I came across an article the other day that made a big fuss over a New Zealand pseudo-celebrity owning a golliwog doll. The only reason anyone knows about the golliwog is that it made an appearance in one of the shots of the house posted on a real estate website.
My reaction was "how is this news?!". Does owning a golliwog make you racist? I love gollys. I think they are adorable and have vintage appeal. It's one thing I'd love to knit for myself. Does that make me a racist? Or insensitive?
I found an interesting article about the origins of golliwogs that you can read here. I remember them from the Enid Blyton books I read as a kid. Perhaps we (or just me perhaps?) were sheltered here in New Zealand because I never considered them as having a negative connotation until a couple of years ago when a foreign friend expressed disbelief that they were sold here.
Is this all PC gone mad? Or are gollys something we should tuck away into the past?
If you like gollys I found a link on felt where you can buy make your own golly kits. Cute.
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