Psst...wanna buy a golliwog?

Wadi Amin

I don't know, I think your PC credentials are shaping up. I can picture you and the Mrs there at the shopfront in poses like that famous Munch picture: 'The Gas Bill'.

It's a kid's toy, that always was a kid's toy, until the numpties made such an issue of it.

Why if they were designed as instruments of hatred (or whatever fetid label they have been designated down the old Pig and Politburo), would they be bought, taken home and cuddled?

I can remember being heartbroken when our Rusty got hold of mine.

PJD

I can't quite imagine a racist BNP member owning a gollywog - an object that represents a people they are against.

"As readers will know, I am hardly the most politically correct of people"

Poking fun at the clothes of muslim women being one them.

Augustus

Sorry, can't agree with you there Stephen. I happen to be Dutch myself, and over there they have their 'Zwarte Piet' (Black Peter) still going strong on St. Nicholas day as the saint's trusty helper.

A golliwog doll is simply a traditional toy like any other. It probably all started being
demonized around the time when Robertsons were coerced into dropping their age old logo.

Are you really suggesting they demean a particular race by their presence as say a black slave doll (if it ever existed) would?

Robertson (geddit?)

Ah,lighten up, Pollard

John H

Oh Stephen you do have a dark sense of humour

Paul Wood

This post marks a new low for English culture and in the Spectator an island of sense in a sea of idiocy. Oh Michael Wharton thou shouldst be living at this hour!

Cinnamon

I think you're overdoing the politically correct worry here. Most people find the entire dispute about a doll/marmalade pin-up ridiculous because it's so petty and so misses the actual problems of this world.

THX1138

I agree, cause it's bloody racist, anyway in Henley I thought they were called picanninies.

Look Boris nicked his “picanninies with watermelon smiles” quote when you all thought he was being oh so clever & ironic he was in fact just being a plagiarising racist.

http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/313896

Mark

Stephen Pollard is throwing his toys out of his pram in a politically correct paddy. I'm sure a racist would give their child a Golly to cuddle up to, feel attached to and love.

Next week Stephen Pollard makes the case that Nazi uniforms for Action Man have caused widespread Nazism in the U.K.

Vincent Bate

Don't be so crass. There is nothing wrong with an innocent doll. It's raving loons like you who pervert it into something sinister. Honestly!

John Pound

You ought to get out of London more Stephen - they sell huge Gollywogs and associated paraphenalia in our local St John's Post Office in Worcester. Nothing wrong with them - and I'm a darkie myself!

http://www.thepounds.org

Brian Tyrie

I was much amused to read your wholly inaccurate comments regarding golliwogs and your equally inaccurate statement concerning the fact that they are racist.
If, indeed, you had done your homework on the subject you would know that the Golliwogg was a character devised by the American born cartoonist and author, Florence Kate Upton, who, with her mother Bertha who penned the verses,wrote thirteen Golliwogg adventures between 1895 and 1909 which were published by Longman's, Green & Co. and which are now sought-after collector's items.

Florence Upton's Golliwog was portrayed as a loveable, honest and honourable character who, with his child-like innocence, was fun-loving, vibrant and colourful. There was no hint of racism whatsoever in either the intention behind Upton's character or the character of Golliwog himself.

This smear of racism has come about as a result of ignorance on the part of individuals such as yourself,who are happy to take something innocent and inoffensive and taint it by playing the race card where none ever existed. That being the case, why not accuse, for example, Chinese dolls or Eskimo dolls as being racist or, for that matter, white dolls. Wherein lies the difference? To the educated observer, who is capable of rational thought there is, of course, none, which therefore leaves the accusers themselves accused of the very racism which they have levelled at a rag doll. How pathetically stupid is that?

In this day and age when we have genuinely serious problems in the U.K. such as ever rising costs in fuel,tax, immigration, housing etc. presided over by, arguably, the worst administation this country has ever known, for grown ups to allow themselves to get bent out of shape over a doll is pathetically unacceptable as is the term "I think that's total balls." Very journalistic! However, it is, I suppose, completely in keeping with the rest of this plainly stupid, ill conceived and extremely poorly researched article.

You may, or indeed, may not be interested to learn that I was pleased to purchase a 22" golliwog only last week and I had already named him Graham. However,I have considered it only fitting that his name be changed by deed poll to Stephen Pollard and from henceforth that is how he shall be addressed. Yes, Stephen Pollard, the golliwog. It has a certain ring to it, don't you agree?

Jonny Mac of Jonny Mac's Place

"...with his child-like innocence, was fun-loving, vibrant and colourful. There was no hint of racism..." Brian, Tthe 'child-like innocence' of the 'Negro' in the Deep South was one of several stereotypes that was used to deprive black people of the vote in parts of America for a hundred years after the abolition of slavery. So I call BS on your 'no hint of racism' lecture.