Marvin the Martian

Ok this is a bit of an odd question, and I do NOT want this to become political or about "PC gone mad" stuff.  I was wondering how well known Marvin the Martian is in the UK, and if MtM items (stuffed dolls, fridge magnets) would ever be mistaken for a golliwog (image) or as a racial caricature for people unfamiliar with MtM.  I never even thought of it, and I brought over a lot of MtM stuff.  Mr. A suggested I might want to put them in storage in case someone comes in and takes offence (like the boiler repair guy).

Of course MtM the character is not racist at all (AFAICS), but I really don't want people to mistake him for a caricature or a golliwog (image).

I've put the stuff away, but not until after the boiler man was here.  I thought my husband was not serious.  However, the guy made a comment that made me wonder.

I've spent more than half of my life in the US and I have no idea who Marvin the Martian is!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_the_Martian

You probably recognise him once you see him unless you totally didn't watch cartoons as a kid.

I've put the stuff away, but not until after the boiler man was here.  I thought my husband was not serious.  However, the guy made a comment that made me wonder.

What was the comment?

Seems a little 'PC gone mad' to me. 

I just asked my UKC wife if she thought Marvin the Martian looked like a golliwog, and she said she thought Marvin's face was black because it's being hidden by his helmet, and therefore he could conceivably be any color.  After I explained the issue raised here, she went on a mild to moderate rant about political correctness (sorry!), the gist of which is no reasonable person would consider MtM to be a racist caricature, and that even if someone was unfamiliar with MtM, he still couldn't be confused with a golliwog.

Hope that helps.  

PC gone mad.  Honestly, people need to stop being ott pc. 

What was the comment?

Seems a little 'PC gone mad' to me.  

Well, Mr. A and he got into a conversation about the company the boiler guy works for and its merger with a German company.  Mr A said that it was happening too much lately (he meant small businesses being forced to sell), but then the boiler guy started in on not seeing any British faces when he was on calls in London.  Then he said, "Not that I have a problem with that.  I am originally from South Africa myself."  Just this weird uncomfortable assumption that Mr A was being xenophobic when he wasn't.  I thought he was uncomfortable because he didn't want us to think he was anti-immigrant with me being an obvious immigrant.  After he left, Mr. A. was the one who was saying that he felt his comments were taken as Anglo-centric/xenophobic.

I should have been clear that the comment was not directly about the MtM magnets.

Thanks for the feedback.  I thought it was a bit much, and I still think that my husband was pulling my leg (he does that sometimes and carries it too far IMO).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_the_Martian

You probably recognise him once you see him unless you totally didn't watch cartoons as a kid.

Yup, I recognise him! But I wouldn't have known his name. I was more of a Rocky & Bullwinkle child!

I agree with the 'PC gone mad' folks.

I didn't have a clue who he was until I saw the picture and had a big moment. On my wall, not more than 4 foot from where I am sitting, is a talking wall clock. It's only been hanging there for 5 years! It has the Loony Tunes characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Taz, Speedy Gonzales, Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Tweety, AND yours truly MARVIN! That was the one character I never knew. I just tell the boy he's the Roman gladiator. Now I can edumacate him! Marvin is 7 o'clock. Each character speaks in their own accent and mannerism to announce the hour they represent. The only one that doesn't speak is 2 o'clock which is just MEEP MEEP. It's a cool clock and the volume is control by light.

And yes occasionally when the house is empty and it is quiet, you can forget about the clock and it scares the dookie out of ya.

But Marvin don't look like no golliwog to me. Marvin ain't even got a mouth and looks more like a Roman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golliwogg

As you did ask not for this to become political or PC gone mad, I withhold any further comments.

Has anyone been to Amsterdam at Xmas? They have this character called Zwarte Piet who is basically a guy in make up who is Father Christmas' helper.
So there are lots of adverts, dolls (i.e golliwogs) everywhere, was a little disconcerting at first, the boy and I were like "Weird, I guess that's not racist here, not sure I'm very comfortable with that" until we googled him and found out he's a folklore/myth character!

some pics -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

Has anyone been to Amsterdam at Xmas? They have this character called Zwarte Piet who is basically a guy in make up who is Father Christmas' helper.
So there are lots of adverts, dolls (i.e golliwogs) everywhere, was a little disconcerting at first, the boy and I were like "Weird, I guess that's not racist here, not sure I'm very comfortable with that" until we googled him and found out he's a folklore/myth character!

some pics -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

DD & beau just came back and was telling me about this. And the coffee shops. And something about a friend having a whitey.

Has anyone been to Amsterdam at Xmas? They have this character called Zwarte Piet who is basically a guy in make up who is Father Christmas' helper.
So there are lots of adverts, dolls (i.e golliwogs) everywhere, was a little disconcerting at first, the boy and I were like "Weird, I guess that's not racist here, not sure I'm very comfortable with that" until we googled him and found out he's a folklore/myth character!

some pics -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

Dh's Dutch grandfather enlightened me to this story last year 

Has anyone been to Amsterdam at Xmas? They have this character called Zwarte Piet who is basically a guy in make up who is Father Christmas' helper.
So there are lots of adverts, dolls (i.e golliwogs) everywhere, was a little disconcerting at first, the boy and I were like "Weird, I guess that's not racist here, not sure I'm very comfortable with that" until we googled him and found out he's a folklore/myth character!

some pics -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH.

We went through Schipol Airport just a couple of weeks ago and saw all these guys walking around just like that and I was totally flabbergasted. It just seemed like the most bizarre thing ever. Now I get it.

DD & beau just came back and was telling me about this. And the coffee shops. And something about a friend having a whitey.

Nasty. Too much weed too quickly, or didn't know the strength of what he was smoking out there probably. Or drinking + smoking.

I love Amsterdam