Why do people look for problems, when nobody has been offended?

me283 · 13-01-2007, 18:34

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/6257433.stm

I think the key word here is "perceived". It's strange that the professor is the only one who perceives these "racist connotations"...

Mr Angry · 13-01-2007, 18:51

Robinsons perceived them to be racist enough to stop making / marketing / promoting them, so I hardly think the professor is entirely on his own.

**Paul M** · 13-01-2007, 19:30

He'll never be on his own while the world is full of pc brigade moaners who will find something 'racist' in just about anything that has the word black in it, or happens to be black in colour. I'm amazed that they haven't declared nature to be racist yet since storm clouds are black ....

Mr Angry · 13-01-2007, 19:48

With all due respect you don't have to be a "pc brigade moaner" to realize just intentionally offensive this particular item was designed to be. A cursory look at any reference book will give a good enough indication:

golÂ·liÂ·wog or golÂ·liÂ·wogg (gŏl'ē-wŏg') Pronunciation Key

n. A doll fashioned in grotesque caricature of a Black male.

The storm clouds one is a bit of a stretch though.

me283 · 13-01-2007, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

Robinsons perceived them to be racist enough to stop making / marketing / promoting them, so I hardly think the professor is entirely on his own.

Robinsons were being overly cautious IMO. Strange that there were no complaints about the exhibition though.

LenMackin · 13-01-2007, 20:27

I am sure that most of us would not want the Golly's to reappear again, we have moved on. However they have to be seen in the context of history and a view from their time, racist of otherwise. Hence the exhibition should not cause any fuss. We are now getting to a stage when some people wish to change history because it offends modern sensibilities rather than learn from and grow. Like the photo's of Brunel with the cigar removed because its seen as a bad example. This is a bad path to take!

13-01-2007, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by LenMackin

I am sure that most of us would not want the Golly's to reappear again, we have moved on. However they have to be seen in the context of history and a view from their time, racist of otherwise. Hence the exhibition should not cause any fuss. We are now getting to a stage when some people wish to change history because it offends modern sensibilities rather than learn from and grow. Like the photo's of Brunel with the cigar removed because its seen as a bad example. This is a bad path to take!

Does the exibition make any reference to the origin of the gollywogs tho?
If they are going to exhibit the 'dolls' then I think some explanation of their rascist (sorry, but they are a rascist item) past should be made.

homealone · 13-01-2007, 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by LenMackin

I am sure that most of us would not want the Golly's to reappear again, we have moved on. However they have to be seen in the context of history and a view from their time, racist of otherwise. Hence the exhibition should not cause any fuss. We are now getting to a stage when some people wish to change history because it offends modern sensibilities rather than learn from and grow. Like the photo's of Brunel with the cigar removed because its seen as a bad example. This is a bad path to take!

Well said, whatever our 'sensibilities' now, we should not try to sanitise history.

One thing that struck me was that Mrs Gaz has some Golly badges, which she got by saving the little tokens from Robertson's Jam, when she was a young girl. Done in total innocence of any racial connotation, or reference to slavery, it was just collecting the badges...

Damien · 13-01-2007, 20:55

I myself never see the racial element expect for the fact they are black. Anyone care to enlighten me?

homealone · 13-01-2007, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creative

Does the exibition make any reference to the origin of the gollywogs tho?
If they are going to exhibit the 'dolls' then I think some explanation of their rascist (sorry, but they are a rascist item) past should be made.

That is a good question, I agree that if they are being exhibited as an historical item, their provenance should be explained, but I don't think they were seen in quite that way, by everyone, at the time they were around

---------- Post added at 21:19 ---------- Previous post was at 20:56 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damien

I myself never see the racial element expect for the fact they are black. Anyone care to enlighten me?

http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/golliwog/

- it is only one interpretation, and I don't endorse all the conclusions, but it seems to cover most 'issues'

Hom3r · 13-01-2007, 21:36

Back in the 70's as a kid my siste and I had two of the Robinsons Golly's (the Third one down)

Mr Angry · 14-01-2007, 01:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by me283

Robinsons were being overly cautious IMO.

Obviously the people who determined the potential for damage to the global sales of their product were somewhat at odds with your opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by me283

Strange that there were no complaints about the exhibition though.

Perhaps most rational people assume that there is little, if no, point in rehearsing proven arguments with individuals whose idea of a day out is to celebrate the overtly racist depiction of coloured people?

Xaccers · 14-01-2007, 02:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by homealone

http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/golliwog/

- it is only one interpretation, and I don't endorse all the conclusions, but it seems to cover most 'issues'

That's interesting as several of the images of golliwogs were positive, such as being brave, adventurous, loving etc.
Sure they were portrayed negatively by some racist authors such as Enid, but in the most part, people viewed them in a positive light, such as them being second in popularity with children only to the teddy bear.

TheDaddy · 14-01-2007, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xaccers

That's interesting as several of the images of golliwogs were positive, such as being brave, adventurous, loving etc.
Sure they were portrayed negatively by some racist authors such as Enid, but in the most part, people viewed them in a positive light, such as them being second in popularity with children only to the teddy bear.

Yes my sister had some china golly figures when we were young, IIRC they were in a band, they never influenced me, I just thought they were cool

14-01-2007, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

He'll never be on his own while the world is full of pc brigade moaners who will find something 'racist' in just about anything that has the word black in it, or happens to be black in colour. I'm amazed that they haven't declared nature to be racist yet since storm clouds are black ....

Agreed

and to think i will now be classed as a racist by some of the PC-Brigade because i said that