Quote:
Originally Posted by Less
I didn't think he was being condescending, though you give strong hints towards it.
I thought your examples very poor, straight from the pages of that fantasy rag the Daily Mail.
Talking of rags, when I was very young, I inherited a rag doll from my older brother.
It was better known as a 'Golliwog', it had first been used by my Father and he had named it Sambo.
I loved my Golliwog and I imagined that he loved me, he learnt all my childish secrets his origin didn't matter he could have been bright yellow with green spots so far as I or in fact anyone else that had owned him was concerned.
Around that time it just didn't matter, thousands of children had similar companions they were all loved.
My cousin also had a black doll that went everywhere with her it's colour didn't matter it was loved and just as well looked after as any of her other dolls.
Somehow thank's to the willingness of not wanting to upset minorties children these days aren't allowed to have such things, is it better now or was there a greater amount of tolerance when as a child you could be given a golliwog or a black dolly with no-one taking offence on behalf of people that aren't offended in the first place? |
Another fine example, Im sure you loved your Golliwog. I know to you as a child It wouldn't have had any racial significance at all. Im sure the person who gave it to you didnt think it all that political neither.
The problem came when people decided to adopt its name as a racial insult The name of a toy which is basicially a loose racial caricature started to be used often to hurt and oppress the people it resembled.
As you say the toy could have been any colour, could have had spots. So there was no harm when people decided a toy with green spots was probably a more appropriate toy, given the new political symbolism of the golliwog.
Its like the Swastika (not on scale of harm of course). The Buddhist symbol did not carry any negative meaning until the Nazis come along and committed their atrocities. Nowadays the Swastika is seen in a wholly negative light with new meaning, despite what it originally was.
Despite what you see your Golliwog as, a loving companion. That does not take away that its name and image where also used to cause great harm, harm greater than you no longer being able to see children running around with your beloved childhood toy.