Gollywogs - is this guy for real?.

[paulb]

At worst the lady is a bit out of touch with modern thinking. Should the things be for sale probably not. will there sale increase racism no. However we do learn something from the paper.  that poet needs and hair cut. And his poetry must be poor to stoop to this.

 

however if the lady is doing wrong so is

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=gollywog&tag=mh0a9-21&index=aps&hvadid=2978615937&ref=pd_sl_9bouy11ta9_e

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=gollywog

[Seaflech]

Is it true that a muslim man can have 4 wives in this country or is this just a urban myth.

 

Sounds like a bit of a turban myth to me......

[Colin]

Just been and read the online version of the ST article and although I do not know Mrs Leask and, indeed, have never been into her shop, I do hope that she does not carry out her threat to close down..

 

Seems to me that she is being portrayed with far to much 'poetic licence' by someone who (probably) most of us have never heard of before and, hopefully, never will again.

 

If the ST article is correct in it's detail, I would think that the poet(?) is a pretty deceitful person with his own agenda and, should really be ignored by anyone with more than 2 brain cells.

 

I also noticed in a photograph on the man's blog(?) that Mrs Leask had a fairly large photograph of Mohammed Ali on the wall of her shop.  Hardly the act of a racist.

If she had really been a racist she would have wasted no time with him and asked him to leave her shop.

 

I suppose that some folk will do almost anything for "5 minutes of fame" or does he think that having an MBE gives him the right to pillory anyone for displaying  things he doesn't like.

 

Like it on not but, he doesn't set my agenda..

 

He should grow up and move on..

[Lerwick antiques]

I have read the article both on the internet and in todays (13.9.13) Shetland Times about "The Magpies Nest" selling golly's. I have knowing the lady that owns the shop for many years and know her very well. She is in NO way a racist.

I personally find this completely out-of-order and down right cruel to say things like this about the 70 year old Shetland born lady who owns the shop. This has upset her that much that she is thinking of closing down due to this nasty write up about her.

I know some folk do find golly's offensive, everyone has their own opinion. I personally don't see the problem as it is "collectors dolls" still made today by a company and is perfectly legal.

I am not stating if selling golly's are p/c or not. It is certainly well out-of-order to call the lady "a grey lady" and insinuate that she is a racist and to write lies about his visit to her shop.

This is more aimed at accusing the lady of something that she is NOT (racist) and writing insults about her, rather than the p/c topic of golly collectors dolls.

Well and truly sickening for the lady, her family/friends and many shetlanders.

Keep the shop going, ignore this write up, there are many folk behind you.

[Mattie]

Anyone reckons the sale of said golliwogs in said shop will have increased since this thread has been resurrected then?  

Ten fold..

[Mattie]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBrb6eptVgk[/media]

My little golliwog!!

Edited September 19, 2013 by trout
Assist user to put in media bbcode tags

[madmandy]

This makes me so angry. Who is he to come here with his large chip on his shoulder and stir up trouble.

They are dolls,collectors items at that. They like collectors trolls are works of art.

Its as bad as the diversity training I did in a large UK city where we were told it was racist to ask for black or white coffee- it creates trouble and racism where there was none.

Now I want to buy a golly while I still can.

Please don't close. This man is out to create trouble and has proved this by his actions and photos.

[trout]

I have read this thread and the ST article. I have read both blog posts on Lemm's website. I have read all the comments for both blog posts.

 

A succinct example and common underlying theme to all of what's happened most recently can probably be neatly wrapped up with the following. It provides both insight into actions of individuals whilst underlining common feeling of many.

 

September 11, 2013 at 10:01 pm @ http://blog.lemnsissay.com/2013/09/06/golly-blog-2/#comment-19748

 

True story..

 

My black girlfriend and I saw one of these dolls at a car boot sale. She picked it up, laughed and said ‘Ooh, remember these?’. I told her I did and that I remembered the garage called ‘Gollywogs’ just outside of Birmingham city centre complete with the large ‘Gollywog’ image on the advertising on the front.

 

We both made a throwaway comment to the lady selling the doll along the lines of ‘not very PC now though’ and then we all had a discussion about how it never even entered our heads, at the time they were commonplace, that they were anything other than just a doll, and then we wandered off and continued on with our lives.

 

But now apparently we were all racist without even knowing it. Oh for shame.

 

I am looking forward to your outrage on behalf of the Native American people when you come across the Lone Ranger and Tonto doll set.

 

Do you know something…I was just about to write ‘FFS lighten up’ and then I caught myself and thought ‘oh, that could be misconstrued as racist’.

 

How the HELL did we get to this point where we have to mind our every word and phrase when conversing with someone of a different colour in case they take offense.

 

Ridiculous waste of time and effort on everyone’s part!

September 12, 2013 at 8:39 am @ http://blog.lemnsissay.com/2013/09/06/golly-blog-2/#comment-19754

 

Your comment ‘I was just about to write ‘FFS lighten up’ and then I caught myself and thought ‘oh, that could be misconstrued as racist’ enlightens me and tells me about you. You sound quite angry. Maybe you could ask your “black girlfriend” to read this blog and respond… but then you may not be together. I guess what you’re saying is that the gollywogs should stay in the window of the shop adn should continue to be sold to the customers from the liners that feed the Lerwick economy. That is what we are discussing here. - See more at: http://blog.lemnsissay.com/2013/09/06/golly-blog-2/#comment-19748

September 12, 2013 at 12:17 pm @ http://blog.lemnsissay.com/2013/09/06/golly-blog-2/#comment-19757

 

Well, that’s disappointing. I had hoped that you would’ve responded with something resembling an argument rather than attempting some amateurish psychological profiling ( You sound quite angry. Maybe you could ask your “black girlfriend” to read this blog and respond… but then you may not be together.) ..embarrassing really.

 

Yes, I absolutely think that the dolls should be sold not only in that shop but worldwide. Then undoubtedly there will be black shop assistants selling black customers ‘Gollywog’ dolls. Then of course, it would not be racist. It would just be a person selling another person a doll which has an interesting cultural history, which could be given as a gift to another black person as an ‘ironic’ gift. Then the shop door opens and I walk in and say ‘Ooh, I’ll have one of those ….I remember..car boot sale etc’..and instantly, because of my colour…there’s a racist in the shop.

 

So that beggars the question…who’s racist now?

 

You accused an elderly lady, on a public blog, who is resident on a small idea community and who could easily be identified, of being a racist when the first thing she said when you entered the shop was ‘ I’m not a racist, they’re from my childhood’. You’ve called her ‘a racist’, ‘bitter’, ‘grey’, ‘ weird ‘ and an ‘ angry lost old Shetland lady’…this from a lady that lets you gather up her merchandise and take a ridiculous ‘selfie’ picture which really captured the pain and anguish you were feeling. I bet you didn’t have the courage of your convictions to say all that to her face did you?

 

You say, ‘Racism ultimately devours the racist and bitterness rots the vessel that carries it’ and that my words ‘enlightened’ you about me? Well, I think it’s obvious from your own words that ‘bitterness’ is rotting you from within.

 

I agree with you on one point though..there was definitely one racist in that shop.

September 12, 2013 at 9:02 pm @ http://blog.lemnsissay.com/2013/09/06/golly-blog-2/#comment-19765

 

All comments on this blog are now closed.

[hjasga]

I entirely understand why Mr Sissay found the dolls offensive. I agree with him that due to their racist background they should not really be on sale in a shop frequented by tourists. However I cannot condone the manner he has gone about airing his views, or the accusations he has made against the shop owner.

 

I don't know the lady in question but nothing I've read of the story suggests any malice, nor would I attribute that to anybody without very significant reason to do so; even his own blog post has nothing in it to validate his claims that she is bitter/lost/angry/rebellious. I can imagine there's a slight naivete in placing happy memories above the concerns of people who find these deeply offensive, but that to me doesn't justify the aggressive response Mr Sissay has given. He'd have been far more productive to simply speak to her directly and let her know he found them distasteful. Instead he led her on to believe he loved them and simply further validated their sale.

 

If we take another story making headlines at the moment, whilst I agree that the song "Blurred Lines" is misogynist and incredibly distasteful, I don't attribute that to radio DJs who chose to play it, or even to the majority of people who enjoy the song. I think a lot of people are happy to ignore that aspect on the fact they find the tune catchy, just as many are happy to ignore the racist background of these dolls on the basis they're happy reminders of childhood.

 

EDIT: Reading that final sentence back to myself I realise it doesn't come across as I intended. I just mean to say that there are people who like the dolls truly just because of their own positive reasons. There is no hatred or attempt to project any feeling on others. I think it's a slight worry for things to be so internalised and would encourage them to consider what their actions really mean, but I do not agree with Mr Sissay's approach to the situation and think his accusatory manner and excessive judgement have caused a backward step.

Edited September 14, 2013 by hjasga

[Colin]

I entirely understand why Mr Sissay found the dolls offensive. I agree with him that due to their racist background they should not really be on sale in a shop frequented by tourists. However I cannot condone the manner he has gone about airing his views, or the accusations he has made against the shop owner.

 

Sorry but, I have to disagree with your first two sentences.

 

1. A doll is a doll, is a doll.

2. I do not believe that they come from a 'racist' background.

3. What is so wrong with selling them to tourists if tourists, presumably, want to buy them?

4. Some might think that they (the dolls) might not be strictly PC but, who really cares.  They are not 'illegal' and were, almost certainly, not intended to make any kind of racist(?) point.

 

I'm afraid that what I find offensive is Mr Sissay and his unscrupulous, self publicising attitude.

Presumably, as a professional(?) writer, he decided that he should act in the best traditions of the 'gutter press' and posted a confrontational entry on his blog pages panning Mrs Leask with some low level name calling.

 

If I were Mrs Leask, I would wonder if there were anything to be gained by consulting a lawyer as it would appear to me that some of his comments (given the circumstances) might be considered defamatory or libellous.  Trouble with this is that it would give Mr Sissay even more exposure.

 

It's very difficult to win when somebody plays the 'race' card.

[unlinkedstudent]

 

September 12, 2013 at 9:02 pm @ http://blog.lemnsissay.com/2013/09/06/golly-blog-2/#comment-19765

 

All comments on this blog are now closed.

 

He's on Facebook though!

[hjasga]

 

I entirely understand why Mr Sissay found the dolls offensive. I agree with him that due to their racist background they should not really be on sale in a shop frequented by tourists. However I cannot condone the manner he has gone about airing his views, or the accusations he has made against the shop owner.

 

Sorry but, I have to disagree with your first two sentences.

 

1. A doll is a doll, is a doll.

2. I do not believe that they come from a 'racist' background.

3. What is so wrong with selling them to tourists if tourists, presumably, want to buy them?

4. Some might think that they (the dolls) might not be strictly PC but, who really cares.  They are not 'illegal' and were, almost certainly, not intended to make any kind of racist(?) point.

 

 

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. 

 

What is wrong with them being sold in shops, particularly those targeting tourists, is that there are sure to be a notably sized group who find them deeply offensive and for whom it is a negative mark on a hopefully enjoyable visit to Shetland. I'm not suggesting they be banned, nor suggesting I have any right to tell the shop owner what she can and cannot sell; I just personally find it distasteful and would commend her if she did choose to remove them.

Edited September 14, 2013 by hjasga

[unlinkedstudent]

Oh, apparently he intends to join Shetlink too.

[Frances144]

Bring it on!

[trout]

Lemn would be most welcome to join in the 'discussion' on Shetlink should he so choose. This however, as evident from everything that has gone on is and can be a very emotive subject. I trust we could and can all together hold both a stimulating and objective debate/conversation should we all choose to do so.

 

[presses the community self-moderation button]