Two Langley shopkeepers say they will continue to sell Golliwog dolls because they are 乌鸦传媒渘ot aracist thing at all.乌鸦传媒�
Greg Bowles and Linda Hazelton, owners of the Black Pudding Imports Ltd. store, were respondingto a complaint by Surrey resident Taylor Walker, who said the imported British-made black dolls,which have eyes rimmed in white, big red lips and frizzy hair, were offensive.
Walker said she and her boyfriend were startled to see the dolls were for sale during a visit onSunday to the store on 203rd Street near 64th Avenue, which sells imported products from Britain,Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
乌鸦传媒淲e were pleased with the British and Irish products they had until we got to the checkout andnoticed they were selling Golliwog memorabilia,乌鸦传媒� Walker said.
Walker told the Black Press Media that she didn乌鸦传媒檛 say anything at the time because shewanted to research the dolls before contacting the store.
乌鸦传媒淚 just wanted to let them know that it was a very offensive item乌鸦传媒� Walker said.
乌鸦传媒淢y dad is black. He乌鸦传媒檚 from the [U.S] south.乌鸦传媒�
Walker said the dolls may have been fine at one time, but times have changed.
乌鸦传媒淔or me, you look back and see things from years ago that were acceptable, now, it乌鸦传媒檚 not okay,乌鸦传媒�
Walker said.
乌鸦传媒淚 think the number of those offended is bigger than those who have affection for them.乌鸦传媒�
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Bowles said complaints about the dolls have been rare.
乌鸦传媒淚n 20 years, we have only had four or five people say something,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒淭here are dozens and dozens of [British import] stores in Canada乌鸦传媒� that sell the dolls, Bowlesadded.
Linda Hazelton said she was 乌鸦传媒渟hocked乌鸦传媒� by the suggestion the dolls were racist.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a kid乌鸦传媒檚 tale. It乌鸦传媒檚 not a racist thing at all,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淪he乌鸦传媒檚 [Walker] being oversensitive.乌鸦传媒�
Hazelton said the store caters to 乌鸦传媒淓nglish, Scottish, Irish and Welsh乌鸦传媒� customers who grew up withthe children乌鸦传媒檚 books.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a childhood memory for those people,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淲e sell tons of them.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淭hey sell them in England. They乌鸦传媒檙e not banned anywhere.乌鸦传媒�
Golliwog dolls are based on a character in an 1895 children乌鸦传媒檚 book called The Adventures of TwoDutch Dolls and a Golliwogg by British author Florence Kate Upton, who described the character as乌鸦传媒渢he blackest gnome.乌鸦传媒�
It was a popular children乌鸦传媒檚 toy in many European countries, but in recent years has become amagnet for controversy, with critics saying the doll was based on blackface worn by whiteperformers who crudely stereotyped black people.
According to a number of historical sources, the doll inspired the racial slur 乌鸦传媒渨og.乌鸦传媒�
Because of that, Hazelton and Bowles said, the toys are now called 乌鸦传媒淕olly乌鸦传媒� dolls.
In recent years, the controversy has led British jam makers Robertson乌鸦传媒檚 to drop its trademarkGolliwog mascot and in Australia, Arnott乌鸦传媒檚 Golliwog chocolate biscuit was renamed the Scalliwag.
However, when a 2018 poll asked 1,660 Britons whether it was 乌鸦传媒渞acist to sell or display a golliwogdoll,乌鸦传媒� it found most didn乌鸦传媒檛 see a problem, with 63 per cent responding 乌鸦传媒渘o,乌鸦传媒� 20 per cent 乌鸦传媒測es,乌鸦传媒� and17 per cent 乌鸦传媒� not sure.乌鸦传媒�
The Ferris State University 乌鸦传媒溛谘淮綕 website said Golliwog dollswere the 乌鸦传媒渓east known of the major anti-black caricatures in the United States.
Professor Dr. David Pilgrim said the character 乌鸦传媒渙ften reflected negative beliefs about blacks[portraying them as] thieves, miscreants, incompetents.乌鸦传媒�
