Shop owner vows to keep selling golliwogs.

[Blackleaf]

Shop owner vows to keep selling golliwogs
5th March 2006

A shop owner has pledged to continue selling toy golliwogs after three of them were seized by police investigating a complaint, it emerged today.

The dolls were removed from a window display at A&E Pettifer's store in the market town of Bromyard, Herefordshire, after a passer-by said they were offensive.

Following an investigation, West Mercia Police said it would not be pressing charges against the owner Donald Reynolds and confirmed the dolls would be returned to him.

Mr Reynolds said he had received strong support locally and would be continuing to sell the dolls, albeit from the back of the store.

The 53-year-old said the golliwogs - which come in small, medium and large sizes - had been on display for more than a week when the complaint was made last month.

He said he had sold more than 50 in that time and that the first two had flown off the shelves within 10 minutes of putting them in the window.

Mr Reynolds said he never meant to cause offence.

He said: "I certainly didn't purchase them with that in mind. I didn't think about it at all. I just thought they would pretty up the shop."

Police seized the toys under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which makes it an offence to display material which could be deemed threatening, abusive or insulting.

A force spokesman said no action would be taken against Mr Reynolds but that he would be sent a letter advising him about the sensitivities of placing such items on display.


dailymail.co.uk

 

[cortez]

I agree, Blackleaf, these dolls ARE offensive and should be removed. I would be interested to know if the Noddy books by Enid Blyton are still available to British children, and if so, whether they have cleared up the racist tone in them whereby the golliwogs always did the bad stuff.... in the way that there was a campaign to change all of Beatrix Potters books because there were felt to be violent
perhaps it is not common knowlege is that the derogatory term WOG applied to black people comes from golliwog
Ive always thought that the UK had some of the best antiracist legislation in the world.......

 

[#juan]

Offensive?

I think these dolls are only offensive if you want them to be.

http://www.golliwogs.com/

They remind me of the Sesame Street characters.

http://www.angelfire.com/super/sesameworld/index.html

 

[Toro]

:lol: :lol:

Juan!

 

[Curiosity]

Barbie....

This little replica of the "perfect young female" has been a source of great pain for many little girls over the decades - and also an insult to blondes indicating they are sexual objects - even at the earliest years of learning.

How many dolls parade around in clothes intended for adult women?

Nobody has given them much of a ration.....and they still sell.

If censorship and banning is now going to include children's toys, Barbie has to go..... and while I am at it: Chuckie of knife fame!

 

[cortez]

:lol: :lol:

Juan!

Toro!

 

[Toro]

Barbie....

This little replica of the "perfect young female" has been a source of great pain for many little girls over the decades - and also an insult to blondes indicating they are sexual objects - even at the earliest years of learning.

How many dolls parade around in clothes intended for adult women?

Nobody has given them much of a ration.....and they still sell.

If censorship and banning is now going to include children's toys, Barbie has to go..... and while I am at it: Chuckie of knife fame!

After much profound thinking, I've come to the learned opinion that the Barbie dolls should be even more disproportional!

 

[Curiosity]

A bit of history here....

For years black children in the U.S. (and probably elsewhere but I only know about the U.S.) were rarely treated to dolls of their own color. Even rarer were home decorations and figurines of African origin. Most gifts therefore were games for girls, or dressed up
golliwogs or critters such as kittens and puppies and other domestic animals.

Trade has changed home decoration and now there are amazing artifacts decorating my African-American friends' home and she has a collection of adorable black babies and older dolls because she never had any as a little girl - only white dolls.

My friend's shopping for the little ones in her family has now become a trip back into childhood for herself - having never experienced the joy of a little girl finding a doll to adopt and love...
who looked just like her.

 

[Curiosity]

Now Toro

The Barbie top heavy you envision would not be able to stand upright without some kind of brace to balance her!!!

 

[jeckgo]

these dolls are for witch crafting

 

[cortez]

I would like to have the GI JOE doll banned- I have been permanently damaged by a) having to play with the doll b) not being able to live up to the image of the courageous soldier with the muscular body and six pack abs.......

oh wait BUT I DO have that muscular body and six pack abs...............

 

[#juan]

oh wait BUT I DO have that muscular body and six pack abs...............

Yes, so do I, but they've slipped down about a foot and a half.

 

[jeckgo]

Same sort of deal as Aunt Gemima, caricatures......I am surprised these things are still around and are on shop shelves.

 

[jeckgo]

RE: Shop owner vows to ke

Couple of links that may be of interest.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/netnotes/article/0,,541371,00.html

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

 

[Curiosity]

Jeckgo

Only two I have heard about which have lousy messages attached are Little Black Sambo and the one you also mentioned Aunt Jemima.

There are probably hundreds of childrens nursery stories when blacks were slaves but I think the Golliwog had more of a Muppet characteristic.

 

[cortez]

Read the Noddy books by Enid Blyton.....

 

[Curiosity]

Cortez

Do you mean how the Golly was censored right out of Blyton's books and actually replaced by another fantasy character.

That's not only censorship - it's copyright infringement.

Sorry - don't believe in it at all for any reason.

 

[zoofer]

Change the colour to white or purple. Drop the wog off the end and by Golly it will be PC again.

I find pictures of Trudeau offensive. Should they be removed or at least turned around?

 

[cortez]

Cortez

Do you mean how the Golly was censored right our of Blyton's books and actually replaced by another fantasy character.

That's not only censorship - it's copyright infringement.

Sorry - don't believe in it at all for any reason.

HAVE the books been censored or changed- I can't see anywhere on the net discussing these changes. I am not saying that I think the books SHOULD be changed- the books are aproduct of their time, and I agree that it is not only against copyright but is ridiculous to try to rewrite classics. My opinion is that any childs book should be reviewed and considered carefully prior to giving to a child. Many parents may not consider the effect on a child to be reading a story where the bad person is portrayed as being black against the hero being white. Children pick this up, and in Enid Blyton's day, ignorance and the times I guess were an excuse, but I don't see it as an excuse for being acceptable today.

 

[Jay]

The dolls were removed from a window display at A&E Pettifer's store in the market town of Bromyard, Herefordshire, after a passer-by said they were offensive.

This should become the new war for us (normal people who believe in freedom...others stop reading.)

We should start a campaign of complaining and involving the police and the courts every little time we feel in the least offended by a minority group or individual (or some article they own).

So where should we start?