Is the Golly offensive?

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/6l6cwjc

Is the Golly offensive enough to cause two Prospective Tory councillors to quit, or are they victims of political correctness?

Please do not just condemn them just because they are Tories, please just debate the Golly issue.

[TheTruthHere]

Gromit are the golly dolls and badges now on your list of things to be banned ?

[worldwar8]

they have been around for years and they're not going soon so even if people find it offensive they just have to grin and bare it

[TheTruthHere]

Gromit // I didn't mean to offend any bogtrotters, but apparently I did.//

If you were honest about not offending people would it not have been better and correct to say

I didn't mean to offend any Irish people or people of Irish descent but apparently I did.

[Gromit]

TheTruthHere,

I do not have a list of things to be banned.

Noddy was my favourite when I was a sprog and I would not wish those books to be banned or the Gollywog removed. They happened and you cannot un-invent something. They are remnants from a past age and outdated. I would not read them to children now, there are far better, more engaging books nowadays.

[TheTruthHere]

Gromit
(16:53 on Wed 14/Jul/10) Can we ban old men from wearing flat caps while driving in their cars. That really is stupid.

And sunglasses when it is pitch black.

And obese women from wearing leggings.

And anyone not from Greater Manchester from wearing a Man United shirt.

And anything really that I do not like should be made illegal.

[Old_Geezer]

Gromit; the original post may have referred to an incident where offence may or may not have been intended, but the question posed in the title was “Is the Golly offensive?”, which is the question I addressed. I have not read the story that kicked off the question.

I think whether using the inoffensive golly as a way to offend some folk, a different issue, for a different thread.

[Gromit]

TheTruthhere.

You are obviously an avid student of Gromit postings. Unfortunately, you do not seem to realise when I am not being serious.

I believe the term 'bogtrotter' to be no more offensive than 'Mick' or 'Paddy'. It may have been very offensive a couple of centuries ago, but nowadays it isn't.
The UrbanDictionary.com has as one of its meanings - 'Origianlly a very derogatory word for an Irishman, not always used as an insult nowadays.'

There is a group that plays Irish music called 'The Bogtrotters' http://www.thebogtrotters.com/
Are they offensive? Should they stop using the name? Has anyone reported them?

[TheTruthHere]

Gromit Jonathan Ross had/has a Tv show with some singers if i used the P word like you use the B word for Irish people i would be banned but you seem to have friends in high places

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross' house band, 4 Poofs and a Piano ...
29 Oct 2008 ... Just because 4 Poofs and a Piano play such a small part in Jonathan Ross' BBC 1 chat show doesn't mean the troupe haven't made a mark. ...
www.newsshopper.co.uk/.../3800943.4_Poofs_tak
e_their_Piano_on_UK_tour/
-

[sp1814]

Has anyone who has answered this thread actually asked a black person whether these toys are offensive depictions of them, or is anyone black here who can speak from a position of personal knowledge?

I refer back to this earlier posting from yesterday:

"Not offensive at all!............not meeant to cause offence to black folk at all, in fact, it's a compliment to them!"

Really?

[TheTruthHere]

sp1814 two that i used to drink with were not bothered by them and if you read the posts you will see they only got 10 letters a year complaining to the company that produced them.

[Old_Geezer]

"Has anyone ... asked a black person whether these toys are offensive depictions of them"

Personally I don't see that having a skin colour similar to the toy in question gives one's views a greater priority on whether the toy is offensive or not. That would be inappropriate discrimination; an implicit dismissal of the views of those who have a different skin colour. Let everyone have an ability to post their own view here regardless of skin colour, eye colour, hair colour, etc...

[Gromit]

// they only got 10 letters a year complaining to the company that produced them. //

That was in 2001. In 2002 they ceased using the Golliwogs. I am sure it was for commercial reasons rather than just to please some lefties. It was outdated and was harming the brand.

[TheTruthHere]

They wanted a more modern character Gromit that the younger members of society could identify with.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// I go out of my way not to offend, ///

That is rich coming from a person who has been offensive to me on more than one occasion.

/// And I would never vote for anyone with the stupid christian nam 'Star'.///

Gromit always gives the impression that he is in the forefront of political awareness, yet he openly admits he would not vote for a politician who had a name that he did not care for, never mind what kind of politician he would make.

/// It is the same with people who played with golliwogs. They were ignorant of its true meaning.///

Perhaps we should put this in the state's education curriculum, Instilling into their young minds what kind of toy they should play with, and educating them into the correct meaning of why some toys are a no, no?

Mind you, taking into account the general feeling about gollies on AB, they would have a job trying to tell the kids that gollies were a no, no.

[NOX]

I wasn't offended Gromit, but then that's probably because I'm a thick paddy and therefore too stupid to realise I was being insulted;-)

[Kromovaracun]

"Has anyone who has answered this thread actually asked a black person whether these toys are offensive depictions of them, or is anyone black here who can speak from a position of personal knowledge?"

This is what I was alluding to way back on page 1... Seems to have been lost in the 'grrr I hate political correctness' competition.

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// The image is of a blackface - which is largely seen as offensive in this day and age, and it's no use banging on about how 'over-sensitive' people are being, that's the way it is perceived these days, and it is a negative image of black people.///

Forgive me for copying and pasting another paragraph, written by you Andy.

Myself, and I presuppose many others will find it offensive for you to speculate on what others think, especially when you say that "The image is of a blackface - which is largely seen as offensive, in this day and age"

I might add who 'in this day and age' could possibly find a black face offensive in any way, so I don't know how you came to that conclusion, it would appear it is only in your own mind?

And for your information I was not being deliberately provocative under the guise of stimulating a debate, neither do I seek attention.

I was merely opening a debate on a news item and judging by the response, a health debate ensued.

[anotheoldgit]

Kromovaracun

You ask "Has anyone who has answered this thread actually asked a black person whether these toys are offensive depictions of them?"

Well I was holidaying in Cuba and golly like dolls were a huge tourist seller on the island.

In fact I still have one, it is a depiction of a plantation type black woman, she is dressed in a long dress, with shawl, and a turban covers her head, something like the housekeeper in the Tom and Jerry cartoons.

These dolls were made by the black locals, who obviously didn't find therm offensive at all.