The Demise of the Golliwog.

[Oresai]

I still have two golliwog toys, old now and tatty. Growing up, I always saw them as just another toy. The political correctness brigade strike again though! First it was the demise of the nursery rhyme, Baa Baa Black Sheep (turned farcically into Rainbow Sheep, tsk..) now it`s the Golliwog. Next, if we breathe the night air they`ll bestow a racial slur tax....the night is black, after all...
Silly bug*ers...

Source, Daily Record online.

Exclusive: Store bosses rapped for selling golliwogs
Dec 29 2008 By Donna Watson

STORE bosses have been slammed for selling golliwog gifts.

Watt Brothers are stocking a range of items featuring the controversial toys.

Race relations groups are furious with the well known Scots firm because "golliwog" is now used as a racial slur.

Ashay Ghai, of the Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance, said yesterday: "While the golliwog may have begun as an innocent enough 19th century children's character, it has developed into a racist image.

"It is used as a racial slur and all companies should consider its relevance."

The "Jolly Gollies" collection on sale at the Watt Bros store in Lanark includes a mug, a photo frame and a glitter snowglobe.

The images portray the dolls in the style of the Black And White Minstrels with oversized white lips and striped trousers.

The once-popular Black And White Minstrel Show was cancelled by the BBC 30 years ago because the "blacking-up" of white men for entertainment was considered racially offensive.

The golliwog was first created as a fictional character by children's writer Florence Kate Upton in 1895.

It was popularised in Britain as jam manufacturer James Robertson & Sons' mascot.

But by the 1980s, it was increasingly seen as offensive. The term was being shortened to "wog" and used as a slur against black or dark-skinned people.

Robertson's dropped the golly from their labelling in 2001.

In 2005, a band in Arbroath, Angus, decided to stop blackening their faces and changed their name from the Angus Black And White Minstrels after council officials warned them their act could be regarded as racist.

Watt Bros were contacted last night but refused to comment.

[TheGreatest]

My Grandmother was quite fond of her Golliwog. I remember it being somewhere in the garage

[lei.talk]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golliwogg

reminds me of a popular inflateable toy
from my childhood.

[Oresai]

I`ve got the largest and smallest of those ones, though nowadays they`re classed as `vintage toys`....a nice term for toys belonging to my generation which are generally unknown to todays kids.