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GOLLIWOGS: NOT JUST INNOCENT CHILDREN'S PLAY THINGS |
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6th July 2007
 An anonymous writer passionately suggests there is nothing racist about Gollywogs that were first created in 1895 by Florence Upton (5/07/07). Surely to criticise these "black-faced, goggle-eyed" images is political correctness at its worst? This is just a doll?
Yet the Golliwog was created during a racist era: a caricature of
American black faced minstrels - in effect, the caricature of a
caricature which was a demeaning image of black people. Later Golliwogs
often reflected negative beliefs about Blacks as thieves, miscreants
and incompetents.
Enid Blyton's books are particularly insensitive: in 'Here Comes Noddy
Again', a Golliwog asks the hero for help, then steals his car. In
another 'The Three Golliwogs' the Gollywogs sing the 'Ten Little Nigger
Boys': a childrens poem about the death of ten Black children
one-by-one.
There is also little doubt that the words associated with Golliwog,
like Golly, Wog, and Golliwog, itself, are often used as racial slurs.
Finally, the interest in the Golliwog is found primarily amongst adults
not children: some are nostalgic, others have financial interests. To
present them as just innocent children's play things is suppressing the
real history.
Philip Booth
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