Thread: Seriously?

Originally Posted by ChookD2

This is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia page on Golliwog.

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The golliwog, golliwogg or golly is a black fictional character created by Florence Kate Upton that appears in children's books in the late 19th century and usually depicted as a type of rag doll. It was reproduced, both by commercial and hobby toy-makers as a children's toy called the "golliwog", and had great popularity in the UK and Australia into the 1970s. The doll is characterised by black skin, eyes rimmed in white, clown lips and frizzy hair. Though home-made golliwogs were sometimes female, the golliwog was generally male. For this reason, in the period following World War II, the golliwog was seen, along with the teddy bear, as a suitable soft toy for a young boy.

Unquote

This innocent character from a childrens book of the late 1800's, which was reproduced (brought to life if you like) when people made them for their children and then commercially produced, did not have any association with racism until the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Yes that's us. I think it is all to do with attitude. People these days look for offence in everyday things, actively seeking out that which MAY be seen as offensive. Some call it 'Political Correctness', I think it is getting close to insanity. And on that subject I give you this YouTube

Yes Rowan Atkinson said it brilliantly. And, in not the 9o'clock news....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO8EpfyCG2Y

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Teasing people because of skin colour is bullying under the Fair Work Commission.
White skinned people are unlikely to have been bullied because of their skin colour or race in Australia, so are unlikely to understand how those who are being bullied would feel.
Golliwog has definitely been used as a term to bully, harass and discriminate against dark skinned people.

Calling some one a golliwog could either get a laugh or a punch in the mouth. As long as those options are open, we shouldn't get too precious about it.

It seems to have become a bit like Fawlty Towers, "don't mention the war". Only now it is don't mention 'black',... anything.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

A golliwog is a black doll, so it's an anti-black caricature. That's different to a black car.

It's NOT an anti black caricature, Its just a bloody kids doll which incidentally Most kids Loved dearly and it most likely HELPED these kids to get along with the other black kids they played with because of that Love for this doll.

Yeah, we had one as a kid too. Doesn't make it right. Kids learn from their parents. If the parents allow it then kids think it's OK. That's how racism is passed down the generations. My father used to talk about 'coons'. He was racist because he learnt it from his father, who drove the blacks off the land he selected.
I have personally seen dark skinned people being insulted and called 'golliwogs' by whites, and seen how hurt and angry they felt, so don't try to tell me it's not racist - I've seen it in action. Its not a joke - it's just wrong.
If you don't believe me just go down to Redfern and start calling people 'golliwogs' and see how it is received.

So black Barbie and black action figures are all racist too.

This world has a bleak future.

Traditional circus clowns have a face painted white and are usually depicted as stupid, depressed or even as slightly evil (Who isn't scared of circus clown).
Is the image of a clown now racist against white people?
How about the traditional ventriloquist puppet?

Regards,
Scott

Originally Posted by ChookD2

It has already started. We no longer call a it a black board, it is now a chalk board. However, the term 'white board' is completely acceptable. Shouldn't it be called an 'erasable marker board"????

Chalk boards were black so they were called blackboards. Whiteboards are white so they are called whiteboards. Touch screens can be touched so they are called touch screens. No-one is being vilified, so how is that racist?