[News] Roald Dahl being updated for modern times

[Kinky Gerbil]

There is so much frothing of the mouths from white, 50+ right wingers that the PM has made a statement on the editing. Rather than concentrating on the Northern Ireland protocol, he knows how to play to the sort of people who’ll be voting for him. They are much more concerned with the word ‘enormous’ replacing the work ‘fat’ in Dahl’s books than holding the government to account for its absolute failure in almost every area it touches.

Fanning the culture war is the only way the Tories can get back in.

People across the board think it's a bit of a meh idea, not just on the right.


is this fanning? Seems quite a reasonable statement

Mr Sunak's spokesperson said: "When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the PM agrees with the BFG that you shouldn't 'gobblefunk' around with words."

They added: "I think it's important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression."

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Roald Dahl

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Absolutely crazy. Genuinely worried about what my future children are going to be taught. I do not know of anyone who would say they were offended by the books of Roald Dahl, nanny state culture in the extreme.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

These days…..

 

[Bold Seagull]

Kind of agree with Philip Pullman, let the stuff go out of print. Let some new works get a look in. Must be plenty of copies of Dahl books in circulation not to need more print runs with edited texts.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Why does this country pander to the snowflakes and woke. Pathetic

 

[Hugo Rune]

People across the board think it's a bit of a meh idea, not just on the right.


is this fanning? Seems quite a reasonable statement

Mr Sunak's spokesperson said: "When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the PM agrees with the BFG that you shouldn't 'gobblefunk' around with words."

They added: "I think it's important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression."

You might think it’s right for the PM to make a statement on the changing of the words ‘fat’ to ‘enormous’ in a book written by a long dead racist many, many year ago by the publishers who have probably only done this to boost sales by creating a story.

The main thrust of my point is that the PM should have more things to worry about. The war in Ukraine, the NI protocol, the cost of living crisis, the removal of support for energy bills, the rampant uncontrolled immigration, the bullying allegation against Raab etc etc.

If you think this story is worth commentating on, you’re the exactly the sort of person the Tory party is targeting for the next election. Forget the clusterf**** our country is in, what about the editing of poor Dahl’s books!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

People across the board think it's a bit of a meh idea, not just on the right.


is this fanning? Seems quite a reasonable statement

Mr Sunak's spokesperson said: "When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the PM agrees with the BFG that you shouldn't 'gobblefunk' around with words."

They added: "I think it's important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression."

It's getting a lot of attention for a something that is *just* a 'meh idea', then...

 

[AmexRuislip]

Gender neutral Oompa Loompas tickles me - what were they before?!

Blueberries grown in Chernobyl.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

You might think it’s right for the PM to make a statement on the changing of the words ‘fat’ to ‘enormous’ in a book written by a long dead racist many, many year ago by the publishers who have probably only done this to boost sales by creating a story.

The main thrust of my point is that the PM should have more things to worry about. The war in Ukraine, the NI protocol, the cost of living crisis, the removal of support for energy bills, the rampant uncontrolled immigration, the bullying allegation against Raab etc etc.

If you think this story is worth commentating on, you’re the exactly the sort of person the Tory party is targeting for the next election. Forget the clusterf**** our country is in, what about the editing of poor Dahl’s books!

The way you are going on about this suggests he stopped everything and had a press conference on it rather than having spokesman come up with some words on it.

I don't care on him commenting on it or not, I just don't see how anyone can be triggered by what was said by one of his staff.

Then jumped to the conclusion it's down to the right wing.

 

[Robdinho]

They added: "I think it's important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression."

...as long as it does involve any sort of criticism of the government of course

 

[beorhthelm]

There is so much frothing of the mouths from white, 50+ right wingers that the PM has made a statement on the editing. Rather than concentrating on the Northern Ireland protocol, he knows how to play to the sort of people who’ll be voting for him. They are much more concerned with the word ‘enormous’ replacing the work ‘fat’ in Dahl’s books than holding the government to account for its absolute failure in almost every area it touches.

Fanning the culture war is the only way the Tories can get back in.

made a statement or answered a question? has he come to the house, at the 10 Downing Street lectrum, or issued a PR with some objection, or has a spokesman from the office given a reporter something to print?

this stuff doesn't matter, silly distractions with next to no meaning to anyone except those who initiated it. who are these people and why do they keep starting off these issues?

 

[Swansman]

They did a similar thing with the probably most famous Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren, a few years ago. Pippi Longstockings dad used to be "negerkung" (king of negroes, sort of) which meant very little in the past but sounds bad and silly today.

I have no horse in the "do or don't" race. On one hand, I think a lot of these writers would gladly remove some not particularly important words or phrases that are deemed offensive. On the other hand there is something very ****ish about altering the works of someone who can't have a say about it, and also something slightly anti-intellectual to rewrite history like that.

Though I have no strong view in either direction, I think I'd generally prefer footnotes or a foreword explaining that "the writer wasnt some evil vile racist; this word/phrase was value neutral in 1854, just a heads up bro".

 

[jackanada]

Perhaps worth noting that Dahl himself would not have been entirely averse to the idea.

Originally the Oompa Loompas were iirc black as soot and from darkest Africa. With wonka being effectively a highly benevolent slave owner this was clearly very problematic. When Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was being made into a film as well as the Oompa Loompas being turned orange after a black crew member pointed out the problem it The NAACP wrote to him with their concerns.
He replied that he was sorry for the offence and for his failure to have recognised the problem himself, that he would welcomely receive any other concerns they had and that he would immediately change the text, which he did.

 

[Giraffe]

Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.
- George Orwell, 1984

 

[Giraffe]

Extract from Penguin mission statement:
"...we fiercely protect our authors’ intellectual property and champion freedom of expression, ensuring that their voices carry beyond the page and into the folds of communities and societies around the globe."

Until we don't...

 

[LamieRobertson]

I wouldn't necessarily blame The Gaudrian, they're only reporting the story.

In the Telegraph last week

 

[Live by the sea]

Slightly off topic but Dahl was meant to have been commemorated on a special set of stamps a few years back but the royal mint decided against it as he was known to hold hostile views towards Jewish people

 

[Cheshire Cat]

“References to colours have also been changed - the BFG's coat is no longer black; while Mary in The BFG now goes "still as a statue" instead of "white as a sheet"

I've got a black coat and white sheets.

 

[um bongo molongo]

Why not keep them in the original form, and re-release them in an updated form?

Keeping both options to be available is the better option?

Given the millions of copies in circulation that kind of is already an option. I certainly don’t plan to replace my much loved copies for when I read them with my kids. Some of the updates are a bit ridiculous. Saying Augustus Gloop is fat doesn’t feel like something that needs to be, or indeed should be, corrected.

I did, however, go a bit early with the BFG with my daughter and she had nightmares about being snatched through the window

 

[Guinness Boy]

They did a similar thing with the probably most famous Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren, a few years ago. Pippi Longstockings dad used to be "negerkung" (king of negroes, sort of) which meant very little in the past but sounds bad and silly today.

I have no horse in the "do or don't" race. On one hand, I think a lot of these writers would gladly remove some not particularly important words or phrases that are deemed offensive. On the other hand there is something very ****ish about altering the works of someone who can't have a say about it, and also something slightly anti-intellectual to rewrite history like that.

Though I have no strong view in either direction, I think I'd generally prefer footnotes or a foreword explaining that "the writer wasnt some evil vile racist; this word/phrase was value neutral in 1854, just a heads up bro".

This pretty much nails it.

Imagine there being nuance in the culture wars.