Do you consider Gollywog dolls to be racist?

[Dragonfly]

To be honest I find so many films and programs with black poeple are allowed to refer to white poeple on the colour of their skin as racist yet if a white person said that it would be racist. There dosnt seem to be an even balance at all. Like undercover brother, funny film but really racist!

As for gollywogs its a black doll, most dolls are white so why not a black one to even it out? I think its the wog or sometihng thats slang for black and it was called golly after that. I dont think they are racist unless i missed something with them. Never paid much attention to them.

 

[Laura2919]

To be honest I find so many films and programs with black poeple are allowed to refer to white poeple on the colour of their skin as racist yet if a white person said that it would be racist. There dosnt seem to be an even balance at all. Like undercover brother, funny film but really racist!

As for gollywogs its a black doll, most dolls are white so why not a black one to even it out? I think its the wog or sometihng thats slang for black and it was called golly after that. I dont think they are racist unless i missed something with them. Never paid much attention to them.

Im glad you posted that because I didnt want to post and seem to be going off point but Chris Rock blatantly slates white people yet nothing is said.. My OH has his dvds and you should hear him going on.

I think the race card is always the first thing thrown in the pot.

 

[oOKayOo]

I dont know what one is , so i selected that one , now i have looked up what it is .. how can it be racist? If it was colour white would it be any different ?? No We have black baby borns etc , its just a colour? Surely having different colours in dolls etc is whats good for children and anyone that wants one? After all no one is the same colour?

 

[Dragonfly]

To be honest I find so many films and programs with black poeple are allowed to refer to white poeple on the colour of their skin as racist yet if a white person said that it would be racist. There dosnt seem to be an even balance at all. Like undercover brother, funny film but really racist!

As for gollywogs its a black doll, most dolls are white so why not a black one to even it out? I think its the wog or sometihng thats slang for black and it was called golly after that. I dont think they are racist unless i missed something with them. Never paid much attention to them.

Im glad you posted that because I didnt want to post and seem to be going off point but Chris Rock blatantly slates white people yet nothing is said.. My OH has his dvds and you should hear him going on.

I think the race card is always the first thing thrown in the pot.

Yeah he is pretty heavy on the "white poeple this and that" yet i cant say the same about black people or I would be racist. And white people arnt allowed to say the word nigger though black poeple say it to each other all the time? is that not racist we cant even say a word they use all the time in songs and to each other because of the colour or our skin. Now thats racist.

 

[Laura2919]

To be honest I find so many films and programs with black poeple are allowed to refer to white poeple on the colour of their skin as racist yet if a white person said that it would be racist. There dosnt seem to be an even balance at all. Like undercover brother, funny film but really racist!

As for gollywogs its a black doll, most dolls are white so why not a black one to even it out? I think its the wog or sometihng thats slang for black and it was called golly after that. I dont think they are racist unless i missed something with them. Never paid much attention to them.

Im glad you posted that because I didnt want to post and seem to be going off point but Chris Rock blatantly slates white people yet nothing is said.. My OH has his dvds and you should hear him going on.

I think the race card is always the first thing thrown in the pot.

Yeah he is pretty heavy on the "white poeple this and that" yet i cant say the same about black people or I would be racist. And white people arnt allowed to say the word nigger though black poeple say it to each other all the time? is that not racist we cant even say a word they use all the time in songs and to each other because of the colour or our skin. Now thats racist.

Exactly

 

[Nic1107]

The doll was based on a character in a minstrel show. Shows where a white man would put on "blackface" and play a character that was stupid, ignorant, subservient and/or sneaky. Shows that portrayed black people in an extremely negative light.

The comparison to black/white baby dolls isn't equal at all- this would be equal to a doll based on the worst of white stereotypes. A hillbilly doll with a Bible and a shotgun. Maybe a Mexican doll falling asleep with a bottle of mezcal. A Native American doll in war paint scalping someone. The reason for the outcry isn't because people like to "pull the race card" or because things are "too pc these days". If you don't feel the dolls are racist, fine. But to dismiss others' feelings as "ridiculous" is highly insensitive and, on an international forum, rather ignorant. I'm not part of the PC Police, far from it. But someone coming onto this thread in future may be very hurt and offended.

 

[BlackBerry25]

In the past, white people in America, would dress up and paint their faces to have exaggerated features for plays/performances to essentially make fun of black people.

Just because you remember something from when you were an innocent child, does not mean it is not racist.

It is like Sambo in America.

Anyways, you can google it to read why, us in North America would see that as racist.

 

[NuKe]

Thankyou!!!

 

[Nikkinoonoo]

I saw a prgoramme on telly that featured this question and they went on the streets and asked black people what they thought. Every person they asked didn't find them at all rascist and was happy for them to be available for them to buy. Their arguement was, why shouldn't our children have a black doll/teddy to play with.
As for the 'rascist features on it'.. if the made a black doll without an afro, or with caucasian hair, wouldn't THAT be racist? Black people's hair is generally different textured to mine (being white skinned) so why shouldn't a black doll portray that feature?
So then we're left with a doll being 'too smiley'........

 

[Phinners]

what has an afro and exaggerated smile got to do with racism?

xxx

Sweet FA

 

[Georgie90]

Thanks Nikkinoonoo!
Thats exactly my point....

xxxx

 

[BlackBerry25]

Um actually in the past it had a lot to do with racism.

That is how white people viewed black people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface Does an actual black person look like a clown?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show

The wikipedia article on Golliwogs shows that they were inspired by a doll she found in her Grandmothers attic.

There is a deep history behind that type of doll, and maybe some of you just did not know that.

 

[Phinners]

Context, it's all to do with context. Afro hair and a big smile do not add up to racism.

Same with using the word nigger, it's all to do with context. For example I, for one, bloody love NWA, am I to sing along and sing 'beeeeep' when they use the word nigger in their lyrics?

 

[BlackBerry25]

And I think that some people should maybe do some reading before saying sweet FA, especially after someone else pointed out this is a mixed culture international forum.

 

[Nikkinoonoo]

Um actually in the past it had a lot to do with racism.

That is how white people viewed black people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show

The wikipedia article on Golliwogs shows that they were inspired by a doll she found in her Grandmothers attic.

There is a deep history behind that type of doll, and maybe some of you just did not know that.

I haven't researched it myself, but the answer to the question was did I find it racist, I would actively encourage Jess to have a black doll if she wanted one and answer any questions she may have about it.
I think it most probabally was originally a rascist product that, now, in this day and age has backfired, because now people don't see them as racist, quite the opposite.

 

[BlackBerry25]

So would you now just buy a realistic black doll?

I don't think any of us have said that it is wrong to own a black doll

 

[Nikkinoonoo]

Isn't a golly a black doll then?

 

[Phinners]

And I think that some people should maybe do some reading before saying sweet FA, especially after someone else pointed out this is a mixed culture international forum.

I do not believe for one minute that afro hair and a large smile adds up to absolute racism, I said it's all about context. And I know this is a multicultural international forum - perhaps in that case, we shouldnt even discuss anything remotely related to racism for fear of upsetting you and others? Close the thread and ban anyone who dares to talk about anything similar.

eta - Right I'm off to see Dr Who live woohoo so I'll read back on this tomorrow, tata all

 

[BlackBerry25]

No, but how is saying sweet eff all adding to the conversation at all?

 

[Georgie90]

It may have well been racist a long time ago, and my dad actually says it was intended as a racist thing...but nowadays...I disagree...if the Golly's skin was white would people be saying it was racist then...maybe I am being Naive here but I do tend to think the word racist gets thrown around way to easy....etc. the whole Gamu gate on X-factor...Cheryl Cole was 'racist' because she didnt put Gamu through...yet she married ashley cole and put through Treyc?