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Thread: Invasion of the Expurgators

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    Invasion of the Expurgators

    Maybe it’s my surname, but I’m disgusted by what the publishers of Roald Dahl’s children books are doing. They’ve brought in a group called “Inclusive Minds” to provide “sensitivity readers” to review and rewrite parts of “James and the Giant Peach”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda”. In the near future, if you want the unadulterated original, you will need to go to a used bookstore.

    Bowdlerizing children’s literature (or any literature) to protect the sensibilities of uptight adults seems to me to defeat the primary purpose of being fun to read. Shouldn’t such perversions at least be labeled as not the original works?

    I hope these people keep their inclusive hands off Edward Gorey.

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    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    I agree that it's painful to mess around with culturally iconic works of literature.

    But I have to admit, the first thing I thought of was the 60 Minutes piece a saw a couple of days ago of the cultural genocide of the Canadian Native Americans at the hands of the Canadian government and Catholic Church. I'm sure those practices were widely replicated in the US, but this piece just happened to focus on Canada.

    It does hurt when people mess with one's tradition and culture. I'd rather no cultural invaders mess with James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but on the scale of outrageousness compared with what has happened in to Native and enslaved people at the hands of the colonial invaders, I'll give this a .2 on a scale of 0-10.
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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    This book revision is silly and unnecessary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    This book revision is silly and unnecessary.
    There seems to be a sort of woke industry rising up to meet our need to be told what to think and feel. The sensitive snowflakes of the Inclusive Mind Collective probably don’t think their paychecks are silly and unnecessary. The people creating websites to let us know which computer games are taboo because they were based on books by an author with taboo opinions are certainly interested in their click count.

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    I could write pages about the woke police actions. Maybe I will write a bit about a couple of of the more egregious policing incidents.

    Today my favorite bit of outrageousness is the college professor who showed, as a part of art history, a painting depicting the prophet Muhammad. Prior to the showing, she warned everyone in advance it would be shown. The particular piece of art she showed had been commissioned by a Muslim man centuries ago. It was not any sort of parody, it was a respectful depiction of Muhammad.

    The woke police took her down on her college campus.

    I wonder if any of them actually know the reason behind Mohammad banned in imagery?*

    I doubt it.

    * Muhammad images are only considered wrong in some Islamic circles, not in all circles. And not for the reason you would think.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...ages-rcna66250

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    There seems to be a sort of woke industry rising up to meet our need to be told what to think and feel. The sensitive snowflakes of the Inclusive Mind Collective probably don’t think their paychecks are silly and unnecessary. The people creating websites to let us know which computer games are taboo because they were based on books by an author with taboo opinions are certainly interested in their click count.
    I love it that J. K. Rowling is so fkng rich she cannot be canceled.

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    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    I hear the chattering of the poor poor oppressed Bandar-log.

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post
    I hear the chattering of the poor poor oppressed Bandar-log.
    who is the oppressed in your example? If you mean those charging Islamaphobic action:

    If I were of woke stuff, I might gently point out that likening the complainant Muslim girl in this story, a young woman with dark skin, to monkeys in Kipling’s book is…problematic. I think you can see that.

    See? The wokeness knows no bounds.

    But since you may be referring to the oppressed here as the professor, well, I disagree. Being cancelled by losing your job is a rather outsized punishment for an action that was clearly meant in respect and sensitivity.

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    "Some animals are more oppressed than others."

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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    who is the oppressed in your example? If you mean those charging Islamaphobic action:

    If I were of woke stuff, I might gently point out that likening the complainant Muslim girl in this story, a young woman with dark skin, to monkeys in Kipling’s book is…problematic. I think you can see that.

    See? The wokeness knows no bounds.

    But since you may be referring to the oppressed here as the professor, well, I disagree. Being cancelled by losing your job is a rather outsized punishment for an action that was clearly meant in respect and sensitivity.
    Wouldn’t Kipling be dismissed out of hand as an unreconstructed imperialist?

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