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[News] Enid Blyton, classed as xenophobic.







darkwolf666

Well-known member
Nov 8, 2015
7,655
Sittingbourne, Kent
How exactly is Enid Blyton, or anyone for that matter, being airbrushed from history?

Maybe airbrushed was the wrong choice of word - it's just this perceived desperate news to go back through history and find people who longer stand up to modern standards. Why?

As others have said, it was of its time - we could find 100s of people who did "good" during their time who no longer fit the modern era's standards...
 


Zebedee

Anyone seen Florence?
Jul 8, 2003
8,052
Hangleton
:fishing:

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 :shrug:

I had the pleasure of taking the minutes at several Cabinet meetings that Mrs T chaired so I speak from having first hand experience of having seen her in operation and can say that she was a very intelligent, principled, politician who was very highly thought of both within her party and by her equivalents overseas. She also had an awesome presence and an amazing work ethic, something that our Boris and his cohorts could only dream of.
 


BLOCK F

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
6,723
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?

Can’t recall the name of the film, but it is worth trying to find out.
My wife and I were both fans of her books when we were sprogs, but, having watched the film, were both of the opinion that she wasn’t a very nice person. I have no idea how accurate the portrayal was, but there is plenty of stuff on Google suggesting she was not all ‘ sweetness and light’....far from it.
 


A1X

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 1, 2017
20,544
Deepest, darkest Sussex
How exactly is Enid Blyton, or anyone for that matter, being airbrushed from history?

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?

I saw a neighbour mention her name and within seconds she had been taken into custody by some men in balaclavas driving an unmarked black van while three helicopters swirled overhead recording it, from which one voice boomed "nothing to see here, go about your lawful business". They also raided her house and left with what I can only describe as lashings of ginger beer in bags marked "evidence".
 




Brovion

In my defence, I was left unsupervised.
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
19,864
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.
And possibly supported peadophiles. She did have a character called Mr Pink-Whistle who hung around children's playgrounds. One of the stories was called "Mr Pink-Whistle interferes". To be fair though I don't think it was actually about child abuse.
 








KZNSeagull

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
21,094
Wolsingham, County Durham
Can’t recall the name of the film, but it is worth trying to find out.
My wife and I were both fans of her books when we were sprogs, but, having watched the film, were both of the opinion that she wasn’t a very nice person. I have no idea how accurate the portrayal was, but there is plenty of stuff on Google suggesting she was not all ‘ sweetness and light’....far from it.

Film was called "Enid" with Helena B-C
 


Worried Man Blues

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2009
7,288
Swansea
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!

I've got the paper one of a footballer, only need another 299 and a few pence and I'm there.
 






vagabond

Well-known member
May 17, 2019
9,804
Brighton
Can’t recall the name of the film, but it is worth trying to find out.
My wife and I were both fans of her books when we were sprogs, but, having watched the film, were both of the opinion that she wasn’t a very nice person. I have no idea how accurate the portrayal was, but there is plenty of stuff on Google suggesting she was not all ‘ sweetness and light’....far from it.

Good shout. I’ll have to give that a watch [emoji106]
 








Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,119
Faversham
Maybe airbrushed was the wrong choice of word - it's just this perceived desperate news to go back through history and find people who longer stand up to modern standards. Why?

As others have said, it was of its time - we could find 100s of people who did "good" during their time who no longer fit the modern era's standards...

This thread has unleashed all sorts of misconceptions. I think the OP owes us all an apology ???
 




BLOCK F

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
6,723
Precisely. Same with music. I had on tape a track played on the John Peel programme in the early 70s, by the Heavy Metal kids called 'the cops are coming' part of the narrative of which includes a 13 year old being raped. It was perfectly acceptable as presented, back then (as was Peel's constant drooling over 'school girls'), but today the track is shocking. Meanwhile, Peel is still revered presumably because he did not collect enemies by being unpleasant (in contrast to Blyton).

Hmm, I reckon John Peel may well have been in a ‘spot of bother’ if he hadn’t died in 2004 and before the Savile horrors came to light. His predilection for under age girls is well documented.
Good thing Anne from the Famous Five never met him.:down:
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,119
Faversham
I had the pleasure of taking the minutes at several Cabinet meetings that Mrs T chaired so I speak from having first hand experience of having seen her in operation and can say that she was a very intelligent, principled, politician who was very highly thought of both within her party and by her equivalents overseas. She also had an awesome presence and an amazing work ethic, something that our Boris and his cohorts could only dream of.

My favourite photo of old whatserface

tara.PNG
 




Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
25,922
So what have we established.

A famous writer has a blue plaque. It's staying up.

Information on the writer's works has been updated in a page that reflects the attitudes of some in her time as well as this.

Some folk are getting annoyed about it.

It all seems a bit noddy.
 




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