Censorship or rewriting ?

Thanks fanny. It's a pattern I think with Walliams, particularly the 'evil' second wives.

I think the discussion can easily get too "either/or".

Either we leave everything in or it means we are all due for censorship of most undesirable kinds.

There are middle ways, and it depends on whether books are contemporary (as in Dahl, still) or really historical where it's possible to explain context.

Some posts above are conflating the two, in order to say how gross it is we should "meddle" at all. But sensitive and imaginative adjustments to contemporary work especially for children do not need to ruin stories as suggested.

It can enhance.

Totally, 💯 Wyllow

Another example of silly wokery. I have read these books many times to children and have never felt that the language needed sanitising or censoring. Freedom of expression is precious and should be left alone generally. Haven't these people anything more useful to do? Utter madness.

The World has gone mad in my opinion! If you don’t like it don’t read it. Children need to learn about rights and wrongs and if we start censoring everything they don’t get the opportunity of a well rounded education.

If education is what we're worried about, perhaps we should start some anti-racism content in schools, if we expect children to carefully navigate around uncensored texts with racist tropes in them?

I’ve just remembered using ‘Revolting Rhymes’ with Y2 about 12 years ago.
I had to edit it myself in a few places.
I particularly remember changing the word ‘slut’.
Shame on me!
The world’s gone mad etc

Haven't we all changed something in some way? If only by commentary as we read - I have certainly said "well that wasn't very nice, was it?" when reading to children. Or, "that's what people used to think".

I don't think changing things is really the answer.
Explaining is a better way to go.

Now I sound like I'm disagreeing with myself!

NotSpaghetti

Now I sound like I'm disagreeing with myself!

A top quality debate!

My GCs didn't like Revolting Rhymes. Not did I. I did read a few to them with explanations that some words were 'not nice' but I think they already knew that.
I don't believe in rewriting history as we need to learn from it.
As a child in the 40s/50s I heard a lot of sexist/racist/antisemitic comments over the years. I learned to dispute those comments as I got older but there were many people at that time with those views.
There are still people with those views and that is why we should let them stand and explain how wrong they are.

Ha ha Fanny yes!
I was really trying to say that I don't think we should change text but I am guilty of adding in an opinion about it which may be similar.
Then - as an afterthought I thought, maybe explaining is actually OK. 😇

NotSpaghetti

Ha ha Fanny yes!
I was really trying to say that I don't think we should change text but I am guilty of adding in an opinion about it which may be similar.
Then - as an afterthought I thought, maybe explaining is actually OK. 😇

Totally agree.

Explanation when needed is preferable to altering any authors words.

I also remember binning a book that was about a gang of Gypsy rats

I am so, so tired, almost to the point of despair, at the way that our society is being manipulated. People are cancelled, villified, trolled, careers are wrecked, and for what? An opinion that doesn't appear to be suffiiciently woke, for something that has happened years ago for which none of us living now can possibly be responsible, or for art and literature that was written in a different age and can only be viewed through the lens of history, but hopefully appreciated for it's beauty and significance. Who are these people who are picking over our civilisation and criticising everything ? I've yet to see a name or face that might enable those with a different opinion to question - and that is another really appalling situation, that the nameless wreckers seemingly cannot be questioned otherwise the questioner is cancelled . Some spineless people in the media and government are failing to stand up to this dangerous and increasing nightmare. I truly believe now, and I never thought to see this happen in our country, that we no longer have freedom of speech.

It seems to me that some on this thread are skirting somewhat close to wishing for a return to the 'good old days' where rampant racism, anti semitism, sexism and downright bigotry were allowed and part of everyday life under the guise of freedom of speech.

A person telling a racist/rape/anti semitic joke is showing who they really are.

Dahl wrote racist and anti semitic caricatures because he was an anti semite and a racist. I don't want my grandchildren growing up thinking those attitudes are acceptable.

If we don't teach anti racism and we allow children to read racist/sexist books and watch it on TV/in movies, it becomes their reality. The reality of a 60/70/80 year old grandparent is very different to that of a 10 year old child. The books we read with them should reflect modern attitudes. Not a racist past.

I don't agree with any censorship. If you don't like it then don't read it. So sick of the snowflake marred culture.

Rosina, it is the Dahl Foundation saying the books need to be changed.

Hardly nameless wreckers and spineless people.

From my point of view, spineless isn't allowing something that is unkind to an ethinic or religious group to stand, spineless is allowing discrimination and bigotry to continue.

Good that Rishi Sunak disapproved.What the ‘Woke’ people don’t understand is that reading things we no longer approve is the ideal opportunity to open a discussion with a child to say

‘I don’t think that was kind, do you?’
People just can’t go through sanitized lives - the world isn’t like that. Far better to prepare a child gently for difficult circumstances, that have them totally shocked and impotent to deal with adverse happenings

Facing racist bullying in school, because it isn't addressed in society, isn't gentle in any way, shape or form.

I know of children who have self harmed because of it. Who have been pulled totally out of school, because the school weren't able to stop it.

Dealing with the inequalities of the world may be 'gentle' if you are a WASP family. It isn't if you're black or an ethnic minority.

Really? It would never cross my mind to read it for anything other than what it is.
Too much analysis and preparedness to interpret things in the worst possible way.
Or are you saying that only Jews fit that description? Wouldn’t mind betting there are many other religions or none to which the description could apply

Children don't learn sexism/racism from books. They learn it from people around them.
All my ACs and GCs have read what are now considered contentious books but it has been explained to them what is not acceptable.
All of them accept others
for who they are regardless of race, colour or creed as that is how they have been brought up. Not because someone has censored their reading.


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Just don't buy the book if you think it's going to be offensive to you. There's probably millions of people who won't find it offensive. It's not rocket science!

AGAA4

Children don't learn sexism/racism from books. They learn it from people around them.
All my ACs and GCs have read what are now considered contentious books but it has been explained to them what is not acceptable.
All of them accept others
for who they are regardless of race, colour or creed as that is how they have been brought up. Not because someone has censored their reading.


.

Yes. And I would posit, that people that think discrimination in a book is acceptable, have an attitude that those attitudes are OK.

Racism is a system. It is multi layered and entrenched. Which is why it is so hard to weed out.

If you're reading 'Little Black S**bo' to your children, you think it's acceptable. And even though you tell them that James in his class is lovely and invite him round for tea, you're participating in the entrenching of racist attitudes by reading the book with its discriminatory message.