Are Golliwogs Racist?

[Peter Parka]

I used to read books with golliwogs in, never saw them as a negative thing, I probably thought of black people as quite cool because of them. Thoughts?

 

[MMMMatilde]

A gollywog was a character from Noddy, it became racist because of Noddy!!

He had black skin and crazy hair, because of this people started adapting it by calling humans with dark skin a gollywog, they took affence to this. It's racist in the sense of how they were calling someone black a gollywog but the actual character itself was not. It was just a silly name for a character.

It's all completely overated.

 

[Tyler Durden]

I don't know the history of them, but as a very young child I did have one.

They look extremely similar to the actors that would portray the 'Black' part of the 'Black & White Minstrel Show' which (in my mind) was racist particularly when they would effect accents saying 'wat dat you sayin' and 'dem mah woman over there'! Clearly a bit risky!!

Slighly off topic, but I would say that racism (or more appropriately humour aimed at my race) for example in 'Goodness Gracious Me' does not bother me at all. Similar to my fathers best friend (who was West Indian) and he found comedies like 'Love Thy Neighbour' hysterical.

Humour can break down some barriers I guess. Looking at those analogies, maybe its more embarassing when its your own race dealing out the racial humour than actually when you're supposed to be on the receiving end of it?

I'm rambling and talking to myself now

 

[Springsteen]

I don't think they are racist no, and I don't believe that black people find them racist. Who finds them racist are the namby-pamby politically correct socialites who create all this. It's not just Golliwogs, it's blackboards, it's Ba Ba Black Sheep....You get the picture.

 

[Minor Axis]

For those of us (me) who has no idea what a golliwog is, a link would have been good with your original post.

 

[Lord Stanley]

fuck me I am 45 and can barely remember gollywogs or the Black and white minstrels - doubt you will get much life in this thread cuntybollocks

 

[Tyler Durden]

fuck me I am 45 and can barely remember gollywogs or the Black and white minstrels - doubt you will get much life in this thread cuntybollocks

Well I'm 5 years younger than you and easily remember them

Did you not get a telly till you were 20? LOL

 

[Lord Stanley]

Well I'm 5 years younger than you and easily remember them

Did you not get a telly till you were 20? LOL

no might be because i lived in Germany for a long time

 

[Dana]

the fuck is a golliwog?

 

[Tyler Durden]

no might be because i lived in Germany for a long time

And suddenly the mist clears :thumbup

 

[Springsteen]

That's a Golliwog.

 

[sweet]

I had a cuddly golliwog and loved it.

These are the badges you could collect from the jam jars.

 

[Minor Axis]

Golliwogg at wiki.

After the publication of Upton's first book, the term "golliwog" was used both as a reference to the children's toy and as a generic, racist term for Black people.

All in the heart of the verbalizer and the intent of use?

 

[Tyler Durden]

You racists putting pictures up!! LOL

I keed, I keed

Mine looked JUST like the one in Springers pic, only he was blessed with only one eye after we had a "falling out"

 

[Grin]

I loved mine as a kid. His name was Clarence and he listened to all my secrets. I have a soft spot for golliwogs, and I'm kinda irritated by the fuss surrounding them.