to sell them.

The man, who would not give his name when asked, said: 'Now they are available in big warehouses, we have permission to sell them. They're sold in markets.

'I understand [why they might be offensive] but now they can be sold and that's why we have them.

He also said the dolls had been popular with visitors to the shops, and added: 'A lot of people buy them.'

SOURCE

8 comments:

Bird of Paradise said...

The P.C. nonsense is never ending if its not one thing its the other and why wont Disney release SONG OF THE SOUTH on DVD? i MEAN NEXT ON THEIR LIST WILL BE MOUNT RUSHMORE

Anonymous said...

How the hell do Golliwogs render black people as submissive and lesser?
That makes as much sense as saying that Barbie renders all white women submissive and lesser?
Of course, I am sure there are some nutcases who would say exactly that.

Anonymous said...

I like the word golliwog. Regardless of its meaning it has a nice sound to it, and I wouldn't be surprised if its sound had an interesting mathematic structure.

Alpha Skua said...

Can anyone still rememeber those SAMBOS RESTRUANTS?

Anonymous said...


"Alpha Skua said...

Can anyone still remember those SAMBOS RESTAURANTS?"

I do. We moved to Savannah, GA, in 1978. There was one there at that time. We ate there several times a year until it closed. I believe that occurred in the early 80's.

AIB/44

Anonymous said...

Mr Bogangels would be so disappointed with todays liberals who can't even allow Huckleberry Finn to be taught to 11th year students because it uses the magic n***** word. For what it is worth Oprah collects golliwogs and has purchased several in Melbourne, Australia during a visit. As for these fair-weather lefties I bet they bitch when a non-English family moves into their public housing area complaining about falling community standings. Personally if a lefty is bitching then I know society is on the right course.

Anonymous said...

"wog" in British slang is a demeaning term for a dark-skinned person.

Anonymous said...

Wog in Australian refers to anyone from the Mediterranean region.