Rightmove listing removed after viewers spot ‘racist’ doll

All agents know that decent imagery can make or break a property listing, so it’s probably best to check what you are photographing.

A Rightmove listing for a four-bed semi-detached in Wroot, Doncaster, by Epworth-based Grice & Hunter was removed yesterday after eagle-eyed visitors to the portal spotted what appears to be a golliwog.

The image was posted on Twitter by a user called @smuffie who then told the Mirror Online: “We laughed that anyone would think it would help sell their house by having a golliwog on display in 2017.”

There was also some discussion as to whether the use of the doll sent out a subversive message as to the type of buyer acceptable.

The image and listing have since been taken down, but not before we and many others took a screengrab.

rightmove-property

A Rightmove spokesperson told EYE: “We’ve spoken with the agent about this and they have removed it from the site.”

It is not clear if the property has been removed from the market or if it will be relisted with more socially acceptable images.

The pictures appear to be the least of the vendor’s worries. The property itself has been on the market since March 2 2015 and has seen its asking price drop from £215,000 to £199,950.

We have asked Grice & Hunter for comment.

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19 Comments

  1. smile please

    Ironic that the complaint was made using the name Golliwog. I am sure a few years back this was deemed offensive and should now be referred to as Golli”s.

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  2. AgencyInsider

    Given the length of time that the gollie has been demonised as ‘unacceptable’ I would not be in the slightest bit surprised if a young photographer or neg had no idea of what it represents to some people.

     

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  3. FromTheHip64

    Some sad RM troller with nothing better to do that look for offence where there is none. A small minority of people out there really do need to get a grip. .

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  4. PeeBee

    I’ve just ‘pulled’ all of my properties for similar reasons.

    Every one featured a TV in at least one room in the pictures – and I certainly don’t want to upset that community…

    Where will it end?

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    1. PeeBee

      OOPS! – looks like I already have…

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  5. Robert May

    Eagle eyed? pah! more concerning is on the patio; that dog looks very much like Sq Ldr Gibson’s

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    1. Thomas Flowers

      Good spot Robert but don’t go there…..or you may well get Dam busted !

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  6. Property Paddy

    My sister is a qualified and professional child minder and has to have play dolls of different skin colours. Surely a golli is a play doll?

    Perhaps someone should produce a fair skinned golli to show equality ?

    I am old enough to remember the little golli badges on school blazers, they looked great too. No one in my school ever thought there was a race issue, it just looked nice.

    There is nothing wrong with the doll, just the full original name.

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    1. PeeBee

      “There is nothing wrong with the doll, just the full original name.”

      In fairness, Property Paddy, use of the name ‘Golliwogg’ (with one or two ‘g’s at the end) should still be perfectly acceptable in its’ intended use – a name for a particular type of doll as seen on the photo above.

      It is the later use of the last syllable as a racial slur which has caused decades of uproar leading to this latest debacle.

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      1. Property Paddy

        Hi PeeBee,

         

        I quite agree,

        If the doll was renamed and reaffirmed as “Golli” perhaps the PC police might allow innocent pictures of Dolls on property pictures with no further comment.

        To use the full original name would be a bit like walking around with a narrow moustache (like wot a rather nasty Austrian did 75 years ago) !!!

        Neither are wrong but both remind us of unsavoury times.

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  7. 1stTimeBuyer

    Careful not to have a white doll either, that would also be raciest surely?!  The world has gone mad, seriously!  It’s a doll.

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  8. gk1uk2001

    People have complained about seeing a doll in a photo? SERIOUSLY? The world has gone absolutely stark raving mad. It’s a doll for goodness sake.

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    1. A_J42

      With respect, I think all of you need a history lesson. This is not “just” a doll, and just because it might not mean something offensive to you personally does not mean it isn’t offensive to other people.

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      1. PeeBee

        Here’s the history:

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Kate_Upton

        SOMEONE will find offence in ANYTHING and EVERYTHING if they look hard enough for it.

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        1. A_J42

          I’m not certain how to respond to this. I am not sure I believe that you really think this is all there is to it.

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          1. PeeBee

            “I’m not certain how to respond to this.”

            The simple answer to that is that your response depends upon your own personal viewpoint and interpretation of “the history” – whatever that is.  I have posted a link to one version of “the history”… you may be taking a stance based upon a completely different version.

            “I am not sure I believe that you really think this is all there is to it.”

            I’m not sure I entirely believe that either – but if we all focus on finding the bad then only bad will come from it.

            A person’s age; race; religion; upbringing and moral grounding – plus a myriad of other social, political and educational variables – will inevitably steer or influence their opinion…

            …and they’ll all be right – every last one of them.

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      2. gk1uk2001

        With respect, everything could be offensive to someone. It is a doll. Just a doll. Some may see it as something more, but as I said people these days seem to get offended very easily by anything. Maybe we should all just stay at home 24/7, with no TV, newspapers, internet access or communication with anyone else just in case we see or hear something which might offend us. Get a grip!

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  9. Tuf Luv

    OK I get it. If it’s all hyperbole and outrage it’s tough to figure out the real evil. And sure, everything looked peachy, you know, right up until it didn’t so what gives?

    (New Years Resolution. Be polite, be professional but have a plan to kill everybody you meet)

    Dude I ain’t about to water board you with buckets of liberal tears but unless your smoking premium (hook a brother up) you gotta know this thing has an edge that only misogyny could envy. And just like the volume of commercials don’t help the taste of Aldi food, f*ck how it went from cute & cuddly to ninja assassin. Is a Golliwog offensive? Maybe ask the black dudes.

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  10. smile please

    Not going to get involved in if the name or doll is offensive as I think different things offend different people.

    What I think is important for some to realise is that a “Golli” is not a black doll but a white doll blacked up.

    I think some naively do not realise this.

    Again some may not find that offensive, however they are also the people that miss the black & white minstral show on TV and wonder why it is no longer shown as it was funny to them. Does that make them racists?  – I couldn’t possibly comment ……

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