Why did golliwogs get banned

Judy, who asked not to use her last name, runs a popular online shop for golliwog dolls. They're just a doll from childhood," Judy said. While the dolls have a nostalgic appeal to some, there have been calls for a "difficult conversation" to be had about the golliwog's place in modern Australia.

The online shop's Facebook page has more than 27, followers and Judy said most of the comments were generally positive. A comment from a user called Lynette says that "golliwogs always make me smile". The online shop's website says that "the much-maligned golliwog was never meant to be a symbol of political incorrectness or racism". But Mr Synot, a Wamba Wamba man, said that, for many, "the only place or representation for Indigenous people was in this character".

He said the responsibility for bringing up these conversations has often been "unfairly placed on the shoulders of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and people of colour". Mr Synot said using the blanket term of "political correctness" to dismiss criticism needed "to be challenged". In a paper published in the Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues in , Indigenous painter and art historian Dr Donna Leslie analyses the origins of the golliwog and its interpretation as a racist symbol.

While introduced as "a horrid slight! According Dr Leslie's paper, "Florence Upton had not created her Golliwog out of pure imagination because, when she was a child in America, she had owned a 'Negro minstrel doll'. She made that observation because it could be assumed that Upton enjoyed playing with the doll despite such games involving throwing rubber balls at it.

Professor Pilgrim noted that "racial stereotyping of black people", including banjo playing, was "another expression of Upton's racial insensitivity. Throughout the 20th century, the golliwog character was incorporated into many products, including Arnott's biscuits, that were later renamed Scalliwaggs before being discontinued in the lates. This outrage is not new.

However, this is the latest in a series of incidents over the past few years in which the display of golliwog dolls in Australia has sparked a backlash. But over the past few decades, the doll has increasingly become viewed as a symbol of racism around the western world, due to its crude depiction of people with African roots. According to the SBS , golliwogs were historically associated with blackface — a performance tradition in which white performers would wear dark makeup and crudely stereotype black people.

Thatcher, who was a reporter with the network, defended her use of the word and repeatedly refused to apologise. It is not a list of people who have signed the petition. The only name that is shared on the site is that of the petition creator. This petition was submitted during the — Conservative government View other petitions from this government. The displaying of such dolls on store front windows, has to stop. Share and sign this petition.