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Thread: Dr Seuss Banned for being Politically Incorrect!!!!!

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post
    I've met Ted Geisel many a time - he and my Mom were good friends.

    He always seemed to me to be a nice, witty, intelligent, happy gentleman. I got to go to the San Diego Zoo with him a couple of times, and it was a fabulous experience.

    You can usually find some really cool original art of his, especially sculptures of nonsensical animals, at the Chuck Jones Gallery in Santa Fe.

    Some of his earlier work, especially the WWII propaganda effort, is quite racist by modern standards. Some of his other work is quite forward-looking and progressive.

    My college graduating class gave him an honorary degree at our graduation ceremony, and the look on his face as we all stood up, wearing our robes, and chanted a verse from Green Eggs & Ham was priceless.
    What nice memories! Thanks for sharing.
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  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simplemind View Post
    How is it banning if Seuss Enterprises made the decision to stop further publication?
    They hold the copyright. Therefore their decision means no one can publish those books anywhere for any reason until the copyright runs out. That is the ultimate unbeatable ban, stronger than any library, bookstore, or state prohibiting the sale of a book.

    If someone want to argue that Dr Seuss would change or withdraw those books if he were still alive, they have a right to do so and they might be right. But I believe Seuss would fix those books instead of totally eliminating them.

    If this were purely a business decision based on popularity and annual sales revenue, that would be unfortunate but understandable. However the Estate has made it clear that these books are being eliminated for political correctness reasons, and that is what I object to.

  3. #23
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    So books go out of print all the time, is it a tragedy, maybe in some people's eyes, does it happen all the time? Yep.
    Trees don't grow on money

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by happystuff View Post
    As was pointed out in another thread recently (sorry, not going searching), another instance of assigning negative connotations to "do-gooders" - those trying to do something good.
    Well, I believe that there are do-gooders and then there are Do-Gooders. One of those groups are honestly trying to do something good and the other group is trying to do something to make themselves feel good. I think most of the do-gooderism on display these days is of the second variety.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
    Well, I believe that there are do-gooders and then there are Do-Gooders. One of those groups are honestly trying to do something good and the other group is trying to do something to make themselves feel good. I think most of the do-gooderism on display these days is of the second variety.
    Point made. I can see where both those groups exist. I still find it sad, though.
    To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
    Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
    In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown

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    Quote Originally Posted by Simplemind View Post
    I would also venture to guess that if you asked those characterized they might say that although stereotypes were common then and now, they don't consider them harmless. I don't think Suess had bad intentions but when you know better, hopefully you do better. Their voluntary self correction is them doing better.
    Point # 1: I DO NOT defend ugly stereotypes or consider them harmless. So don't even THINK about going there.

    Point #2: They're not "self correcting" the problem. Self correcting was what they did by changing "chinaman" to "Chinese man" and similar actions. What they're doing now is throwing the baby out with the bathwater because it's politically expedient for them to do so.

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    I agree with IL that not printing a given title isn’t the same thing as banning it. Nor is...
    Prohibiting the publication of a book is banning it. You can argue semantics all you want to and I'll argue right back at you that "Banned Books Week" is a farce because all the books promoted during that week are openly available in bookstores, online, etc; and to actually be banned it would have to be illegal to publish or sell them.

    This decision by the estate makes it illegal to publish those books. Therefore it is a ban. If it is actually being done because of poor sales and they're just saying it's because of negative stereotypes, then it's hypocritical and worthy or criticism for that reason. Take your pick.

  8. #28
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeorgeParker View Post
    Prohibiting the publication of a book is banning it.
    An interesting view of intellectual property rights.

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    Quote Originally Posted by happystuff View Post
    As was pointed out in another thread recently (sorry, not going searching), another instance of assigning negative connotations to "do-gooders" - those trying to do something good.
    Without going off on too much of a tangent, "Do Gooders", when properly used, doesn't refer to people who are trying to do something good. It refers to people who are intent on imposing their opinion of "doing good" on everyone else. IOW: Do Gooders are the very same people Thoreau refers to in Walden: "If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life, as from that dry and parching wind of the African deserts called the simoom, which fills the mouth and nose and ears and eyes with dust till you are suffocated, for fear that I should get some of his good done to me," So it's hardly a new concept, nor an unfamiliar one.

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeorgeParker View Post
    Point # 1: I DO NOT defend ugly stereotypes or consider them harmless. So don't even THINK about going there.

    Point #2: They're not "self correcting" the problem. Self correcting was what they did by changing "chinaman" to "Chinese man" and similar actions. What they're doing now is throwing the baby out with the bathwater because it's politically expedient for them to do so.
    In your opinion, GP. Who decided that your opinion is correct especially if you have no ownership rights or agency in the discussion? It is repetitious to hear the same shock and disbelief as when women wanted to vote, get an education, equal pay for work of equal value... Dr Seuss stories just don't cut it for causing such distress but that it just my opinion, of course.

    I can see getting upset when groups like the Taliban want to destroy an entire culture's artifacts of thousands of years for a new view or others who are disrespectful of a nation's history and destroying the records. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperi...Constantinople
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

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