Golliwogs are back!

[fireheart17]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/s...6-2682,00.html

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on the issue.

I also have another article here (OK, it's from Wikipedia) which I thought might also be of interest and some relevance to this thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie (look under controversies)

me? I personally don't see a problem with golliwogs. If people knitted golliwogs with the same design, but made them white-skinned instead of black-skinned, would that be an issue?

[Cat]

The doll is based on a "black-faced" minstrel, correct? I can see how that is offensive.

Of course, its also a toy.....don't like it, don't buy it. I see no appeal in them whatsoever, but I also dislike dolls anyway. Hmmm...

[Slytovhand]

I'm not sure if they were 'based' upon them, but certainly the Black and White Minstrel Show had a hey-day a few decades back.. is that a bad thing?

[AdminAssistant]

Yes, those dolls look like they are based on the "Mammy" character popular in minstrel shows. Minstrelsy had it's hey-day from around....post-Civil War to about 1950's. Or so. It really died with vaudeville. Then of course there's the difference between minstrel shows featuring black performers and those featuring white performers in blackface.

Either way, yes, the 'Mammy' character is considered offensive by most people, however, that hasn't exactly stopped Aunt Jemima maple syrup, now has it?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

These are so incredibly offensive they cease to be offensive.

Did that make sense?

They're so over the top you can't hardly get offended over them.

My sister has a very small collection of them. She majored in English with an emphasis on Southern Literature. She also collects sweetgrass baskets, southern anthropological artifacts, and SC-made slave pottery. So really, with her, it's about southern lowcountry culture.

The most outrageous golliwog I've ever seen is in her collection. It's a piece of majolica that features a golliwog riding an alligator. That one is a favorite based soley on it's WTF appeal.

There was an antique mall here in town that had a back room devoted entirely to these things. Got to chatting with the owner, asked her if anyone ever got offended by the things. She said that no, not really. But black folks came in all the time buying the things, evidently. They didn't sell that well to whites. (I imagine because white folks didn't want to be seen buying them because, well, they are offensive and I imagine they didn't want to be thought of as racist.)

[AdminAssistant]

She majored in English with an emphasis on Southern Literature.

Can I just say that's awesome? That's awesome. One of my research interests is representation of women in Southern dramatic literature, and right now I'm gearing up to assistant direct The Glass Menagerie. Ah, Williams.

[Gravekeeper]

I think I have to go with RecoKink on this one. I look at them and feel like I should be offended, but they're so ridiculous it cancels itself out.

[MystyGlyttyr]

They just look like gingerbread men to me.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I didn't really even know they made stuffed ones, although I shouldn't be suprised.

All the ones I've ever seen were majolica.