raiye Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Police have siezed a collection of Golli dolls from a toy and dolls collectors shop in Wigan today. Its being treated as a rascist crime. Are we still at a point in our civilisation where such things are seen as offensive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redditchlady Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Deary deary me. When I was a kiddy, yes a long time ago we had gollywog badges, golliwog musicians etc. In fact I still have my golliwog musicians now. It wasn't considered racist when I was a kid. In fact I would imagine if you asked most coloured people they wouldn't have found it offensive. If you ask me it's political correctness gone wrong. Kazz xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I have two gollies. I also intend to add another to my collection when I have enough dosh (they aren't cheap!). I don't see them as offensive, but I can see why they can be interpreted as such. I think it's a bit much for them to be siezed by police, after all they won't seize a coloured tiny tears doll, would they? (if such a thing exists). I can see however how they can be seen by some as a pee take of the black persona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sillymooo Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 political correctness has gone mad! Our local member of parliment has been sacked cos he pointed out that people were called black b**t*rds in the army. having been a colnel for many years, he probably has a good understanding of how the army works. he did also say that like school children all 'differences' are used to degrade the soldiers. ginger hair, freckles etc. now i know people are gonna point out that a freckle face isnt the same as being punished for your colour, and thats why i'm finally gonna point out, that he was just saying how it is in the army. he didnt say he agreed with it or that it was his opinion. thats just what happened. and he was fired. your no longer allowed to point out that you know of racism without being tarred with the same brush. the world has gone crazy. well actually no, its prob just the brits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I'm not sure that that kind of thing is acceptable, imho. I'd rather have heard him say that that was what was said in the army but that it isn't acceptable, any more than i believe (or he should) that saying having ginger hair is a good reason to degrade anyone. I can therefore see why he was sacked, because he didn't express his opinion of disgust, which really it should've been. Surely our society has moved on enough to know that the forces don't need to degrade their staff by their appearance to make them good soldiers? Anyway this is moving slightly off topic.... prob haven't helped that myself but hopefully we can keep the discussion polite whichever way it goes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDFan Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 (edited) Police have siezed a collection of Golli dolls from a toy and dolls collectors shop in Wigan today. Its being treated as a rascist crime. Are we still at a point in our civilisation where such things are seen as offensive? The police did seize a couple of golliwogs uner the 'Public Order Act' after a complaint from a member of the public. The police have now decided that no offence has been committed and the Commission for Racial Equality have said they don't have a problem with Golliwogs. So, on the whole I don't think it is political correctness gone mad, although the member of public who complained could be considered a little strange. political correctness has gone mad! Our local member of parliment has been sacked cos he pointed out that people were called black b**t*rds in the army. having been a colnel for many years, he probably has a good understanding of how the army works. he did also say that like school children all 'differences' are used to degrade the soldiers. ginger hair, freckles etc. now i know people are gonna point out that a freckle face isnt the same as being punished for your colour, and thats why i'm finally gonna point out, that he was just saying how it is in the army. he didnt say he agreed with it or that it was his opinion. thats just what happened. and he was fired. your no longer allowed to point out that you know of racism without being tarred with the same brush. the world has gone crazy. well actually no, its prob just the brits! I'm not sure that that kind of thing is acceptable, imho. I'd rather have heard him say that that was what was said in the army but that it isn't acceptable, any more than i believe (or he should) that saying having ginger hair is a good reason to degrade anyone. I can therefore see why he was sacked, because he didn't express his opinion of disgust, which really it should've been. Surely our society has moved on enough to know that the forces don't need to degrade their staff by their appearance to make them good soldiers? Anyway this is moving slightly off topic.... prob haven't helped that myself but hopefully we can keep the discussion polite whichever way it goes? Am in agreement with you SB, if he wanted to talk about that sort of thing he should have said he found it unacceptable, however, reading the article I don't think he does find it unacceptable. I found this part particularly offensive.... Condemning the announcement of the formation of a new trade union proposed by Marlon Clancy, a serving soldier who was recruited from the Commonwealth in 1999 and complained of several incidents where he was racially abused, the MP for Newark said: "Absolute nonsense. Complete and utter rot." If that is his attitude then IMO he shouldn't be an MP at all, never mind a front bencher. Anyway SB, it looks as though your Golly collection is probably safe Edited March 16, 2007 by Sherlock Bones to be PC :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 (edited) Just to add they're Gollies... that is the politically correct name.... Golly*** IS an offensive term... Edited March 16, 2007 by Sherlock Bones to make myself PC :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nouggatti Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 (edited) he didnt say he agreed with it or that it was his opinion. Is this Patrick Mercer you are talking about? He most certainly did make derogatory comments about his opinion of ethnic minorities. Mr Mercer, who was the Tories' Homeland Security Spokesperson and a decorated former Army colonel, had claimed that when he served with the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters before becoming an MP, he knew "a lot" of ethnic minority servicemen in the Army who used perceived discrimination as an excuse for poor performance. From relevant times online article. Edited to add: Sorry posted same time as GSD Fan on the subject of the gollies being seized, it does seem over the top. Edited March 16, 2007 by nouggatti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDFan Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Just to add they're Gollies... that is the politically correct name.... Golly*** IS an offensive term... Mmmmmmmm OK the news item refers to the dolls as Gollywogs, I shall henceforth be PC and refer to them as Gollies Not that I usually refer to them at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 There is a stall at our local Bear collectors fair that sells Gollies and Gollies alone... I always admire them... Wierdly they're the only dolls i played with as a child. Any other sort made my flesh crawl, particularly the tiny tears... still do. Evil personified, especially the ones that cry and wee. yuk yuk yuk yuk yuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDFan Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Wierdly they're the only dolls i played with as a child. Any other sort made my flesh crawl, particularly the tiny tears... still do. Evil personified, especially the ones that cry and wee. yuk yuk yuk yuk yuk Are you really me ? I hate dolls, nasty, creepy things, nearly as bad as clowns Gollies and Teddies are luvverly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 It's possible My niece has this nasty Baby Annabelle doll. It's body is fabric and the arms legs and head plastic. The fabric body is so cuddled its grey with dirt. It needs drowning in a washing machine but she won't allow it and I won't touch it. It must be crawling with germs... bleurggggggh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nouggatti Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 (edited) Are you really me ? I hate dolls, nasty, creepy things, nearly as bad as clowns Gollies and Teddies are luvverly Ditto here. Every time I see a clown I think of that horror movie with the evil creature that looked like a clown. *shudder* My worst nightmare is one of those fake babies that makes noise and screams wanting things like nappy changes, you know the ones they use to put teenagers off sex?? I do own some nice teddies tho. Apart from the white one which OH bought me for Xmas, it's a Cliff Richard branded teddy Sorry OT again, apologies to the OP Edited March 16, 2007 by nouggatti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDFan Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 It's possible My niece has this nasty Baby Annabelle doll. It's body is fabric and the arms legs and head plastic. The fabric body is so cuddled its grey with dirt. It needs drowning in a washing machine but she won't allow it and I won't touch it. It must be crawling with germs... bleurggggggh It sounds as though it needs permanently drowning, not just briefly in a washing machine. Ummmmm, we seem to have gone just a leetle off topic I do own some nice teddies tho. Apart from the white one which OH bought me for Xmas, it's a Cliff Richard branded teddy exactly why are you looking for a really nice present for your OH for his birthday and which of you likes Cliff Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Ummm yes that was your fault. Or nougatti's Gollies are great. back on track... I found this potted history of Gollies. I never knew of florence upton books. off to goggle them now Gollies Wow look what i found... seems the original name had nothing at all to do with colour but in fact the dutch language. Florence is credited at naming the Gollywoggs, by altering the word Pollywog. Pollywog was a dialect word meaning wiggle head, which meant "tadpole". The word was originally "pol" meaning head, and "wiggle", becoming waggle, becoming wag, becoming wog, over many, many years. Some say Gollywog was used due to the somewhat surprised look on the doll's face, as if it was saying "Golly", which is an English exclamation of surprise. Also interesting to read that it is surmised (though not proven apparently) that the first gollies were made for black children in the american communities - therefore having a black doll would be perfectly normal and our equivalent of a rag doll, not with any rascist undertones at all. Thus ends today's history lesson, children Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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