The Golliwog saga
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:41 pm
Normal warnings against rises in blood pressure apply ...
The woman initially charged with race-related offences for having a golliwog in her window now has no charges to answer as no evidence was offered in court - for what I consider to be the wrong reasons, but hey ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-15429369
I hate racism and racists, but I've had about enough of this kind of rubbish. As far as can be ascertained, the term "Golliwogg" was coined by Bertha and Kate Upson in an illustrated story of 1895. There are other attempts at defining the origin of the term, but they're all anecdotal. Here's the story, if anyone's interested ...
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16770/16 ... 6770-h.htm
The Golliwogg is described as a gnome, plain and simple. There is another character in the story, referred to as a "jovial African", and yet another - a black minstrel called Sambo - lending weight to the idea that the Golliwog most certainly should not be associated with any ethnic group (unless gnomes have ethnic groups).
Why on earth should the entire country be held to ransom by those who can't be bothered to do basic research? The golliwog name, together with terms such as "black hole", do not belong to nor are defined by people who are ignorant of the reasons those terms came into being. Golliwogs, and the people who treat them as the toys they are, should not be accused of any form of prejudice because some rabid agenda-follower willingly (and, I suspect, knowingly) misinterprets facts.
I had a golliwog when i was very young (my Mum, bless her cotton socks, still has it). Never once (and it's my mind so I should know) did I attribute any racial interpretation to it - it was just a golliwog.
So there
Mike
P.S. I might have a go at alien abductions next. Or not.
The woman initially charged with race-related offences for having a golliwog in her window now has no charges to answer as no evidence was offered in court - for what I consider to be the wrong reasons, but hey ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-15429369
I hate racism and racists, but I've had about enough of this kind of rubbish. As far as can be ascertained, the term "Golliwogg" was coined by Bertha and Kate Upson in an illustrated story of 1895. There are other attempts at defining the origin of the term, but they're all anecdotal. Here's the story, if anyone's interested ...
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16770/16 ... 6770-h.htm
The Golliwogg is described as a gnome, plain and simple. There is another character in the story, referred to as a "jovial African", and yet another - a black minstrel called Sambo - lending weight to the idea that the Golliwog most certainly should not be associated with any ethnic group (unless gnomes have ethnic groups).
Why on earth should the entire country be held to ransom by those who can't be bothered to do basic research? The golliwog name, together with terms such as "black hole", do not belong to nor are defined by people who are ignorant of the reasons those terms came into being. Golliwogs, and the people who treat them as the toys they are, should not be accused of any form of prejudice because some rabid agenda-follower willingly (and, I suspect, knowingly) misinterprets facts.
I had a golliwog when i was very young (my Mum, bless her cotton socks, still has it). Never once (and it's my mind so I should know) did I attribute any racial interpretation to it - it was just a golliwog.
So there
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Mike
P.S. I might have a go at alien abductions next. Or not.