Gollywogs - is this guy for real?.

[Davie P]

They were originally conceived as a scary character in a children's book, to my admittedly limited knowledge. Authors such as Enid Blyton wrote about them as vicious "creatures" who bit other children. That they grew in to a cultural symbol not intentionally linked to racist statement does not remove that background, and as much as I can sympathise with those who feel it is now irrelevant I find it at best naive to suggest that those who do find it offensive should just get over it. 

 

Well put. I don't think there's any getting away from the history of Golliwogs - they're dolls with racist cultural symbolism to many.

 

Unfortunately, I think whatever salient points the blog author may have made have largely been superseded by the way he portrayed the shopkeeper, who by all accounts is a very nice person (and I hope she doesn't close her shop over this).

 

​An interesting aside is that there seems to be elements of xenophobia, to accompany the discussion on racism, creeping into the comments on Facebook and the Shetland Times website in a kind of 'how dare a soothmoother come up here and tell us what to do' way. Before any of the anti PC brigade jump down my throat, all I said is that I find it interesting.

[trout]

^^ I was a little perturbed in how some people were representing themselves. Several of the blog comments are distasteful. For the sake of being a little edgy / parochial I note one commenter has a Scottish name and uses the term "wee"   

I'd push further that any salient point the author was trying to potentially make is superseded by the modus operandi of how the 'story' was engineered and delivered.

[hjasga]

^^ I was a little perturbed in how some people were representing themselves. Several of the blog comments are distasteful. For the sake of being a little edgy / parochial I note one commenter has a Scottish name and uses the term "wee"   

 

I entirely agree, whilst I've already criticised Mr Sissay's approach to things, the reaction of some commenters has been horrible and really not shown the spirit we like to believe we have in these islands. Perhaps that all stems back to how polarising and divisive this issue is...

[paulb]

we should ban all dressing up as vikings and dolls and toys. just think how many innocent monks they must worry. then those dalek toys they want to exterminate us. that must be racist 

[unlinkedstudent]

@ paub; well, what about banning Halloween and kids dressing up as witches?  I mean, they can't even move with the times; any self respecting Wiccan rides a Miele these days.  

[hjasga]

we should ban all dressing up as vikings and dolls and toys. just think how many innocent monks they must worry. then those dalek toys they want to exterminate us. that must be racist 

 

Have you seen Neil Oliver's A History of Scotland series? He unintentionally pointed out the absurdity of Up Helly Aa by pointing out the sheer terror that would have been felt by resident Shetlanders if the early Viking arrivals were anything like our celebrations. 

 

However - and I'm aware you're not entirely serious - indiscriminate slayings of the 1400s are not remotely comparable to the serious racism encountered by black people still living today.

[JohanofNess]

Lemn would be most welcome to join in the 'discussion' on Shetlink should he so choose.

 

I would normally agree but after reading his blog I'm not so sure he would accurately pass on what is being said.

[Wheelsup]

Seems a shame that in his ongoing mission to seek out racism, that all he can find to harrass in Shetland is some poor auld wife trying to make a living selling dollies.

[Auld Mossyface]

Nobody except Mr. Sissay will ever know his real reasons for so publically attacking Mrs. Leask, but I suspect he's shifted a bra twartree poems through it.

[owre-weel]

Having read through this thread, and mr Sissay's blog, I am sad to feel things have come this far.

 

I can understand and accept some people may find Gollys offensive, just as I understand and accept that some people see them as a harmless, meaningless toy which they never associated with racism.

 

I had one as a child, in fact it's still in the loft somewhere. For a while it was my favourite toy and it never left my side, being hugged and cuddled just as my teddy was. Does it make me racist to having loved my toy, or still having it in the loft. I don't think so.

 

Mr Sissay is entitled to his views and to feel offended by the toy, however he's not entitled (in my oppinion) to use the offensive and hurtful description of Mrs Leask which he's posted for all the world to see. In my view his behaviour is offensive and he wants to hang his head in shame that he stooped so low to get his 5 minutes of fame. He questions Mrs Leasks behaviour, yet believes he's free to do/say what he wants.

 

Some of the posts on Mr Sissays blog, suggest he would not be welcome back in Shetland. My view is the opposite, I would welcome him back anytime, particularly if he would like to apologise to Mrs Leask. Then and only then would I be willing to sit down and listen and debate his veiws and feelings on Gollys.

 

Mr Sissay I respect your right to feel offended but feel the way you have gone about this has done your cause no good.

 

Mrs Leask, Its unfortunate that your name has been dragged all over the Internet but you have not broken any laws and have a right to your views on Gollys. Do not be deterred by people who act in such a manner.

 

For the record I have never been in Magpies, nor do I know Mrs Leask.

[BigMouth]

It's all good advertising. I bought one, admittedly before the visiting numpty, but I think that I might get the full set now.

[Colin]

Mr Sissay I respect your right to feel offended but feel the way you have gone about this has done your cause no good.

Offended?  Judging by the photos on his blog, Mr Sissay isn't offended at all.  If he was 'offended' then would he really have wanted his photo taken with the dolls?

 

Just an opportunist 'crusader', that's all.

[Lerwick antiques]

Another thing that gets me with this topic is that if you read Mr Sissay's posts on f/b, you will find that his answer to buying a golly doll was that he did love them, then he says he is going to publically destroy it and that he finds them very offensive. Is it just me, or does that all sound quite mixed up? He has clearly gone into "Magpies Nest" spoken to Mrs Leask and had his photo taken with them all as part of his evil plot to post this online write up. I personally don't think Mr Sissay finds the golly dolls as offensive as he makes on but just done this for some weird reason. Maybe to get a bit of public attention? maybe something to try to give Shetland a bad name? or some other weird reason? I don't know as it does not seem to be the actions of a normal thinking human. It's seems to be clear that Mrs Leask was unfortunate to be his victim in what ever his reason is behind his behaviour.

 

[mod edit - removed bold]

[FinnBlack]

There's nothing that says that Shetlanders don't have a problem with racism like black face on Up Helly Aa, and Gollywogs in shop windows. It's like you're living with no concept of contemporary cultural mores.

 

Maybe a good example might be the swastika - to many Asian cultures it has a positive connotation, but in the West it reminds people of Nazism. Well, similarly, you auldjins may have good memories of your Golliwog dolls, but to contemporary culture it translates to a rather distasteful relic of the past that now seems a bit racist.

 

Fellow comes up from Sooth and points out (in perhaps not the most tactful way) that he finds it racist. Bunch of white people tell him he's wrong. C'mon now, is this the image of Shetland you really want to give to the world? 

[unlinkedstudent]

Fellow comes up from Sooth and points out (in perhaps not the most tactful way) that he finds it racist. Bunch of white people tell him he's wrong. C'mon now, is this the image of Shetland you really want to give to the world? 

 

And what image is he portraying then, that it's okay to come up from the big smoke, and tell us living in Shetland that he did it for the future generations?  His whole argument centres around the fact that the gollywog comes from an era when the whites deemed themselves to be superior to blacks (think along the lines of British Empire).  England is another country.  He has done precisely what he preaches against, imperial racism.

 

If he feels that strongly about imperial racism, then what are his reasons for accepting an MBE?