Question Time

[bluethrunthru]

Yes absolutely - the bible being the prime/earliest example I suppose. I can understand the removal of the 'n' word from twain, but the Dahl revisionism of words like 'fat' and 'ugly' feels like low level pettyness.

Original copies will remain on sale I understand and there are 2nd hand booksellers who will happily satisfy a readers need to have people called fat lol

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Original copies will remain on sale I understand and there are 2nd hand booksellers who will happily satisfy a readers need to have people called fat lol

Yes, but it's the need to do this at all that's odd. Shakespeare and Chaucer will need doing next.
If someone is upset by an imaginary character in a work of fiction being labeled fat/ugly etc then they probably have issues they need to sort out with themselves rather than police literature. My concern is not so much what's happening to Danny champion of the world but the general trajectory and direction of travel.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Yes, but it's the need to do this at all that's odd. Shakespeare and Chaucer will need doing next.
If someone is upset by an imaginary character in a work of fiction being labeled fat/ugly etc then they probably have issues they need to sort out with themselves rather than police literature. My concern is not so much what's happening to Danny champion of the world but the general trajectory and direction of travel.

Their concern is that either when their child reads Dahl or when they read the books to them calling a character fat for amusement normalises doing so and is funny hence they bring up a kid who bullies the fat kid at school calling them fat to get everyone to laugh at the fat kid.

A lot of the commentators in the press who are stirring this up don't actually care and don't read the books currently but its something they are paid to do. On request they will knock out an article on childrens mental health and bullying at school - fat shaming in schools and stabbings in schools when a bullied fat kid stabs their tormentor - its all in a days work for them - they wring their hands and pull peoples strings purely for money.

 

[Chris in London]

Yes, but it's the need to do this at all that's odd. Shakespeare and Chaucer will need doing next.
If someone is upset by an imaginary character in a work of fiction being labeled fat/ugly etc then they probably have issues they need to sort out with themselves rather than police literature. My concern is not so much what's happening to Danny champion of the world but the general trajectory and direction of travel.

Were you offended when the racist elements were edited out of Agatha Christie or Enid Blyton?

The general direction of travel is not a new phenomenon

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Their concern is that either when their child reads Dahl or when they read the books to them calling a character fat for amusement normalises doing so and is funny hence they bring up a kid who bullies the fat kid at school calling them fat to get everyone to laugh at the fat kid.

A lot of the commentators in the press who are stirring this up don't actually care and don't read the books currently but its something they are paid to do. On request they will knock out an article on childrens mental health and bullying at school - fat shaming in schools and stabbings in schools when a bullied fat kid stabs their tormentor - its all in a days work for them - they wring their hands and pull peoples strings purely for money.

Maybe the problem lies with parenting and diet rather than literature?

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Were you offended when the racist elements were edited out of Agatha Christie or Enid Blyton?

The general direction of travel is not a new phenomenon

I'm not offended generally by anything tbh as it's a waste of time. I think there is a difference between editing out racism and things like fat/ugly, although like getting rid of statues there is an element of concealing the evidence and rewriting history at work too.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Maybe the problem lies with parenting and diet rather than literature?

yeah - probably best not to read books to your toddler and ensure they never learn to read then nothing will offend them

 

[Chris in London]

I'm not offended generally by anything tbh as it's a waste of time. I think there is a difference between editing out racism and things like fat/ugly, although like getting rid of statues there is an element of concealing the evidence and rewriting history at work too.

What is the difference, precisely, between editing based on removing hateful comments based on race and editing out hateful comments based on ugliness? Both are characteristics over which you have no control.

(Being fat may or may not be self inflicted)

 

[Lupo]

Lol

That's a friend of mine and her daughter

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

What is the difference, precisely, between editing based on removing hateful comments based on race and editing out hateful comments based on ugliness? Both are characteristics over which you have no control.

(Being fat may or may not be self inflicted)

I think there is a huge difference tbh and the two are in no way equivalent, and I'm a bit of a fatty.