Rowling, Blow & Co. - Does Buying Someone's Game Mean You Endorse Their Bullshit?
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Unless you want your kids to be racist. -
Is there an actual source for these changes to Dahl, apart from what is being summed up on some news sites?
Is this true?
Fantastic Mr Fox’s three sons are now his three daughters. -
Why wouldn’t they change it to a son, a daughter, and a not-son-or-daughter?I am a FREE. I am not MAN. A NUMBER. -
Because some of the changes (not sure if true as Kow says) seem literally designed to push peoples’ buttons
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There is nothing more woke, more PC, about having three daughters over three sons. If a real change it’s inexplicable
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Most of the changes being proposed are pointless if I'm going to be honest but I think its worth looking at this for what it is. The Publisher, Puffin books, probably is hoping that by making these changes they will achieve extra sales. Maybe Sales have started to sagg and they think that by appealing to more liberal minded Parents that they can make Dahls books more appealing.
As a comparison, I've never thought of buying my daughter an Enid Blyton book because when I think of Blyton, it tends to be more about the reacist stuff than any quality of the writing. And maybe Dahl is now in the category for parents younger than me.
The cynic in me wonders is this an attempt to shift old stock as well (quick, buy up the Roald Dahls before they get edited) The Guardian article doesnt fill me with confidence that this is a sensible thing to do and I cant see it going down well with Fans but maybe there are Parents who have stayed away because of certain perceptions of the books.
But again, I dont think this is that big a deal. This isnt a goverment mandate or law. Its a publisher trying to get more blood from their investment which surely has returned enough cash now. Even give them the ebenfit of the doubt, maybe they do feel the originals are unsuited for todays audience and can be improved. Spielberg thaought walkie talkies were needed in ET . Or Maybe its time to retire Dahl and take a punt on more modern writers instead (although I think Brooks is a bit on the money as to why this might not be the way)
I'd be sad to see a watered down version of Dahls works but these books are decades old. They have had their time.
Now they just need to get rid of the child orgy in It.SFV - reddave360 -
As I said previously, changing the overt racism (which Dahl did himself, and which as vela says is possibly problematic in itself but I sure as shit am not reading a book about a hero with African Pygmy slaves to my kids) is clearly fine and doesn’t do anything to remove overall tone of book
Changing gloop from fat to enormous is weirdly pointless but also has no real impact. In fact I’d argue none of the changes I’ve read about really change the tone, but some seem more pointless than others and if it’s pointless why rlle everyone up -
I mean if were conspiracy minded, I’d see this as a transparent attempt to get culture war headlines from the estate (who are involved and approve the changes) and the publishers, and use publicity to drive up sales
Edit shit RD beat me to it -
Funkstain wrote:I mean if were conspiracy minded, I’d see this as a transparent attempt to get culture war headlines from the estate (who are involved and approve the changes) and the publishers, and use publicity to drive up sales Edit shit RD beat me to it
Yeah - once the publicity kicks in they can always roll back and release the books as originally intended with "careful now" disclaimers for another sales boost.SFV - reddave360 -
I've just read Fantastic Mr Fox again, and there is only one explicit reference to a son, with another being called a thoughtful fellow. I assume that this means this fox is male, but I don't know if this could have been used more generally in Dahls time.
The rest of the time they are small foxes, or children. That the quote from Kow is 3 sons to 3 daughters, when there are 4 children in the story makes me suspect that either its made up, or the remaining 3 have been given an explicit gender that wasn't there originally, and the person comparing is just assuming they were all male.
Honestly, if this is a change they have made, its a change with no negative impact at all. -
Why not just leave it at no specific gender then? That would seem to be even more in line with current values.
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Diluted Dante wrote:Honestly, if this is a change they have made, its a change with no negative impact at all.
Yeah, but its not a positive one either. Its change for changes sake. So whats the point? It actually takes from more legit changes. Unless its to create publicity through controversy and we all know controversy leads to...SFV - reddave360 -
Prizes? -
Arguments about pronunciation.
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Frosty wrote:I read the Agatha Christie book And Then There Were None recently and was a little put off by how antisemitic some of the characters were. That took me to its wiki page where I discovered this was an edited version as the original was actually called capital n word Island and the kinda creepy little poem about little soldier boys that runs through it was not originally about little soldier boys. Horrible. I just wanted to read a nice murder mystery.
Pretty sure it was originally called "Ten little N******". At least I could swear the copy I read was. I think it was changed to "Ten Little Indians" at some point, because that's fine. -
SFV - reddave360
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Unlikely wrote:Frosty wrote:I read the Agatha Christie book And Then There Were None recently and was a little put off by how antisemitic some of the characters were. That took me to its wiki page where I discovered this was an edited version as the original was actually called capital n word Island and the kinda creepy little poem about little soldier boys that runs through it was not originally about little soldier boys. Horrible. I just wanted to read a nice murder mystery.
Pretty sure it was originally called "Ten little N******". At least I could swear the copy I read was. I think it was changed to "Ten Little Indians" at some point, because that's fine.
Holy fuck , it was originally 10 little n***** because thats an old kids rhyme and is apparently key to the plot or something. In the states it became 'and then there was none" based on the last few words of the rhyme (and in the states 10 little injuns is the rhyme hence its inclusion)SFV - reddave360 -
Unlikely wrote:Frosty wrote:I read the Agatha Christie book And Then There Were None recently and was a little put off by how antisemitic some of the characters were. That took me to its wiki page where I discovered this was an edited version as the original was actually called capital n word Island and the kinda creepy little poem about little soldier boys that runs through it was not originally about little soldier boys. Horrible. I just wanted to read a nice murder mystery.
Pretty sure it was originally called "Ten little N******". At least I could swear the copy I read was. I think it was changed to "Ten Little Indians" at some point, because that's fine.
You are right. I was thinking of the name of the island in the book -
Brooks wrote:Or they could consume modern stuff already written with a modern audience in mind, but that would mean paying modern authors more often and that's annoying.
I like this.
Maybe Roald Dahl has written some things that are no longer suitable for children, or for a pluralistic society. Probably not whole books, but passages or verbs within.
Our kids have been reading Marge in Charge by Isla Fisher, for example. It has a similar silly tone, but it's informed by what is acceptable now.
I am certain there are many other authors who could offer plenty of other excellent alternatives.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness." ― Terry Pratchett -
Dahl was a cunt by all accounts (read about this in the papers today).
I really, really hate this sort of thing but I accept that some changes probably have to be made from time to time. These books have been changed by Puffin.
I think what sticks is my throat are the changes were likely made by a parcel of spineless talentless groupthinkers not fit to spell check Dahl's work, never mind change it.
if the changes were done by a talented writer who is an uber Dahl fan then we would probably get versions that retain the feel of the mischief of the old rascal instead of a 1984-esque redaction / global search and replace by committee. Of course the originals should be sacrosanct and also be made available with whatever disclaimer the lawyers want.Holding the wrong end of the stick since 2009. -
They should get Tom Fletcher to do it.
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Vela wrote:
I like this. Maybe Roald Dahl has written some things that are no longer suitable for children, or for a pluralistic society. Probably not whole books, but passages or verbs within. Our kids have been reading Marge in Charge by Isla Fisher, for example. It has a similar silly tone, but it's informed by what is acceptable now. I am certain there are many other authors who could offer plenty of other excellent alternatives.Brooks wrote:Or they could consume modern stuff already written with a modern audience in mind, but that would mean paying modern authors more often and that's annoying.
Apparently Bluey is sound as fuck as kids TV programming goes. -
Bluey is awesome. -
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Send messagedavyK wrote:I think what sticks is my throat are the changes were likely made by a parcel of spineless talentless groupthinkers not fit to spell check Dahl's work, never mind change it.
if the changes were done by a talented writer who is an uber Dahl fan then we would probably get versions that retain the feel of the mischief of the old rascal instead of a 1984-esque redaction / global search and replace by committee. Of course the originals should be sacrosanct and also be made available with whatever disclaimer the lawyers want.
The changes were made by Inclusive Minds, an inclusivity collective."ERE's like Mr. Muscle, he loves the things he hates" -
Bluey is decent but I still hold Sarah and Duck in higher regard.
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EvilRedEye wrote:
The changes were made by Inclusive Minds, an inclusivity collective.I think what sticks is my throat are the changes were likely made by a parcel of spineless talentless groupthinkers not fit to spell check Dahl's work, never mind change it. if the changes were done by a talented writer who is an uber Dahl fan then we would probably get versions that retain the feel of the mischief of the old rascal instead of a 1984-esque redaction / global search and replace by committee. Of course the originals should be sacrosanct and also be made available with whatever disclaimer the lawyers want.
Ah. So that's all right then. Fuck. Me.
Holding the wrong end of the stick since 2009. -
Unlikely wrote:Bluey is decent but I still hold Sarah and Duck in higher regard.
QUACK"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness." ― Terry Pratchett
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