[News] Enid Blyton, classed as xenophobic.

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I didn't say that there were too many for my liking, be fair. The point I was trying to make, probably clumsily, is that adverts are no longer representative of modern day society. Do you really believe that the seller decides on the make up of adverts based solely on its target audience for sales? I have several friends who work in the advertising area and I know for a fact that there are more factors at play that that.

You do have a point. Yes, I suspect that some sellers think that a bit of virtue signaling may help sell a product. However the decision making will be entirely driven by what is deemed cost effective, to maximise sales. But that hardly constitues always selecting the black bloke when two equal candidates apply for he job, which is what you appear to be suggesting. And invoking this as the archetype of Political Correctness Gone Mad (implied if not explicitly stated), and connecting this to a decision to not warmly embrace Blyton (a decision taken in the 1950s) is, if I may say so, outré.

 

[BLOCK F]

I think you're reading too much into it old pal, or possible too little

If I posted a pic of my Rupert annual on NSC I suspect I'd get a life ban, and yet the little Nutwood tinker and his originator are lauded, with a street in Canterbury named after her! The writer and illustrator on the dubious volume I own was Fred Bestall, whose reputation is untarnished.

So, I suspect that the blind eye of 'all a long time ago' was not turned on our Enid, even in the 60s, as others have pointed out, because "Blyton's work became increasingly controversial among literary critics, teachers and parents from the 1950s onwards, because of the alleged unchallenging nature of her writing and the themes of her books, particularly the Noddy series. Some libraries and schools banned her works, which the BBC had refused to broadcast from the 1930s until the 1950s, because they were perceived to lack literary merit. Her books have been criticised as being elitist, sexist, racist, xenophobic and at odds with the more progressive environment emerging in post-Second World War Britain, but they have continued to be best-sellers since her death in 1968"

It also may be the case that as her treatment of her husband suggests, she was a nasty piece of work: "Blyton's marriage to Pollock became troubled for years, and according to Crowe's memoir, Blyton began a series of affairs, including a lesbian relationship with one of the children's nannies. In 1941 Blyton met Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters, a London surgeon with whom she began a serious affair. Pollock discovered the liaison, and threatened to initiate divorce proceedings against Blyton. Fearing that exposure of her adultery would ruin her public image, it was ultimately agreed that Blyton would instead file for divorce against Pollock. According to Crowe's memoir, Blyton promised that if he admitted to infidelity she would allow him parental access to their daughters; but after the divorce he was forbidden to contact them, and Blyton ensured he was subsequently unable to find work in publishing. Pollock, having married Crowe on 26 October 1943, eventually resumed his heavy drinking and was forced to petition for bankruptcy in 1950"

Regarding Noddy :"Some librarians felt that Blyton's restricted use of language, a conscious product of her teaching background, was prejudicial to an appreciation of more literary qualities. In a scathing article published in Encounter in 1958, the journalist Colin Welch remarked that it was "hard to see how a diet of Miss Blyton could help with the 11-plus or even with the Cambridge English Tripos", but reserved his harshest criticism for Blyton's Noddy, describing him as an "unnaturally priggish ... sanctimonious ... witless, spiritless, snivelling, sneaking doll.""

I tried reading a Noddy book once when I was about 7 and thought it was boring rubbish, and that Noddy was clearly a ****.

Some time ago, I watched a good film on telly about her life. She was ,indeed, a nasty piece of work; however, being the age I am, I thoroughly enjoyed reading many of her books when I was a youngster, just like millions of other children. One can see why her stories would be unacceptable by the standards of today, though.

 

[AmexRuislip]

From a man as old as me and just as 'noisy'? I raise an eyebrow.

If ever in 'ish' years time, any heritage sites put up a blue plaque for JK Rowling, then cite her for literacy inadequacies, where she has mentioned 'mud bloods'
(a slur word in the wizarding world), i'll eat my hat, if I had one.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Mrs T. There is a politician in a million; a wonderful intellect and principles to match. Shame we don't have a few more such politicians nowadays.

I know several people with a degree in chemistry. They are good on principles, such as the law of mass action, but intellects they certainly are not

 

[vagabond]

The point is you seemed to be disparaging an imagined modern reappraising of Blyton by invoking Huckleberry Finn.

Was just posting that quote to show that both were considered controversial over sixty years ago!

Honestly I feel the same way about both. Of their times, and those times adhered to values we now recognise as not being completely wholesome.

Definitely wouldn’t burn them or destroy the memories of them or their authors. It’s a piece of history.

I read the Blyon books, knowing at the time they had racist values. In someways that may have arguably been a good education for a child in and of itself.

 

[Chicken Run]

Being facetious then being taken literally is a hilarious feature of this thread.

What next? Sailors denied their jigger of rum? Political correctness gone mad.

Tot?


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[Sid in the Sharknado]

Mrs T. There is a politician in a million; a wonderful intellect and principles to match. Shame we don't have a few more such politicians nowadays.

We should chop her goolies off as well.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

If ever in 'ish' years time, any heritage sites put up a blue plaque for JK Rowling, then cite her for literacy inadequacies, where she has mentioned 'mud bloods'
(a slur word in the wizarding world), i'll eat my hat, if I had one.

 

[Diablo]

No Golliwog to be seen ..Robertsons Golden shred Marmalade now has Bear picture. (Paddington ?)

 

[vagabond]

Some time ago, I watched a good film on telly about her life. She was ,indeed, a nasty piece of work;.

People keep saying this. I genuinely want to understand what she did that made her so.

Aside from being a lesbian and getting divorced (which we obviously agree is nothing terrible..). What did she do? This peaked my interest so had a look on wiki and nothing appears to be crazy evil?

 

[darkwolf666]

Maybe we should start a list, or a new thread, like the count to 500,000 one, where we just all name someone who should be airbrushed from history, despite the perceived good they did at their time...

I start with Winston Churchill...

 

[Insel affe]

Unfortunately she was a product of her time, her kind of attitude was prevalent in that period, which does not make it right, but must be taken into account, I guess.

But apart from all that her books were utter shite, she wrote on average 15 books a year, how she is recognised as a literary genius is beyond me.

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

Yes.
Enid Blytons books do contain rascist and xenophobic attitudes.

 

[Bakero]

Maybe we should start a list, or a new thread, like the count to 500,000 one, where we just all name someone who should be airbrushed from history, despite the perceived good they did at their time...

I start with Winston Churchill...

How exactly is Enid Blyton, or anyone for that matter, being airbrushed from history?

 

[keaton]

Maybe we should start a list, or a new thread, like the count to 500,000 one, where we just all name someone who should be airbrushed from history, despite the perceived good they did at their time...

I start with Winston Churchill...

She's being airbrushed from history now? When did this happen?
All I've seen is that the English heritage's website and app will feature some more information?

 

[Diablo]

Isn`t everyone xenophobic to some degree ? I for one generally prefer my own countrymen to foreigners.

 

[GT49er]

If ever in 'ish' years time, any heritage sites put up a blue plaque for JK Rowling, then cite her for literacy inadequacies, where she has mentioned 'mud bloods'
(a slur word in the wizarding world), i'll eat my hat, if I had one.

Rowling's books are extremely well written, so to cite them for literary inadequacies would be stupid. Even as a ten year old boy, I could sort of see what the teachers meant about Blyton's writing in the Famous Five and other books, not being very good.

 

[vagabond]

Yes.
Enid Blytons books do contain rascist and xenophobic attitudes.

I’m fairly certain no one here disagrees with that [emoji106]

 

[GT49er]

View attachment 137775

No Golliwog to be seen ..Robertsons Golden shred Marmalade now has Bear picture. (Paddington ?)

Oh how I wanted one of those die-cast metal badges - Golliwog footballer, cricketer, tennis player - there was a whole range of them. Trouble is, you had to collect quite a lot of labels, and then still pay money (4/6d iirc) to get one!

Rip off!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

She was a terrible writer, regardless of how many books she sold. I couldn't stand her stuff even when I was in infants school.

And she was racist. And sexist. And probably homophobic although I don't think many of her books delved to deep there.