Carol Thatcher, Margaret Thatcher’s Daughter, Refers To Black Tennis Player As “Golliwog”
5 February 2009, 4:18 PM. By Alex Alvarez
Carol Thatcher, daughter of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, is at the center of controversy for comparing French tennis player Gael Monfils as a “golliwog” backstage during the filming of BBC’s “The One Show.”
Golliwogs, for those who aren’t obsessed with old-timey toys, are dolls that were popular in the late 19th century, modeled after blackface minstrel performers.
Carol says she used the phrase as a joke and did not mean any offense by it. BBC has asked Ms. Thatcher for a formal apology, but she has refused to give any. Her spokesperson has issues this statement on her behalf:
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.
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.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.
Ughghghgh uncomfy. The fact remains, regardless of Ms. Thatcher’s intent, that golliwogs were created at a time when, and thus harken back to, a time when racism was rampant. The term itself has been used, historically, as a racial slur against black people. We would think an educated woman like Ms. Thatcher would know better than to put herself in such a situation by comparing a black man to a racist caricature.
Carol Thatcher
Is there something in the water lately? It’s just…. gah. Why would you ever put yourself, professionally, in this situation? Even if you looooove racial slurs and stereotypes, even if you want to take them out behind a shed and make sweet love to them, why, for the love of all that is holy, would you announce such a fact in such a way as to potentially alienate your supporters and damage your career?
a href=”>Thatcher axed by BBC’s One Show [BBC]
Echaron a la hija de Margaret Thatcher de la BBC por un comentario racista [Clarin]
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Why’d y’all post a picture of BIll O’Reilly in a wig on this?
It took a good fifteen seconds staring at the screen before I decided, nah, she totally could not be starring as The Cowardly Lion in a community theater presentation of The Wizard of Oz.
When are people who make these types of comments (or take Miley-type pictures) going to realize it’s not your “intent” that matters? Rather, it’s the *effect* of your act that matters most, regardless of intent. Nobody knows what’s going on in your mind when you say these things and, even if we do, the damage is already done.
It’s even more insulting when they can’t realize this.
Watch that fiery Latino temper, Pachanga.
Sorry, my busy schedule has been somewhat overwhelming lately.