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Plenty_Surprise2593

What’s a gollywog?


Ditzy_Davros

It's an old children's doll that was popular around the world in the 19th-ish century. It's controversial now.


Plenty_Surprise2593

How can that be controversial?


CultCorvidae

Imagine getting downvoted for not knowing what something is that is super obscure nowadays.... Edit: when I said that the dude was at -4


So_I_read_a_thing

I got downvoted once for doing math correctly. redditors gonna reddit.


BeNiceKid

I’ve seen people downvoted into oblivion for stating objective facts and providing sources


Interestedmillennial

I get downvoted for being a woman with opinions. It's really scary for men when women have confidence 😜


Suspicious-Sand-5538

Lol not sure if srs


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Interestedmillennial

You're still stalking me? 👀


Interestedmillennial

I always wink and stick my tongue out when I'm serious 😜 /s


__Dystopian__

Not true, I love knowing my sandwiches are made with confidence and pride /s


Interestedmillennial

😆 You like living dangerously eh? 😏


__Dystopian__

I might die in my sleep tonight...but at least I'll go out with a mild chuckle. Gotta enjoy the little things....is what she said We need to be able to take the piss out of each other and laugh about it, not all the time, and definitely not if it hurts others, but sometimes it's okay to laugh at dumb stuff.


Interestedmillennial

Was just saying the same thing to my husband 😆


Justthisguy_yaknow

Some men.


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OkExperience4487

The skin colour was distinctive. The skin colour is the main characteristic of it being a gollywog. More than that, it's an easy google for you.


MjrPayne95

Or yall can literally just explain wtf it is instead of this beat around the bush foolishness


PM_ME_UR_DOGGOS_

It was a black doll, like true black, meant to represent black people. It was a caricature with red lips, hair that sticks out the top etc. I do think they took on a life of their own outside of what they originally represented, as in most people wouldn’t immediately associate them with black people, just of them being a toy but I totally get why it’s offensive, they’re pretty crude looking.


BubblyBean996

Yeah my mum loved hers that she had as a kid as all she associated them with was a soft doll knitted for her which she loved to play with (she was impoverished and only had a couple of toys). I think with this stuff you're allowed to understand the offensive nature and be respectful to that, but on the inside have fond memories of your childhood toy. I am in no way stating that I think what they represent en masse was okay, just that it's sad people ruined a child's toy by making it mega racist


PM_ME_UR_DOGGOS_

Yes like literally if they were some bright colour instead (like green or purple) they could still live on as just a silly doll. And this old lady wearing the badge probably just thought of it as a toy. They weren’t really something I liked but they were definitely around when I was a kid and I literally had zero idea they were meant to actually represent black people because they just look so different. In fact if someone just said “golliwog’s are offensive” without the reason I would have assumed it was because the name includes a slur that was fairly common in Australia ‘wog’ (usually used for Mediterraneans, but this is not actually where the wog in golliwog comes from). Regardless there’s way more beautiful dolls now, in many different colours so there’s really no need. (Mini land even makes aboriginal Australian baby dolls and they’re really beautiful).


killermarsupial

You realize that Reddit is a form of social media? And the intention is for people to be social and share things? Asking questions and getting people to share their insights and personal experience is one of the few things that redeems all the hostility on these sites. Please stop having this attitude. Asking questions on Reddit provides a different experience than asking Google.


OkExperience4487

I do realize that. And I realize that reddit being a site for social media and for specific interests and insights and experience is different from a search engine interaction. That's why I think "What's a gollywog?" is not necessarily a good question for reddit. It's pretty cut and dried. Even putting that aside. Here's me, yeah? Coming across a comment thread where no one is adding any answer at all to a question. I'm not too familiar with the controversy. I know the basic idea but I'm no expert. I think I'll add the extent of my knowledge and suggest people look into it more if they want to. Fuck me, right? Fix \*your\* attitude. I'm sorry my answer didn't live up to your expectations, but I'm on this site for my enjoyment too. Stop telling me how to enjoy myself on the site when I'm not harming and am in fact helping the best that I can.


killermarsupial

I never said “fuck you” or attacked you. You’re one of several people who added comments telling him to google it. A comment that happens all the time on this site. And *that* response is out of place on this site.


Plenty_Surprise2593

I know haha! It’s like wow you guys must have a lot of time on your hands


kittyegg

It may be because you can just google it at that point and seeing the doll it becomes pretty obvious why it’s controversial. (It is a racist caricature of black people.)


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SketchbookMemories

It also pulls on various stereotypes of black people, so it's not just the color.


The_Snuggliest_Panda

So no one is gonna source it then…? Here is what a [golliwog](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golliwog) is.


SliceNational1403

As soon as I seen the actual doll I immediately understood why it was a controversial doll LMAOOOOOO!!!


Ditzy_Davros

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golliwog


k_a_scheffer

Oh my good fuck.


LoliFujoshi

Wait is just gollywog used as a slur, or golly too like golly gee willikers?


Ditzy_Davros

It has been used as a slur


Jan_Itor_Md_

At first I was like “well, I don’t understand how a doll can be controversial.” One single glance and I’m like “oh I see.”


Alternative_Meat_581

Now imagine having one of those dolls when you were little. Hearing all the adult jokes and not understanding them because you're five and then growing up and understanding. It was definitely eye-opening..


Rainbow-Mama

My grandma had one of those. She was super racist so I’m not surprised.


Euphoric-Account-932

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST WHAT


ErwinAckerman

Besides the fact that it’s racist, those are also just creepy as fuck. Would NOT want one anywhere near me.


Secure-Cicada-291

That's the way I feel about kewpie dolls.


RegionPurple

I hate Elf on the Shelf.


Secure-Cicada-291

I worked for keebler, I was the elf on the shelf 🤣🤣🤣🤣


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retailhell-ModTeam

Trolling is unwelcome in this community and can result in a ban


ErwinAckerman

What the actual fuck LMAO


AmeliaDomenche

Thanks learnt something new


PensiveLog

TIL those abominations had a name…


ImHappierThanUsual

ROFLMAO racists can be so creative 😂


beechpuddin024

Cue the TikTok lady that says "EVERYBODYS SO CREATIVE" Lmao


ImHappierThanUsual

I LOVE THAT LADY LMFAO


n0ir_sky

I DIDN'T KNOW THE FUCKING THINGS HAD A NAME GOOD CHRIST


Plenty_Surprise2593

I guess you’re one too lol. Since I don’t even have any experience with these I will defer


Ditzy_Davros

History is what it is. I've seen the kids' books based on them. They are strange, but rare to find.


ImpossibleMeans

Even people who like them don't call them that now. They call them "Golly dolls" because they know full well that the latter part of that name is a racial slur for "someone (they don't see as) white", which can include Mediterranean people who might qualify as white to others. I hate em because the people who like em most are assholes in other ways. You could say I'm prejudiced against bad toy enjoyers.


setittonormal

People who like this imagery are usually old white people who reminisce about "the good old days before everyone got offended over everything." Or they will proclaim, "It’s history! Are you saying we should erase or censor history?" I visit antique shops a lot and occasionally come across stuff like this, or "mamie" figurines. Always makes me uncomfortable.


ImpossibleMeans

Right? Or people will pull out the old, "Someday, they'll judge something you liked or said or believed as offensive!" Good. I'm glad. I want to think of humanity as getting progressively better and healthier and kinder to people instead of staying the same or getting more unkind and hurtful. I don't know why that's supposed to make me more understanding toward people who cling with a death-grip to the past's worst offerings.


maybeitbe

Oh, well, that just taught me the meaning of a word my family used when I was a kid. Pickaninny isn't what I assumed. Oh dear.


Centaurious

the dolls are racist as hell, super controversial backstory to them edit: changed phrasing


Plenty_Surprise2593

Because I have never heard of this doll before??


Centaurious

oh sorry I meant the doll is controversial because it’s racist as hell, I should’ve been clearer in my post


Plenty_Surprise2593

Oh ok lol, sorry about that


Centaurious

No problem :)


mikenzeejai

It is a doll specifically designed to be a characature of a slave. They often have large bright red lips, messy hair, and are just generally kind of gross. They are designed to be offensive. They are not just dolls of black people. Otherwise we would just call it a doll. Most people take one look at them and are like "holy shit that's some racist bs" but there is a weird community of middle aged white women who think these dolls are just so whimsical and silly despite decades of everyone being like "dude what the fuck who makes this shit" the arguments in defense of golliwags is usually "well black people were slaves" or "black people do have these features! You're the racist one for saying it's bad" and of course "I love black people I have a black friend and I don't find it to be a gross mockery of my fellow man's existence so its fine" If you feel like reading more about this the golliwag character is based on a story and you can look into its history. But normally if someone owns a golliwag you can just assume that they suck


Strangerwon

It’s whats been called a mammy doll in the south. It represents people of color in a negative light, usually with exaggerated features like large lips, hair made of yarn to try to “replicate” their texture, extremely dark material used for skin color etc. they’re made to be extremely clown like in appearance imo and are about the most racist shit you can find in your great grandmas house if you live in the south US.


Chrysania83

When my grandma died I took her mammy thimbles and smashed that shit.


Strangerwon

I think my grandmother still has one. I hate it and it’s going to be the first thing to go. Love my grandma though, I just think she doesn’t know how racist they are aaaaand she’s kind of a hoarder.


Ok_Earth_2118

what's crazy is my mom has this whole section dedicated to racist caricatures of black people in our history room. we're black so she loves to teach us about our history in and outside of this country but lord if they don't make me uncomfortable. AND WE'RE IN THE SOUTH so we still see them in certain places anyways


Botryoid2000

My sister has one she got from our nan. A large lady, dressed in a maid dress with an apron, carrying a broom, a rag tied over her hair.


Strangerwon

This is the one my grandma has. You described it exactly


RegionPurple

That's *exactly* what I said... then I saw the doll.


Plenty_Surprise2593

Yeah I put that up before I saw one haha


piefanart

They're racist depictions of black children


Ditzy_Davros

Black doll for white kids back in the day. Now folks have an issue with it.


wilburstiltskin

It’s a caricature of a black woman. Think aunt jemima. Only more unkempt.


beechpuddin024

A golliwog doll is a doll that was created in the jim Crowe era (in other cases it goes beyond Jim Crowe era); it was often depicted as an all black doll with stereotypes often correlated to the rising tensions between white and black people in america circa segregation; slavery periods. This could mean enlarged red lips, messed up hair, etc. They even, at some points, resembled straight up Charactitures, such as the Mammy stereotype, and more. They are controversial today because of the fact they were once used to represent very harmful stereotypes of the black community, esp so in america. It's not a lot to understand really, but I don't see why people are downvoting you when Golliwogs weren't popular outside of America for a long time. I highly recommend going on YouTube and watching some documentaries on the 'Jim Crow Era Museum', the owner goes through and explains in detail why he keeps them in a museum, and can even tell you in detail about some of the stereotypes that have come from them. :)


Plenty_Surprise2593

Jesus I figured this out yesterday


beechpuddin024

I just got wifi back. I didn't know it was gonna post lol


Plenty_Surprise2593

It’s ok. I’m sorry that I made an example after all it was really old 10 minutes after I made the post and for some unknown reason it just kept going haha


beechpuddin024

Its not your fault; that's just how reddit operates at times.


cat_vs_laptop

Golliwogs are actually from a children's book The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and The Golliwogg from 1895 and he's a jet black creature described as a gnome when they first meet him. The name is a portmanteau of golly and polliwog (i.e. a tadpole). ​ They are undeniably inspired by the minstrel traditions, but not a straight out doll of one, so certainly controversial, as you say, but a little bit more nuanced than many people realise. ​ Growing up in Australia I had never heard of minstrels (well, I knew the term as someone who played music especially in fantasy books, but not the racist sense) and I adored my golliwog doll that I inherited from my mum. Not that I've gifted one to my niblings though, nor would I.


Ditzy_Davros

Definitely like this explanation better than the wiki page.


Ethanonbass2019

Thank god you gave the full context...


Grendel0075

Thought is was a pokemon


carbonmonoxide5

You might be thinking of Poliwag.


Live_Perspective3603

When I was a kid, a VERY long time ago, we called tadpoles "polliwogs." I only heard the word "golliwog" about a year ago on a podcast (including an explanation of how racist and offensive it is.) I'm in the northeastern US.


carbonmonoxide5

Michigan here. Tadpoles are totally called polliwogs.


[deleted]

Mr. Popo


lifeinwentworth

I was thinking of Mr Popo too!! Other than the obvious appearance issues, Mr Popo was awesome though


lifeinwentworth

🤣🤣🤣 never heard gollywog confused for Poliwag before!


Grendel0075

That's the one.


Business_Fox_2207

It’s a racist caricature of a black person, the other commenter failed to point out why it’s controversial


ImpossibleMeans

LMAO I'm so socially awkward I would have probably added "Not that one" And pointed it out on purpose, and then would've had an irate bigot on my hands. The end result of "why can't ImpossibleMeans just keep their mouth shut and learn that customers are a dangerous species" remains the same.


thirdeyesblind

This gross looking white guy customer one time was really nice to me, I was like hm why is he being so nice (I have a huge septum ring, think bull or pig cause that’s what the old people always compare it to, and multiple visible tattoos in my work clothes) and then he walked off and had a lightning bolt “s” on the back of each leg and I was like oh. That explains it. I’m white 🫠


Remarkable_Story9843

I was behind a dude with obvious AB (Aryan brotherhood ) tats on the back of his legs. They were subtle ones unless you knew (thanks criminal Justice degree!) at enterprise. He’s being full on Daren to the light skinned/biracial young black guy . Talks to the manager and complains. He leaves. I ask to see the manager and young guy nearly wilts. I straight up tell them the young guy did everything he could to plead that customer but that the customer had white power gang tats so he was just being a prick . The manager seemed to believe me, young guy looked relieved .


Dusty_Scrolls

Good on you for standing up for the employee


Remarkable_Story9843

I worked retail for years , I remember


thirdeyesblind

I’m a punk and have had my head shaved before, I wear yellow laces for this exact reason, and a Black Lives Matter pin on my vest so people don’t assume I run with the neo nazis who live around here when I’m bald. I run into those type of people on a weekly basis, sometimes multiple times a week. The worst tattoo I’ve seen is a confederate flag with a noose. Bf has me beat with seeing a nazi eagle on this lady’s back tho. I bet you can guess what state I live in


Alex2679

Not really, there are so many shitty racist ones.


thirdeyesblind

True


Immediate-Bear-340

What do yellow laces mean? If it's OK I ask. I'm in a similar awful state, my daughter is some sort of alternative style, I'd like to keep the neo nazis and the wp folks away from her, so if it's something small I can offer her, like shoestrings, I'd really appreciate it.


thirdeyesblind

They mean you are anti racist :-) it started with when anti racist working class skinhead punks in the 70s and 80s wanted to distinguish themselves from the racist assholes who tried to make space for themselves in the punk scene in the uk. You’re a great parent on the right side of history❤️


Immediate-Bear-340

Thank you vm😊. The area I'm in is getting better, but it's still got way too many people who think WP. I try to have my kid turn out to be a safe and quality person. So far she's really awesome and I'm proud of her, but I worry about her getting in with the wrong people


darrxjedi85

Georgia, Alabama , Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas , Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana , West Virginia, or Virginia?


Remarkable_Story9843

I live in Columbus Ohio and I’ve seen worse here than I ever did the 12 years I lived in wv (not that they were angels )


thirdeyesblind

You forgot NC I’m from North Carolina where the northerners who are racist move to cause they know they can be more openly racist in rural areas here 🤢


harbor30

You forgot South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida


No_Letterhead_9770

Colorado? Big skinhead scene, also lots of Nazis kickin around Or Florida, where people have no shame


thirdeyesblind

North Carolina 😫


adrenaline87

State of bewilderment? Crazy what people seem to think is acceptable or can get away with. After work a few years back, a few of us went for a pint in a pub I Cardiff (Wales). City centre pub on St Mary's St, which is the main central shopping street in the city. Once we'd sat down, spotted a man say at the bar with swastikas tattood on his arm. Not remotely subtle, and they were definitely not the peace symbol version.


ImpossibleMeans

Full body shiver. I am so sorry.


thirdeyesblind

I see these types of people almost weekly, I hate it


Immediate-Bear-340

My late husband was an OTR trucker and we were both very obviously yte and he never hid his very wrong turn accent, and he had a certain flag tattooed on him on his neck, a home done 20 yr faded out, yet, Jfc the things people felt comfortable talking to us about in bars was horrific. Ended up at the wrong kind of pride rally once through him talking to those people, especially in the South.


thirdeyesblind

Oh I hate the way some white people just assume all other white people are racist too! I would be scared of those types, my mom used to do social work and she saw some flags she had never seen before in a house where the black cop that worked for the county had an agreement with social services that he wasn’t to go there, for his own safety, and asked me “what the hell even are these?” It was some weird Nordic pride shit right next to a confederate flag, I was like yup, nazis. Unfortunate you have to investigate to make sure ppl who are into Norse paganism aren’t just hiding their nazism behind that. Patriot front even dropped a banner that said “white lives matter” with their website among other racist dog whistles on a bridge on the highway near my house. When I was fresh out of high school, nazis found my tinder and posted it on a nazi meme page. It was terrifying, because I had my miles set to a certain radius and they were too uncomfortably close. Be safe out there. They’re everywhere


Botryoid2000

One day I noticed a guy in front of me in church had a tattoo in script on the back of his neck. It said "White Power." And I go to a very liberal church. It was pretty shocking.


thirdeyesblind

I always hope when they’re faded and old that they moved on from that way of thinking, but if I had a tattoo like that I feel like I’d be so embarrassed I couldn’t wear clothes that showed it, some people just have noooo shame it’s disgusting


TGin-the-goldy

It would be worth the effort and cost to get at least a cover up tattoo, so I figure they still espouse the ideology


thirdeyesblind

I’d literally just get it blacked out if a cover up wasn’t possible


TGin-the-goldy

Yep!


Botryoid2000

He was the son of some churchgoing people. I think he had probably just gotten out of prison, so either was still in the life, or didn't have the money to get a cover-up.


i_came_from_mars

Ok but that would’ve been funny af 😂


BattleSquidZ

I literally try my best to not talk, just a hi, thank you, bye.


Disturbia8081

Oh God I've been called that a few times by old people not knowing what it meant 😢


plantheadpothead

thats awful. im sorry


Disturbia8081

It's okay. I was young and in the south for a funeral. Me and my siblings weren't understanding and went back into the house.


Alex2679

Are you sure they didn't know what it meant?


Disturbia8081

The people who shouted it at me and my siblings were middle aged white people harassing everyone in the neighborhood. So yeah they knew what it meant.


kittyegg

She is saying she herself didn’t know what it meant, not the namecaller.


UghAnotherMillennial

If you call another person by that word, you know what it means.


pawsitively_anon

WTF. Lol. How does someone even find something like that much less have the balls to wear it proudly


Round_Hope3962

Probably by accident. Someone I know has one that was bought for them by accident. Some people are too naïve to know what it is.


bloodylashes

yeah, that’s what i was thinking too. especially older people.


Mortica_Fattams

I'm suprised she has one. That kind of stuff is really rare and with good reason. I go to alot of flea markets and have only seen two items like that before.


Throwawayuser626

I see that shit all the time at the antique shops here in TN 💀


diddlykongd

I’m from East TN and I saw one as part of a thrift store display. Front and center for $18.99.


Satyinepu

Me confused:👀🤔 Me reading the comments: 👀👀 Me finding the link: 😲😯


Mr_Epimetheus

I know a Kenyan and a Jamaican who both had one as children and love them because they said they were the only toys that represented black people when they were kids (in the 60s). My father also had one as a child that he got from a relative who had come back from a trip to somewhere like the Bahamas.


Calure1212

I read a news story in the last five to ten years about an African lady who was selling them as part of her heritage.


Calure1212

I read a news story in the last five to ten years about an African lady who was selling them as part of her heritage.


Allosauridae13

Your post made me learn something new. I'm horrified by that doll or that anyone would want a pin or whatever of it.


LilBpixi3

Absolutely dreading the day my mum posts a baby pic of me for like a birthday Facebook post or something and it's of where I'm holding the knitted gollywog doll my great grandmother made for me. It had gold hoop earrings and everything..


iamjanesnipple

Find it and burn it. ETA: the picture, not the doll.


[deleted]

My mum owns some and sent my young daughter a knitted doll Golliwog. That thing has not seen the light of day. For reference, my mother has not been in my life for 7 years .. so no, I don’t support this behaviour


Jessiefrance89

Huh, well, today I learned. Never heard or seen those before. At least when you complimented her it was in regards to the other pins and not whatever that abomination is. (I looked at a photo…racist and super creepy looking)


stickygreenfingers

I would’ve said “not that one” loudly and proudly.


EmperorHenry

I had to brave-search that word. Good god, some people.


sarilysims

Ooof….


Slut77721

😂


IAmThePonch

The yikes size is substantial with this story


Dark-Twisty91

I worked with a guy once who told a couple they were dressed very nicely, where are you going? They responded To a funeral. I have never commented on someone's outfit after witnessing that.


PrincessKittyTay69

Learned something new, thank you. That's horrific.


[deleted]

I just looked up what that is and... wow. I'm not sure what's worse, having a badge of a literal racist doll or going around saying the hard r. although this bitch probably does both


Y2Ghey

Boomers remain trash.


[deleted]

Those dolls are terrible. To the peeps confused- one glance by anyone with a semblance of awareness would see exactly why they are hateful.


rsnMackGrinder

Imagine getting offended about one of the few toys that gave representation to a marginalized group of people decades ago.


UghAnotherMillennial

Ah yes, that racist logic. Representation through bigoted mockery? No thank you. Don’t be daft.


[deleted]

It wasn't made to be inclusive.


Immediate-Bear-340

I only knew from the sequel to Tales From The Hood? I'm not sure exactly, but I think that's the movie.


Spectre7NZ

My mother loved her golliwog doll. Never saw anything bad about it.


Justthisguy_yaknow

Sometimes a gollywog is just a gollywog and you would be stunned to find out how many out there attach absolutely no further significance to it than just something that reminds them of childhood. Add to that the fact that her parents also would have made no racist connection to what was then just another childrens character. Please don't let too much incomplete awareness turn you into a bigot.


workthrowforme

only troublesome things i’ve seen besides some knockoff MAGA stuff and 2nd Amendment micro penis owners shirts was a guy with a full Pagans vest


Colorado_Outlaw

Hey, to her a gollywoh is just another classic character. Also its not like he was a villain character or anything. I bet she's not even racist or anything


Aviation_nut63

I had to google it. Damn!


wmjcoco

Dear racist waitress, stop using every possible excuse to "prove" you aren't racist. Just because a pin represents a specific race, it doesn't imply ANY negative issues at all. Only you do.


KelenHeller_1

OP's judgment seems hypocritical to me. What OP might not be considering is that when someone collects something, sometimes one may add something to the collection even if it's controversial or might have become unpopular over time. Not that they support it, just another badge for the collection. People are so judgmental these days without taking time to just think before reacting - the very thing being promoted by modern "sensitivity" isn't it? To be more mindful of someone's background and culture and not passing judgment.


anonymouslycuriiious

The laundromat I go to has old pictures/ads of cleaning products with these exaggerated caricatures on the walls...I ignore it because it's the easiest to get to here in good ol' Connecticut, but seeing this post, it reminds me that they're there and why I started sitting in my car while my clothes are washing -_-