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.

[Anonymous]

there is one problem with 

"rivetting"  [sic]  highly intellectual, "informed" discussions -

they keep you up when you're tired 

and ready for bed...

[imastawka]

Don't know why some people have to talk in half sentences

that make no sense at all.

Then when there's misunderstandings,

it all goes to hell in a handcart                      

So much for discussion

[opmania]

If you want  an honest answer

First you have to ask a specific

Question

Go

[*pepe]

I see nothing wrong with golliwogs - to me they are just another toy/character I am quite fond of.

Not only do I own a few I have created merchandise with some and have even *shock horror gasp* made money from them and *even more shock horror gasp* intend to continue to do so.

[imastawka]

Years ago I created a knitting pattern for golliwogs.

I then knitted a lot of them to make sure the pattern worked.

I have them stockpiled.   Ebay just made them worth more.

I have no qualms about selling them in due course.

They are a toy with a lot of collectors

[*pepe]

can I see some?

[thecatspjs]

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@*julia*2010 wrote:

there is one problem with 

"rivetting"  [sic]  highly intellectual, "informed" discussions -

they keep you up when you're tired 

and ready for bed...

---

gosh .. your demonstration of superiority in the spelling stakes has woken me right up  

Thank you for drawing attention to a deficit that I have inherited from slack education systems and a personal disregard for spell checking posts on a discussion board 

I hope focusing on my spelling on this thread and a single post, rather than the content of my posts, makes you feel better about yourself - given the absence of you so far referring to any meaningful examples of noteworthy Australian companies that support racial stereotyping through selling products that reinforce same. 

[springyzone]

When I was a child (many, many decades ago I am sad to admit)

 I had a golliwog. I also had blue teddy & koala, as well as minnie mouse.

I remember them all well.

I loved them all and I had no idea golly was based on any living creature, I just thought he was a... soft toy. A fantasy. Like fairies, goblins, leprechauns and so on.

I think it would be  ahuge mistake to destroy such toys, but that is probably because I value  history and these dolls are a part of history now.

I can understand not making any more, times have moved on.

But I don't believe in changing history or books or toys to suit modern day sensibilities.

Enid Blyton books should stay as they are. Has anyone read any Agatha Christie lately? Also very interesting cultual history lessons to be learned when you do, never mind the story.

I used to teach primary school & well remember introducing some of the work of May Gibbs (part of Aust history unit). If you've read any of it lately you'll know it (and the Enid Blyton books about the Faraway tree etc) have some very unfortunate names by modern day standards. Such as the Gay Nuts. Or Dick and Fanny.

I expected sniggering but I just explained to the kids that these books were written a long time ago & word meanings change over time. I found once you talk to kids they can understand that, and they just skip it. There was dead silence & they loved the stories.

[j*oono]

You get used to it Cats 😄  I think we need a lot more of your input, even though I did love my golliwog badge.

[imastawka]

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@*pepe wrote:

can I see some?

---

Really, really buried, Pepe.    I'm talking 20 years ago now

Maybe, maybe tomorrow     *sigh