Golliwogs
When I was a kid I was not a huge fan of Noddy, but I did love other Enid Blyton stories. Most had golliwogs in. For those of you who are not aware of what one is, they were stuffed toys, black of course, with bushy hair and those huge red lips. Not politically correct these days and the new versions of Blyton’s books have had them removed. Yes – strange but true. They have also removed from the Noddy books any reference to Noddy and Big Ears sharing a bed. What a twisted little world we live in.
Anyway, I was in a little toy shop in Stratford when visiting that great soap-opera writer, Shakespeare’s birthplace and guess what I found? Yep – Golliwogs. Lots of them. The joy! Not because I am racist Rhodie pig, but because (FINALLY) people are not that concerned anymore.
I bought one – just a fridge magnet. It took me back to my very tiny days in the foothills of the Vumba mountains and my grandparents’ home there where I was given one handknitted by my Nan. Such a nostalgia trip. I was informed, however, upon emitting the joyous shriek of “Golliwogs!” that we now call them just gollies.
Funny how things go huh? Wog used to be a pom nickname for Worthy Oriental Gentlemen. Then got abused. The character itself came from some woman, Bertha somethingorother, who wrote children’s books. They were sort of based on the black and white minstrel show.
Anyway, I am trying to figure out if, when and what, there has been a deeply offensive nickname for whities? I personally don’t find any of them really bother me at all.
dolce said,
August 23, 2007 at 5:06 pm
The one that gets me is “Vanilla”. “Rabbits” is also quite graphic. But those words resonate on a personal level, I don’t think they’d be offensive to everyone. Was thinking about this the other day too. Got a blog brewing about sticks and stones.
Dusty Muffin said,
August 23, 2007 at 6:19 pm
KC, I was always under the impression that WOGS came about at the tme the Suez canal was being built. Labourers appointed by the British were given uniforms, marked with ‘W.O.G.S’, to distinguish the locals from those Working On Government Service.
dionysusstoned said,
August 23, 2007 at 6:33 pm
hey dusty, did you see the ‘thought leader’ page today? i think your comment touched a nerve
Dusty Muffin said,
August 23, 2007 at 6:36 pm
I thought so too!
*chortle*
What do we need to do to elicit a similarly prompt response to what’s getting on OUR nerves?
dionysusstoned said,
August 23, 2007 at 6:41 pm
do you mean on the site? if so, i think i have know what the the Achilles heel is
vapour said,
August 23, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Name for whities is “Honky”.
dionysusstoned said,
August 23, 2007 at 6:56 pm
wikipedia’s list of ethnic slurs
K Chasu said,
August 24, 2007 at 8:27 am
hmm. can’t say any of those really bother me. never understood “honky” anyway. i mean wtf is that supposed to mean? one that makes me feel marginally weird is “pinky”. the zanoid scum on my forums call all whities that. funny thing is, it has nothing to do with the word, but rather the connotation in SA. Pinky Pinky is a nasty little critter.
dionysusstoned said,
August 24, 2007 at 8:39 am
this the irony, no?…for the great insult the “white man flung at humanity”, and his merciless deployment of language to humiliate and subjugate, the best we have in responding to him is “honky”. (but perhaps its because we subalterns have never had the kind of power that would allow us invest a word with such scorn as to disturb the white narrative of self.)
Dusty Muffin said,
August 24, 2007 at 8:44 am
KC, mlungu bothers me now – it didn’t previously, until it was explained to me that mlungu is the dirty white scum which comes from the ocean, and is left on the beach – of no use to anyone.
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 9:16 am
Dusty well done, that is such an obvious one and perhaps leaves Honky in the dust.
K Chasu said,
August 24, 2007 at 9:18 am
but dusty, even that is crap. i think whites have an innate sense of self-esteem to do with their colour. we have thousands of years of history, conquest, defeat – we are kind of good with who we are. for the black man it is different. it will take a while until they are (in general) far enough away from their past of being told they are useless to be strong enough in themselves not to be phased by name calling.
just a theory.
Dusty Muffin said,
August 24, 2007 at 9:28 am
KC, perhaps the intent of the insulter (or the meaning attached by the insultee) gives the insult its strength?
For example, we regularly call people arseholes, but I belive that if you call a Xhosa an arsehole, it is deeply offensive. When I was about six years old, my dad taught me to swear in Xhosa (bless him), and it was only a few years ago that I managed to persuade a Xhosa speaker to translate ‘nqundwako’ (I’m sure the spelling’s wrong: google couldn’t help here). I think it means, ‘You are an arsehole, of no use to humanity, other than as a means for excreting waste.’
K Chasu said,
August 24, 2007 at 9:39 am
hahahhahahaha.
good words.
K Chasu said,
August 24, 2007 at 9:40 am
david – i looked and there is nothing from you in moderation. can’t see any rules that would block anyone from posting other than the generic ones and they are all disabled. any freak with the ability to hit a key can comment on my blog.
not that you are a freak:)
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 9:43 am
*In a distsnt echoing voice with truck air brakes in back ground* Gotta respect your honest and I reckon lucid views. Better than some of the namby pamby bunny hugging psuedo f*cking economic crap thats been on here lately.
K Chasu said,
August 24, 2007 at 10:03 am
yoda… have figured out that my old lit teachers knew what they were on about when they said “write what you know.”
no more political stuff from me on here. but, i have to say I TOLD YOU LOT SO, when manto first got the liver. she is a national disgrace and should be sodomised by a herd of angry hedgehogs before she gets put out to pasture.
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 10:51 am
Yoda get over yourself already, fuck sake post a joke create an article, stop acting like a blog auditor, no one gives a toss anyway. But it is priceless to see your anger has resulted in a cure for your Star Wars fetish.
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Oi Vapour – I was goung to say: Just leave me alone and go and write some pseudo economic post modernist crypto socialist commentary on something. FFS I wasn’t auditing anything – I was just expressing an opinion, and thats why I reckon people blog you wanker – to illicit a response. But instead I’ll say: Thanks for your insightful comment.
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Bla blah blah Yoda
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Vapour – was it not the great Waldoff who said “The blogger is the gadfly of the new millenium”? Your response perhaps indicates that you don’t appreciate the weight of this responsibility.
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 12:47 pm
*yawn*
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Your reluctance to reply indicates your complete disregard for poor people, the environment, the economy and most importantly the people who have endeavoured to create us a platform where we can have these debates.
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Oh yes – and our larger framed friends – the obese.
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Yoda and the dyslexic, about them what?
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Ja – throw them in too. Just because someone doesn’t want to eat they shouldn’t have to!!!
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:23 pm
EXACTLY whats the big deal about carrying matches and wanting to use them anyway!
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:25 pm
And I’d like to add all those c*nts who live in glass houses.
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Ja but they are environmentally friendly and they know all the words to our national anthem, “Liefling….” Sorry Sili but the truth will out.
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Vapour – I can tell you some stories about how un – environmentally friendly the glass industry is, that would make you quake. My pet canary died of silicosis working on a mine that supplied sand to a company that made glass for glass houses. The f*ckers were so bad that they employed canaries!!
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Yoda don’t get me started if there’s one thing that gets me going is when these f*ckers use a canary to do a doves job, it’s just wrong.
YODA's GHOST said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:51 pm
If only the canaries could speak for themselves!! They do tend to be a bit apathetic though!!
vapour said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Yip and now the head canary upped and flew off with their seed, so it’s all a bit fruitless really, the canary’s are shafted again!