Racist and Hateful? or Much Loved Toy

[imastawka]

Ebay have removed listings, worldwide, in the last couple of days

for Golliwog/Golly citing the 'hateful or discriminatory policy.'

Aunt Jemima dolls (mammy dolls)  have also gone

The weird part is, there was a sub-category in Dolls/Bears for Golliwogs

All things Golliwog have disappeared.

Books including ones by Enid Blyton have gone. 

It's ok to sell them, just don't put golliwog/golly in the title.

I have been informed that I need to be educated on the matter,

and have been given links to things like the Jim Crow Museum

 http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/golliwog/

My own opinion is, I love gollies.    I can see no relevance to them in Australia.

I think they are/were a much loved toy with no underlying racial tones.

A lot of people may be upset by the images, but I think Ebay has just made

them worth a lot more money on other sites.

I'm not looking for an argument, and you won't get one.

I would just like some more opinions.

It started on the Selling Boards

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Selling/Item-specific-Listing-Removed-Sick-Of-It/td-p/1834945

I would hope that opinions do not run too hot,  and turn into arguments.

[bluecat*dancing]

I have a little hand-knitted one that was given to me when I was a little kid, back in th 60's. Back then, it was acceptable but now that society has grown up somewhat, it no longer is. People have a choice to show compassion and empathy, or be self-obsessed and indignant.

[bluecat*dancing · Accepted solution]

oh, and the answer to the op's question is that it is a much loved racist toy.

[*pepe]

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@bluecat*dancing wrote:

I have a little hand-knitted one that was given to me when I was a little kid, back in th 60's. Back then, it was acceptable but now that society has grown up somewhat, it no longer is. People have a choice to show compassion and empathy, or be self-obsessed and indignant.

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society hasn't grown up - if anything it has become more sooky and just looking for things to find offensive.

Perhaps if people are offended by something such as this toy they could just move on and never own one and let others collect them if they choose to.

So often I see the catchphrase  'if you don't like gay marriage then don't enter into one, but let others have the choice', yet those same people are only too happy to place bans on things they don't like.

I'll choose being self obsessed and indignant over being hypocritical any day.

[moonflyte]

It is still objectifying a race.

[imastawka]

In your opinion.

Not in mine.  

And there we differ.

[bluecat*dancing]

Perhaps society has left you behind? Once same sex rlationships were taboo[ as well as being illegal ]but society has grown up and that is, mostly, no longer so.

[channys_mum]

Channy's brother-in-law is indigenous, so today I asked him if my golliwogs offended him, as he is quite dark skinned.

He said a few years ago there was some to do about such things, and maybe once upon a time they were racist. He just sees them as little black ugly dolls and he wishes people wouldn't keep making such a fuss about nothing.

Channy has a little golliwog figurine, so we picked on her.

It was her mother's, and to Channy it's just part of 'mummy's' things

[lyndal1838]

I was not going to get involved in this thread but I can't resist.

It seems to me that all the outrage is coming from the politically correct younger generations who have been programmed to find anything and everything offensive if that is the current object giving offense.

If that is what they believe then so be it....they can get on their high horses and spit out enough outrage for all of us.   But leave the oldies to enjoy the memories of their much loved childhood toys and dolls.

There is no need for black dolls or golliwogs to be banned....if they are so offensive the message will soon sink in and no-one will buy them.   Far better for the toys to die out naturally through education (if that is what does actually happen) than to have everyone at each other's throats arguing the toss as to whether they are appropriate.

For the record...I had a golliwog as a kid.  It was passed on to my children and then my grandchildren.  My youngest daughter had a dark skinned Cabbage Patch Doll (her choice) along with light skinned dolls with blond hair, red hair, brown hair and black hair.

I also have a golliwog money box which was used for many years to collect money for Red Cross and Stewart House at the school where my grandmother was a teacher....it is many years older than I am.

[channys_mum]

I think we should ban barbie dolls

Perky little biatches have no right to flaunt their skinny little big boobed bods and make young girls of ample proportions feel bad about themselves, not to mention those who have nothing to shove in a bra.

[imastawka]

In my watch list I have a golly item that has been listed for 3 days now.

I think the bots may have missed it,  because it says gollies.

Maybe the spelling has them flummoxed?