February 3, 200917 yr BBC set to drop Carol Thatcher after she brands tennis player a 'golliwog' in private By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 3:43 PM on 03rd February 2009 Comments (125) Add to My Stories Carol Thatcher has been asked to apologise for calling a tennis player a 'golliwog' The BBC has said that it has 'no plans' to use Carol Thatcher after she referred to a tennis player as a 'golliwog' during a private conversation. The former prime minister's daughter works as a 'roving reporter' on the corporation's The One Show. She is believed to have made the comment about a male player involved in the Australian Open after Thursday's edition of the show. Ms Thatcher had been speaking in the green room with One Show presenter, Adrian Chiles, and other members of the production team. A BBC source said Chiles was 'very shocked' and others in the room told Thatcher they found her language offensive. The BBC is considering its next steps on the matter, but it is understood Thatcher will not be asked to work on the show again until she acknowledges that using the word "golliwog" is unacceptable even when apparently in jest. A spokesman for the corporation said: "There are no confirmed plans for Carol to be working on the One Show at the present time. "It's a very pressing matter for the BBC to get resolved and we are working as hard as we can to do so." Friends of the journalist and author said the remarks were made jokingly during a private conversation that took place after several drinks in the green room. A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC considers any language of a racist nature wholly unacceptable. 'We have raised the issue with the individual concerned and are discussing it as a matter of urgency.' Both the BBC and Thatcher's spokesperson have refused to reveal the identity of the player concerned. Some of Thatcher's friends have insisted that she was referring to the player's hairstyle and had not intended to make a racist remark, according to the Times. A spokesman for Thatcher, 55, who has been a regular contributor to The One Show for three years, said that the comment had been "an off-the-cuff remark made in jest'. He added: 'Carol never intended any racist comment. She made a light aside about this tennis player and his similarity to the golliwog on the jam pot when she was growing up. Carol Thatcher appearing on Thursday night's show with Jo Brand, Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley 'There's no way, obviously, that she would condone any racist comment - we would refute that entirely. It would not be in her nature to do anything like that.' Thatcher is said to be 'mortified' that the contents of the off-air conversation have been leaked. Her spokesman said: 'This was a conversation between Adrian and Carol in the green room and the comment was meant as a joke. 'It is disgusting that we’ve had a leak of private conversations in the green room – the BBC has more leaks than Thames Water. 'Carol is mortified that anyone should take offence at a silly joke. She has summarily apologised.' Ironically, Thatcher was on the One Show with Jo Brand on Thursday evening. Brand was at the centre of a 'race' row at the weekend when it emerged she had made jokes about 'sending poo' to members of the BNP. The following day, Simon Darby, the BNP’s deputy leader, made an official complaint to Hammersmith police alleging that Brand’s comment had been an act of incitement to cause racial harassment. Thatcher was heavily criticised last year when she revealed that her mother had been suffering from dementia for years. In her memoirs, A Swim-On Part In The Goldfish Bowl, Miss Thatcher said she first noticed her mother's failing memory 'as a thunderbolt' during a lunch together in 2000, a decade after she was forced out of Downing Street. Lady Thatcher's 'blotting-paper brain', which had always absorbed information, became confused between Bosnia and the Falklands during a conversation about the war in the former Yugoslavia.
February 4, 200917 yr It's a remarkably accurate portrayal of what black people look like... ;) Also, as a white person I'm offended by the creepy wooden bodies and pink cheeks we have. Those must be "crackerwoggs".
February 5, 200917 yr It's a remarkably accurate portrayal of what black people look like... ;) Also, as a white person I'm offended by the creepy wooden bodies and pink cheeks we have. Those must be "crackerwoggs".:laugh3: cracker please! :laugh3:
February 5, 200917 yr It's a remarkably accurate portrayal of what black people look like... ;) It also happens to have racist connotations.
February 5, 200917 yr Author Race doll row hits the royals: Queen has to say sorry for golliwogs on sale at Sandringham By Rebecca English Last updated at 1:21 PM on 05th February 2009 Comments (251) Add to My Stories Buckingham Palace has issued an extraordinary apology after the Queen's shop at Sandringham was found to be selling golliwogs. It followed the furore over Carol Thatcher's use of the word golliwog during a private conversation after the BBC's One Show. There were claims last night that she had been sacked by the BBC over the incident in revenge for the bad blood between her mother Lady Thatcher and the corporation. Race row: Buckingham Palace has apologised after golliwogs were found being sold in the Queen's shop at Sandringham as the row over Carol Thatcher's sacking for using the word continues The male and female dolls have been available at the gift shop on the Norfolk estate for more than a year at £9.99 each. They are made by Trendle International, a family business based in Somerset, who describe their line of 'gollies' as one of their most popular 'speciality' products. In the wake of the row over Carol Thatcher's comments, senior aides said the toys would be immediately removed from sale. Controversial: The male and female golliwog dolls sold at Sandringham A spokesman 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.' More... How the golliwog went from innocent children's hero to symbol of bitter controversy Was Carol Thatcher's sacking the BBC's revenge on Maggie?Lest we forget: The obscenities of the BBC stars who WEREN'T sackedGEOFFREY WANSELL: Daft Carol just doesn't give a damn A palace source said: 'The Queen wouldn't tolerate any kind of racism. She has worked tirelessly to improve race relations in this country for many, many years.' TODAY'S POLL Was the BBC right to sack Carol Thatcher? Yes No VOTE POLL RESULTS Close All polls Click to view yesterday's poll results Officials stressed that the Queen, who is currently in residence on the estate, is not personally involved in choosing the stock sold in her shop. That, they said, was down to a 'management team'. But both she and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, do take a keen interest in every aspect of the running of Sandringham, which is one of their favourite bolt-holes, and profits from the shop are ploughed back into the running of the estate. The gift shop at Sandringham - which as a private commercial enterprise has no official link with any of the other royal palaces - has been an enormous commercial success and specialises in British-made ranges and exclusive Sandringham souvenirs. The 12-inch tall 'Golly Dolls', which are understood to have been made in China, were divided into two wicker baskets and were prominently displayed on a central stand in the shop. Enlarge '...Tonight we have a special guest who wishes to discuss getting the unemployed back to work...' The male golly, called Ollie, has frizzy black hair and black bead eyes set on a white background. He is dressed in a red jacket with white cuffs, a black and white waistcoat and matching hound's tooth pattern bow tie and trousers with 'spat'-type shoes. The female version, called Ma, has fuller lips and a red and white striped bow in her hair, which matches her striped dress and a blue jacket. A source at the shop said: 'They are quite popular.' The character of the golliwog was invented by a Florence Upton in the 19th century, inspired by the black-and-white minstrel shows she grew up with as a child in the U.S. Golliwog ban: The gift shop at Sandringham was selling golliwog dolls for £9.99 It became one of the most popular dolls of the 20th century and was identified in many households as the mascot for British jam manufacturer James Robertson & Sons. Since the 1980s, however, they have been criticised for their apparent racial connotations. Nowadays the general public is generally divided into those who view them as an innocent plaything from a bygone age of British imperialism and those who find the figures deeply offensive. TODAY'S POLL Should golliwog toys be banned? Yes No VOTE POLL RESULTS Close All polls Click to view yesterday's poll results Robertson and Sons were eventually forced to withdraw the golliwog from their advertising campaigns. Even Mr Golly, the owner of Toytown garage in Enid Blyton's famous Noddy books, was replaced with a white substitute called Mr Sparks. The word has now become such a racist slur that supermodel Naomi Campbell claimed her most recent air-rage episode was provoked by a British Airways employee calling her a 'Golliwog supermodel'. Last summer the Duchess of Cornwall was seen with a golliwog keyring hanging from a bag in the boot of her car at the Hampton Court Flower Show. Clarence House later explained that it had been a present and that no offence had been intended. No one from Trendle, which is based in Taunton, Somerset, was available for comment. When Carol met Jo... and came out with the G-word It was 7.30pm last Thursday when Carol Thatcher joined Adrian Chiles and Jo Brand in the Green Room - the entertaining area for guests - after The One Show. It is unclear how many other members of the production team were in the room at the time and whether they overheard the chat between the three. Chiles, Miss Brand and Miss Thatcher quickly struck up a conversation about the Australian Open tennis. It is understood they began talking about Rafael Nadal's semi-final opponent, Fernando Verdasco. Shock value: Carol Thatcher on The One Show last Thursday with Jo Brand Miss Thatcher is then accused of claiming Verdasco was the one that 'beat that golliwog': believed to be a reference to French quarter-finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Friends deny this. They claim she simply made a remark comparing a tennis player's hair to that of the figures which used to appear on Robertson's jam jars. According to BBC sources, she was immediately taken to task by Miss Brand and Chiles, who told her what she had said was completely inappropriate. Miss Brand is said to have walked off in disgust. Chiles was said to have been 'outraged' and 'upset'. This is contradicted by Miss Thatcher's friends, who say no one raised any objections about her comments to her before she left the building. It is understood that at least one member of the show team alerted the executive producer Tessa Finch to the remarks on the same day, although the BBC refuses to comment on whether it was Chiles, Miss Brand or someone else. Once word spread of the remarks, further complaints were made to Miss Finch. It is understood some of the show's production team let it be known that they no longer wanted to work with Miss Thatcher. On Friday night, Miss Finch phoned Miss Thatcher and asked her to explain herself. She is said to have refused to apologise. On Monday, when it emerged that a newspaper had been told about the incident, Miss Thatcher apologised but continued to insist it was a joke. On Tuesday the BBC asked her if she wanted to change her apology. She decided not to make the 'unconditional apology' the BBC was asking for and that night it announced she would not be working for The One Show again. Enlarge Enlarge
February 7, 200917 yr Are you autistic??:P Huh? What's that got to do with anything? I was just kidding with those 2 last posts. The first one where I mentioned racist connotations was me simply stating a fact in case Saffire wasn't aware, that's all.
February 7, 200917 yr People are too easily offended. This word has a history of being used as a racial slur, though. I think if people are offended by it, they kind of have a right to be, don't they?
February 7, 200917 yr Author Huh? What's that got to do with anything? I was just kidding with those 2 last posts. So was I. It was just that you seemed to be taking everything totally literally.:P
February 7, 200917 yr This word has a history of being used as a racial slur, though. I think if people are offended by it, they kind of have a right to be, don't they? Of course, just like they have a right to change the channel. I'm bombarded with offensive images and slurs every day, but thankfully I have the capacity to avoid them.
February 7, 200917 yr Author Of course, just like they have a right to change the channel. I'm bombarded with offensive images and slurs every day, but thankfully I have the capacity to avoid them. Glad to hear it!!:D
February 7, 200917 yr I fail to see your argument though, the BBC were right to sack her as she is meant to represent their views and they don't want some racist bitch doing that for them
February 7, 200917 yr I fail to see your argument though, the BBC were right to sack her as she is meant to represent their views and they don't want some racist bitch doing that for them Thankfully for the BBC, they don't have to worry about ratings like other channels do. ;) If I were a competing station I'd pick her up and give her a TV show called "Carol & Golliwogg - The Great Race" and it would be similar in style to American Gladiators only more messy (with Nickelodeon Slime and stuff).
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