The Three Golliwogs

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Spitfire
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Spitfire »

That really is an impressive picture for a 9-10 year old.
Anita Bensoussane wrote:Golliwogs may be out of favour in books, on marmalade jars and in big high street stores, but they appear to be making a come-back. A few years ago there didn't seem to be any gollies anywhere, but over the last six years or so I've seen them for sale in markets, seaside kiosks, gift shops and small toyshops.
Viv of Ginger Pop wrote:Our enamel badge maker has had problems this year, so the Ginger Pop golly brooch 2010 is on hold at the moment. However Goliiwogg dolls are doing very well, and this week I've found a new craft maker who is doing a range just for us
That's good to know - I was actually under the impression that they were banned for some reason!! I haven't seen any in shops for years but will keep an eye out now.

I bought a shopping-type bag from a charity shop a few weeks ago because it had a picture of Robertson's Golden Shred Golly. The first three people I met said immediately, "That's racist!" Two of them were joking! :(
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Rob Houghton »

Spitfire wrote:That really is an impressive picture for a 9-10 year old.

I bought a shopping-type bag from a charity shop a few weeks ago because it had a picture of Robertson's Golden Shred Golly. The first three people I met said immediately, "That's racist!" Two of them were joking! :(
Thanks, Spitfire! :D :oops:

That shopping bag might also be worth quite a lot of money, as Robertson's aren't making golly products any more! 8)
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Jen-Jen »

Lovely picture Robert - you should get a song for it especially since Gollwog's in print form are hard to come by!!


Gollywog dolls are also making a comeback here in Australia - I see them all the time at markets and toy shops.
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by tix »

*Moved from another topic*

"The Three Golliwogs" is mentioned above (Feb 15) [EDIT - See this post: viewtopic.php?p=436714#p436714] and it brought to attention the 'Political Correctness' side of things that occasionally rises with Enid Blyton material.

The circa-1954 copy appears to be as it should, but I wonder if anyone out there would know whether or not 'Golly,' 'Woggie' and 'Nigger' have been renamed in later editions so that hypersensitive individuals in our midst will no longer be offended.

Why a reader would be provoked or outraged by a moniker or two quoted in a children's book is anyone's guess, but in this day and age it may possibly occur.
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The gollies had their names altered a long time ago, though I'm not sure exactly when. I think the first Dean & Son edition (1968) still had the original names, but they were changed soon after that to Wiggie, Waggie and Wollie. In 1987 the book was retitled The Three Gollies, and in 1994 it became Three Bold Pixies and Other Stories (as well as the gollies being turned into pixies, a number of unrelated stories were added to the volume).

I'm not surprised that the original names were altered decades ago. One of them in particular had come to be regarded as deeply offensive in Britain, as well as in the USA. I don't agree with removing the word from books like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird because the stories are examining race relations, but that isn't the case with The Three Golliwogs.
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Yak »

tix wrote: 20 Mar 2024, 21:23



The circa-1954 copy appears to be as it should, but I wonder if anyone out there would know whether or not 'Golly,' 'Woggie' and 'Nigger' have been renamed in later editions so that hypersensitive individuals in our midst will no longer be offended.
I honestly don't think that finding those names offensive makes a person 'hypersensitive' :(
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by GloomyGraham »

I only visited one Aunt's house twice as a little kid but I spent most of my time there staring in admiration at her collection of Robertson golliwogs. She must have had every single one of them.

My sister had a much-loved gollie as a child. Unlike her dolls or teddies, Gollie seemed to last forever.

There were a few dogs named 'Nigger' in Enid's other books if I remember correctly.
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Yak »

Graham, I sort of regret getting into this discussion but now I have done so - have you ever asked a black person how they feel about the word 'N**ger''?
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Graham is right about dogs being called Nigger in some stories, e.g. in the Galliano's Circus books which were published between 1938 and 1942. Even though we wouldn't dream of giving pets that name now, it was quite a common name for black dogs and cats at the time, denoting the colour black.

However, things started to change as early as the 1950s-60s - though it was a gradual process. The three golliwogs appeared in Enid Blyton's play, Noddy in Toyland, which was performed in London's West End every Christmas from 1954, for a number of years. Performances took place around the UK and overseas as well, and the play was also filmed and shown in cinemas. At some point during the run, it was suggested that one golly's name be altered to Jigger. Enid Blyton approved the change.

The name of the dog in the Galliano's Circus books was also altered, though not until much later than the names of the gollies (the dog is a minor character).
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by GloomyGraham »

Yak wrote: 21 Mar 2024, 06:18 have you ever asked a black person how they feel about the word 'N**ger''?
My comment - and personal thoughts about the matter - were nothing to do with what any other person might think. My comment was about a historical fact (the use of that word in Blyton's books).

Plenty of black people use that word in conversations with other black people. Just as gay people do with pejorative terms aimed at them by others.

As Joe Jackson sang in one of his hit records "Don't call me a fag**tt unless you are a friend."

In any case, I could be black for all you know..
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Bertie »

I have wondered in the past what white fans of rap music do when they're at concerts, singing along to the lyrics - many of which use words like that and other such words that, in other context, a white person could never dream of using nowadays?

It should be perfectly fine, given the context - they've paid money like everyone else to attend the concert and are only doing the perfectly normal thing of singing the songs lyrics like many others are doing. But in this day and age I'd imagine it's an awkward dilemma that might sometimes get a negative reaction?
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I haven't heard any songs containing that word since 1979 (Oliver's Army by Elvis Costello). However, I imagine people would consider the context of the word - i.e. how it's used within the song - before deciding whether to sing along.
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Bertie »

I'm not in the least a fan of rap music, but I have heard the discussion many times (with black stand up comedians as well) that there's plenty of artists that do use the word in their lyrics (or jokes) as an attempt to 'reclaim' it / nullify it's effectiveness as an insult. So the context isn't racist at all obviously, given the general demographic of many rap artists and fans. Though it seems split as to whether it sends out the intended message or not.

But there are also plenty of white fans of rap, and I was just wondering how comfortable they felt / appropriate it's regarded by those around them, if they sing those words when singing along to the lyrics at concerts? The context isn't racist at all, intended to be quite the opposite, which was really my point about whether context and common sense means it's fine for them to do it same as all the non-caucasians singing along, or whether it's still a controversial thing for them to be heard doing?

Apologies for going off topic, it was initially in response to a debate going on about the use of certain words.
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

If the concert is open to everyone, then surely anyone who buys a ticket is permitted to sing along to the songs if they wish - assuming it's the kind of concert where audience participation is encouraged.
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Re: The Three Golliwogs

Post by Bertie »

You'd imagine so, Anita.

It's just something that I've wondered about in the past, whenever I've heard the discussion about the rights and wrongs of rap performers using those types of words (and thinking about how crowds tend to sing aloud to the songs at concerts).

GloomyGraham's comment that I responded to just reminded me about it, but I guess it's not something most of us really know too much about (rap music and their concerts, I mean). And not particularly relevant to the thread, just to the off topic discussion that was going on.
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