[sploop!]

Carol Thatcher 'golliwog' jibe referred to black tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Carol Thatcher was dropped by the BBC for making a 'golliwog' remark about French tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, according to insiders at The One Show.


By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor
7:51PM GMT 04 Feb 2009

The daughter of former prime minister Baroness Thatcher has lost her job on the BBC One programme after making the comment backstage to presenter Adrian Chiles and guest Jo Brand.

She was discussing the Australian Open, in which Tsonga lost to Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the quarter-finals.

Tsonga, 23, shot to international attention last year when, as an unseeded player, he reached the Australian Open final, beating Andy Murray along the way. He scored a stunning 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Rafael Nadal in the semi-final, eventually losing to Novak Djokovic.

Fans have long pointed out his resemblance to boxer Muhammad Ali. He was marked out as a promising talent when he won the US Open junior title in 2003, only for injury to put him out of the game for the next two years.

He is mixed race, born in Le Mans to a white French mother, Evelyne, and a black Congolese father, Didier. Sporting talent runs in the family - his father, who moved to France in the 1970s to study for a chemistry degree, was a handball international and his yougner brother, Enzo, is a basketball player.

Asked in a recent interview if he had ever experienced racism in the tennis world, he replied: "I cannot say I have. However, I have seen on many occasions, especially in soccer, expressions of racism. At the end of the day, stupidity cannot be controlled. You can only hope to contain it."

Tsonga is known on the circuit as a polite, serious man devoted to his family. He has said of his upbringing: "From my mother I've inherited my coolness and my serenity. From my father I've inherited respect for the rules and respect for the people around me."

His second cousin is Charles N'Zogbia, the Premiership footballer recently embroiled in his own controversy over "offensive" remarks. He refused to play for his club, Newcastle United, after manager Joe Kinnear called him "Insomnia" during a television interview. He signed for Wigan Athletic on Monday.

source

That's the story. Now, contentiously perhaps, I am going to post some pictures in an effort to put what Carol Thatcher said into some sort of context...






These are the Golliwogs Carol is talking about. I remember them as the trademark of Robertson's Jam during the 60s, early 70's maybe? You could collect tokens, and send them off to get a lapel badge or a ceramic figure. Point is, the Golliwog is a part of British Culture which has been dead for a while, but is inevitable part of the childhood memory of most middle-aged British citizens.

During the 80s, there was a shift in British Culture, and the idea that this sort of imagery is racist gained currency, and it died along with 'The Black And White Minstrel Show' and Enid Blyton books.

Here's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga:


I've posted this image because it is relevant to the story. (I'm quite keen not to be accused of racism by Captain Sam and the gang).

So there it is.

I can't see much more than a very superficial resemblance between Jo-Wilfried and the Golliwog. Certainly no more than might be applied to any other person with dark skin and curly hair. Was this a racist remark? Probably. It obviously offended someone. Was it deliberately racist? Harder to say, but I suspect not. Does Carol Thatcher deserve the treatment she has received? I really don't know.

I'm finding the whole issue quite difficult to resolve in my own mind. Does anyone care to help me sort it out?

[Cheesecake_Marmalade]

That's funny.

What I don't understand is how being racist (arguable) would affect her job. This seems discriminatory against people's personal views. Then again, this is Britain we're talking about, so they would be justified in doing so I guess.

Culturally it's acceptable, objectively I would be hard pressed to agree with thei positions.

[Prosthetic Conscience]

C_M, I think that being racist would affect her job - she's meant to interview people, and work with people, and if she is prejudiced against them, it will affect what she does.

I wonder if the better thing would have been for Jo Brand to call her out on it, there and then - a good argument, in which Thatcher was properly humiliated (my money would be on Brand in such an argument), might have been the easiest way to get Thatcher to stop coming up with casual racist remarks.

[sploop!]

I think that's right. I can understand why, though, under normal circumstances someone might choose not to call her out on it - telling someone to their face that they are being offensive is not very easy. Maybe in real life Jo Brand is quite shy and retiring, but we allow ourselves to think that her stage persona is who she is?

Almost alongside the story itself, I am interested in the idea of the Golliwog being a racist idea. Children in the 60's would play with white dolls and black Golliwog dolls without the concept of racism coming into their minds. These dolls might be seen as stereotypical representations of reality, but, as far as I am aware, the Golliwog wasn't portrayed as evil or lesser than any other representational toy. These sorts of dolls, I believe are still popular even today...







Apparently, on the back of this story, there has been a hurried clearing of shelves in some of the royal shops...

Royal gift shop's golliwog apology

Managers of a shop on a royal estate have been forced to apologise after it was found to be selling golliwog toys.

The toys have been withdrawn from sale at the 20,000-acre estate at Sandringham, in Norfolk.

It comes after Carol Thatcher was axed from her role on a BBC show for referring to a tennis player as a golliwog in a private conversation.

A spokesman for the estate said: "The management of the shop have said they did not intend to offend anyone by selling this product and have apologised if any offence has been caused. The shop will immediately review its purchasing policy."

source
This came as a bit of a surprise to me - I had no idea Golliwogs could still be bought.

Anyway, to get back to what I am trying to say, I guess I was wondering where the racist connection with the Golliwog comes from. It seems to me that the Golliwog might be the innocent victim of a racism that has been attached to it, rather than being the protagonist. The reason I say this is because I can't see anything racist in the presence of a stereo-typical representational toy in someone's toy-box. Why is the Golliwog worse than the Barbie Doll, or Ken, or the Bratz dolls? Surely all of them are equally problematic?

Then I found this:

"The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg"
by Florence Upton

In 1895 Florence Upton and her mother Bertha produced the book entitled "The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg". Florence provided the illustrations and Bertha wrote the verses.

The story opens in a toy store on Christmas Eve. As midnight strikes, the toys come to life and begin to frolic.

Among them are several “Dutch” dolls, also called “penny-woodens,” which have jointed limbs so that they can be arranged in various poses for sketching (often used by artists as models, the sexless dolls can be gendered and clothed as one wishes.) The two larger dolls, “Peg” and “Sarah Jane,” immediately set about making themselves outfits out of an (illegally) ripped up American flag. Peg uses “the motherly stripes” and Sarah Jane the pretty stars. The other, smaller doll characters, the twins, Meg and Weg, remain unclothed, as does the tiny “Midget”.

As the toys prepare to dance, they hear a sound:

“They all look round, as well they may to see a horrid sight!
The blackest gnome
Stands there alone
They scatter in their fright.”

"With kindly smile he nearer draws;
Begs them to feel no fear.
'What is your name?' Cries Sarah Jane;
'The "Golliwogg" my dear.”

“Their fears allayed - each takes an arm,
While up and down they walk;
With sidelong glance Each tries her chance,
And charms him with 'small talk'.”

Far from being a menace, the Golliwogg invites Sarah Jane to dance, sparing her the embarrassment of being left a wallflower. In another scene a rude jack-in-the-box springs up and frightens the “lovely Sarah”.

The dolls eventually leave the shop and engage in a snowball fight by a frozen pond.

The Golliwogg falls through the pond’s ice and is rescued by the Dutch dolls who carry him back to the toy shop. At dawn the toys all resume their appointed places in the shop and all ends well.

source
This seems to be a parable about the fear of the unknown, ignorance, as much as anything else. It's interesting that after their initial fear, the dolls get along perfectly well, and the colour of the Golliwog is maybe not such an issue.

"The Golliwogg's Bicycle Club"
by Florence Upton

"The Golliwogg's Bicycle Club" was the title of Florence Upton's second children's book, which was published in 1896.

The story starts with the Golliwogg and his five Dutch doll friends sitting around, feeling rather bored. Then "With sudden flash a brilliant thought Disturbs the Goliwogg-", as he then declares "Oh loveliest girls in all the world, E'den beyond mortal praise - Listen to me And you will see I've got the Cycle craze!"

The Golliwogg then proceeds to make some "clever plans" for a bicycle and other vehicles, made of wood, so that the six friends can travel the world. On page 8, he tells the girls "cycle clubs are all the rage; And I am sure that we Some happy times In foreign climes Can pass right merrily."

The friends travel together to Paris, Japan, Turkey and Africa. Alas... the Golliwogg's bicycle and Sarah Jane's tricycle reach a sticky end when they collide, but they all hitch a ride on a camel, and after befriending some African tribesmen, they make their way safely back home to "Doll-land" - by row boat.

source
I've never really looked into this much before. Apparently other writers of Golliwog stories were maybe deliberately offensive, but the roots of the Golliwog appears not to be. I find myself intrigued. This isn't a straight-forward as it looks. Or is it?

[Abood]

Why doesn't the article quote whoever said it? That's quite confusing. Poorly-written article. It only mentions the story in the headline and then goes on to talk about the player's life. In what context did she say this word we're speaking of?

[sploop!]

Yes, now you say it, it isn't especially well-written. I had a look for another report and found this:

From The Times
February 6, 2009
Carol Thatcher's golliwog remarks ‘made eyes roll in the green room’

Carol Thatcher repeatedly described a black tennis player as a golliwog, despite being challenged by those gathered after the filming of a BBC show, sources said last night.

As the BBC announced that it had received more than 2,200 complaints about its decision to sack Thatcher as a contributor to The One Show, it was alleged that she had also used the terms “golliwog frog” and “halfgolliwog” to refer to the player, who is of French-African origin.

The former Prime Minister’s daughter was dropped as a roving reporter for the BBC’s early-evening programme after The Times disclosed that she had caused consternation by using the word “golliwog” at the informal get-together, a week yesterday.

Thatcher’s spokeswoman has said that she used the word as a joke in what she saw as a private conversation, and offered a “fulsome apology” when challenged by the corporation.

Last night, however, sources said that the journalist, who is understood to be leaving the country today for a month-long speaking tour, repeatedly referred to the player as a golliwog. It is claimed that at the gathering of 12 people in the green room, Thatcher, along with Adrian Chiles, the show’s host, and Jo Brand, who had appeared as a guest, talked about the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Thatcher, who had been drinking, her spokeswoman admitted, is alleged to have referred to “the golliwog frog”, thought to be a reference to the French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who has a white French mother and a black Congolese father.

As some rolled their eyes and others challenged Thatcher about her use of the word, she is said to have responded, “well, he’s half-golliwog”, prompting Brand to leave the room in disgust. It is understood that Thatcher then said: “Now I’m in trouble, just like Prince Harry.” The prince apologised after referring to an Asian colleague as “our little Pakistani friend” on a video.

Baroness Thatcher is understood to be upset. A friend is reported as telling The Daily Telegraph: “Lady Thatcher feels sad for Carol, who has been hurt by all the accusations. But she thinks the whole row is a load of nonsense.”

On BBC2’s Newsnight last night, Will Young, the pop singer, said the BBC panicked in axing Thatcher. “I don’t think it’s the right decision. I feel sorry for the BBC because there’s a culture of timidity,” he said.

The player’s mother, Evelyne Tsonga, said that her son was “deeply hurt and upset”. Mrs Tsonga, a teacher from Coulaines, near Le Mans, in France, said that her son was “absolutely astonished” by the attack.

A statement on The One Show website said that Thatcher’s language “caused instant offence”. It added: “Jo questioned Carol about it at the time but, contrary to some recent press reports, neither she nor Adrian contacted the press.” The BBC had faced a growing backlash over its stance, with Thatcher’s spokeswoman claiming that there was a vendetta against the journalist because of her mother.

Jay Hunt, controller of BBC One, said: “This is not her working in a private space and she was not in the pub with her friends. She was sitting in a BBC green room on BBC premises surrounded by a diverse production team on The One Show speaking to a BBC-booked guest, a BBC-booked celebrity and in the presence of a senior production worker from Comic Relief. In those circumstances she was effectively operating in a workplace.”

The Times
This story puts the whole thing into clearer relief. I'm beginning to think Thatcher might be a racist, after all...

[Prosthetic Conscience]

That article is interesting, sploop! It answers my point about challenging her at the time - it seems she was (not as a shouting match, but you're right, that's not necessarily the way people should have to do it). If that version is accurate, then the show is better off without her, I'd say - it wasn't just a casual use of the word, but a determined claim that it's an acceptable way to refer to someone.

[Abood]

Did she think she'd get away with it? Or is this just a case of baiting?

I'm inclined to believe it's the latter. No sane person would seriously believe they can say a racial slur in a formal setting without consequences.

[sploop!]

I think she was just drunk and said too much of what she believes. I don't think she is an evil racist, just a casually ignorant one.

[Abood]

It only takes "casually ignorant" racists to vote in racist leaders with racist policies.

[sploop!]

That's exactly right. But I think the best way to deal with this sort of racism is to educate rather than bludgeon. I'm guessing she isn't going to go away from this situation with very much that is positive.

[Dave]

What if education only makes someone more racist?

[sploop!]

It would be a pretty useless education if it did that. What do you have in mind?

[Dave]

Education helped me learn that race exists, different races have inherent differences in ability, and that racial diversity almost always has negative social consequences. In other words, education made me a racialist. And I'm sure this isn't what you have in mind when you say education.

[QatzelOk]

I don't think Carol Thatcher's remark was truly hateful or racist.

The golliwog doll, on the other hand, is a tool of colonialism: black dolls for smart white owners to adore/control/throw away.

That she compared this guy with one of the dolls may be her way or noting the prevalence of black performers/entertainers to ease the white media psyche. This would mean she was fired for insulting media, and this seems more likely. She implies, "mass media is racist and treats dark-skinned people like dolls," and this cost her her job.

Scapegoated by a hate-constructing media industry.

[guzzipat]

She implies, "mass media is racist and treats dark-skinned people like dolls," and this cost her her job.

What a total load of cobblers.
Thatcher made a clear racist remark and repeated it when challenged. SDhe also refused till far later to appologise to people who were offended.

You manage to transmute these facts and suggest they were anti-racists. Your constant confusion of the mush in your head for fact is embarrasing.

[QatzelOk]

Your constant confusion of the mush in your head for fact is embarrasing.

The "mush in your head" is more important than you may think, since your opinions on my opinions are based in your own mush.

The "mush that media feeds you" is much less important and "factual" than you seem to believe.

Try to make sense of things using your own mush, and not the fabricated mush of the media-owning elites. Those same elites used media to market those racism-creating dolls.

[Zyx]

QatzelOk's interpretation is only legitimate if we assumed that Carol were in fact as enlightened as he. I see no reason to suspect Carol to be as much; therefore, I can not agree with QatzelOk's assessment. It may simply be that Carol willed to create an atmosphere of White privilege and racial divide. This is therefore what is so disagreeable about her behavior. Racial privilege (or divide) should not receive any finances (hence she ought to be fired for her suggestion of as much.)

As to the golliwog, the history seems anti-racist according to sploop!'s text. Yet, its Webster's definitions is: "a grotesque black doll." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gollywog This seems to suggest that the Golliwog, assuming that it had always been grotesque, is an anarchic artifact of anti-racism. A sort of 'slow' take against racism. That is, a message that reads: Blacks are ugly but they are not bad. In that respect, though previously anti-racist, today it is, at best, useless and, more typically, racist. To refer to someone as a golliwog is undoubtedly deplorable.

[QatzelOk]

Kumatto, what evidence do you have that Carol is NOT enlightened? I'm just giving her the benefit of the doubt. I see no reason to tar her with a "racism" brush just because she uttered some remark that compared one media product to another.

[Zyx]

I have no evidence but her methodology is not particularly enlightened, so I conclude that she was not. If she had more justified her comparison (and her particular use of golliwog over just 'Black doll' [I realize that "Black" is important here so it's actually better than plainly "doll"]), then without a doubt I'd excuse her. She went on, instead, to say that he was 'half-golliwog' which makes one figure that this was a gesture of White privilege more than of decrying the doll status of Blacks by Whites.

For instance, put in a similar position, you'd probably say something like, "It's sickening how particular Blacks are used for entertainment for Whites and given positions of high entertainment value despite the small amount of Blacks living comfortably or among Whites." Yet, you probably would not say, "That Tennis star is a grotesque black doll, or at least half-black" because you'd lose emphasis on the 'doll' aspect and the word 'grotesque' is unnecessary.