THESE PICTURES DEVELOPED FROM A CONVERSATION ABOUT RACISTISM
A great many gweat bwitish people consider the golly (or gollywog as I’m certain it used to be known) to be less a caricatured African and more a warm, friendly reminder of their nursery days and Noddy and Andy Pandy and playaway and the war and women who knew their place. Faced with animosity from politically-correct lefty-liberals like myself many stores particularly in the north of England have begun selling gollywogs again. Partly for nostalgia, partly as an act of defiance and partly, one senses, that they are doing what they feel is their part in making bwitain gweat again.
A very dear family member knitted this doll for a friend and when I saw it I had a predictably politically correct moment and went mad. I told them it was a racist throwback and belonged in history with Al Jolson and Mickey Rooney and Hitler. They said don’t be silly, it’s just a knitted follywog and besides I was the racist for saying it even resembled a black person, let alone the black person to whom it was to be gifted. We agreed to disagree and left it sitting on a chair in the living room.
But would you believe what it went and did the moment our backs were turned? It went to a dolly take-away and helped itself!! Honestly! Next it’ll be wanting the right to vote!!
still, just look how happy he is…
