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Roald Dahl Books Rewritten to Remove Language Deemed Offensive

Should this have been done?

  • No. The loonatics still have control of the asylum.

    Votes: 169 79.3%

  • Yes. I love my blue hair and will be having vegan pasta for dinner.

    Votes: 6 2.8%

  • Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-doo

    Votes: 38 17.8%
  • Total voters
    213
IDKFA

IDKFA

Member
Tams said:
Even the French are getting one in.

www.theguardian.com

Publisher of Roald Dahl books in French has ‘no plans’ for rewrite

Gallimard says it will not be following English example and making any changes to the texts
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

It won't apply to anyone other than fellow Brits, but this is now a matter of honour. The cheese-eating surrender monkeys are now mocking us. These 'sensitivity readers' need to be banished for bringing humiliation upon us!
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Antoine Chéron, a lawyer with ACBM, a Paris firm specialising in author’s rights, said it was not illegal in France to change a dead author’s works “but it is dangerous for culture”.

“How far back should we go? Baudelaire? Voltaire? The Bible? If books are changed in this way they are not the original works. It’s not far off censorship,” Chéron said.

“This is our artistic history. I would be in favour of completely getting rid of the work rather than changing it if we feel it offends current thinking, but again, where do you stop? Who decides what is now offensive or goes against current thinking? This seems to be an attack on artistic creation and freedom of expression.”

This. Absolutely this. Where does this stop? Puffin books claim they are making the changes for a modern audience, but does that mean in 30 years time they'll have to be changed again, then changed again in another 30 years? Shall we just keep reviewing classical books and making changes to them indefinitely?

I really hope this backfires for Puffin books and they back down.
 
kruis

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
LegendOfKage

LegendOfKage

Member
OmegaSupreme said:
He hates C.S Lewis? How shocking! /s

Demolition Man or Equilibrium future looking more and more real every passing day. John Spartan you are fined one credit for using fat phobic language.
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This concept was also explored in a really good episode of The Orville.


NeoIkaruGAF said:
Um, wasn’t there a big fuss in academia just a few years ago to outright ban those books and several others with racially sensitive themes and language?
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I would honestly prefer any book be removed over its publisher changing the writing. At least wherever that book still exists, it still contains the author's original work.
 
Lord Panda

Lord Panda

The Sea is Always Right
f2f0fb829d0c63ba7b3f0bfc2b077dac7c0a880e
 
Raistandantulus

Raistandantulus

Member
Tams said:
Puffin/Penguin definitely misjudged this. I reckon they made all these changes in a bubble.
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It does seem to be their own bubble. The hiring of Inclusive Minds appears to coincide with the antisemitism apology. It made me wonder if the review may have been related and given a wide mandate.
 
cormack12

cormack12

Member
I read something that they might be doing this to extend the current copyright (ends in 2060ish?). So the estate are supportive. Not sure if that's true or if it would only apply to the edited versions. But I guess the plan would be to only sell the edited copies and phase out originals over the next 30 years?
 
Dr.Morris79

Dr.Morris79

Member
poppabk said:
I loved the original books and don't have a problem with the language they used. But honestly I don't have a problem with the minor changes they are making either, they don't really change anything about the actual stories. The books are for kids, I honestly don't think Roald Dahl would object.
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The lotus eaters done a pretty good video on it. They raise a few points on what the actual problem with all this is



And yes, through their changes, some of the core messages through the story change completely.

This should never be allowed, in any past text. It's pure vandalism and these people should be held to account.
 
kruis

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
www.independent.co.uk

Camilla forces U-turn in Roald Dahl censorship row

The Queen Consort let it be known that she championed the right of freedom of expression at a speech at Clarence House
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk

The Queen Consort has forced publisher Puffin UK to back down on its censorship of Roald Dahl books after she intervened in the decision to edit his words.

Camilla gave an impassioned defence of free speech and the right of writers to express themselves at Clarence House on Thursday 23 February, just days after she let it be known privately that she had serious concerns over the changes to Dahl’s books.

Last week, it emerged that the best-selling children’s books were being rewritten to remove language considered offensive by Puffin.

The word “fat”, for example, had been cut from every book. Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is instead described as “enormous”.

Puffin has now issued a statement announcing that it will make both the original and censored versions available to readers.
Click to expand...
 
Raistandantulus

Raistandantulus

Member
kruis said:
www.independent.co.uk

Camilla forces U-turn in Roald Dahl censorship row

The Queen Consort let it be known that she championed the right of freedom of expression at a speech at Clarence House
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
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Camilla gives a good moment for the company to gracefully appear to backpedal to the highest authority. Puffin should inquire about calling the original edition The Royal Roald Dahl Classic Collection.
That aspiration aside, refining directives and tuning marketing could make a go of these different editions.
 
Toons

Toons

Member
OmegaSupreme said:
Imagine thinking this is nothing
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I mean kids books aren't exactly running the societal zeitgeist. Im guessing if someone had me read the new version and didn't tell me it was changed i wouldn't have noticed.

Its social media outrage that is the reason we are even talking about it. And ironically it's likely social media is the reason it even happened
 
F

FireFistAce

Member
Toons said:
I mean kids books aren't exactly running the societal zeitgeist. Im guessing if someone had me read the new version and didn't tell me it was changed i wouldn't have noticed.

Its social media outrage that is the reason we are even talking about it. And ironically it's likely social media is the reason it even happened
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They could have outright banned the books and you would say that its just kids books and that there’s nothing wrong with it.
 
Bragr

Bragr

Member
Toons said:
I mean kids books aren't exactly running the societal zeitgeist. Im guessing if someone had me read the new version and didn't tell me it was changed i wouldn't have noticed.

Its social media outrage that is the reason we are even talking about it. And ironically it's likely social media is the reason it even happened
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So that is your criteria? if you don't notice it, it's fine to rewrite books?
 
JayK47

JayK47

Member
Is this a win? The edited will still be out there and likely most people won't know which one they are buying. Will it say something like Pussy Edition?
 
Toons

Toons

Member
Bragr said:
So that is your criteria? if you don't notice it, it's fine to rewrite books?
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Not necessarily, but I dont think it's a big deal in this instance and werr it not for culture war shenanigans no one would care.
FireFistAce said:
They could have outright banned the books and you would say that its just kids books and that there’s nothing wrong with it.
Click to expand...
Not exactly, With the prospect of changing the wording theres nuance there, is the original message of rhe book being altered or is this just a surface level rewording, like a modernized romeo and juliet retelling with modern dialect for ease of reading? We have tons of Bible rewordings as well, but for the majority of them the general idea and story is still conveyed.

When you're talking about book bans(which we've also seen lately) that's a specific intend to suppress or prevent not only the publication, but also the discovery and discussion of such works.

Both aren't always great, but one is significantly more extreme than the other
 
Bragr

Bragr

Member
Toons said:
Not necessarily, but I dont think it's a big deal in this instance and werr it not for culture war shenanigans no one would care.

Not exactly, With the prospect of changing the wording theres nuance there, is the original message of rhe book being altered or is this just a surface level rewording, like a modernized romeo and juliet retelling with modern dialect for ease of reading? We have tons of Bible rewordings as well, but for the majority of them the general idea and story is still conveyed.

When you're talking about book bans(which we've also seen lately) that's a specific intend to suppress or prevent not only the publication, but also the discovery and discussion of such works.

Both aren't always great, but one is significantly more extreme than the other
Click to expand...
I think plenty of people would care if any well-known book was changed like this.

Romeo and Juliet were rewritten in ways for us to understand, it's a different thing entirely and the original is still right there for everyone, and we know the difference between the two. This case right here is like if they changed the original works of Romeo and Juliet, if they removed the suicide end because it was offensive.

They were gonna change the books and sell them like Roald Dahl books before they got the blowback.
 
Toons

Toons

Member
Bragr said:
I think plenty of people would care if any well-known book was changed like this.

Romeo and Juliet were rewritten in ways for us to understand, it's a different thing entirely and the original is still right there for everyone, and we know the difference between the two. This case right here is like if they changed the original works of Romeo and Juliet, if they removed the suicide end because it was offensive.

They were gonna change the books and sell them like Roald Dahl books before they got the blowback.
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I did check some of the edits and lost of them are unnecessary and stupid so I'm inclined to agree with you on this one.
 
Z

zombrex

Member
JayK47 said:
Is this a win? The edited will still be out there and likely most people won't know which one they are buying. Will it say something like Pussy Edition?
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Technically they could continuing publishing the existing versions and not even have copies available for sale while the woke versions are sent to all major retailers and educational suppliers to schools etc. Even if they do make them available it could be limited as digital only or only directly through the publisher. I'd say it's damage control and they will stick to their plans. There are clearly ideological actors behind these changes who are determined to see these changes through.
 
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Marvel14

Marvel14

Member
Toons said:
Not necessarily, but I dont think it's a big deal in this instance and werr it not for culture war shenanigans no one would care.

Not exactly, With the prospect of changing the wording theres nuance there, is the original message of rhe book being altered or is this just a surface level rewording, like a modernized romeo and juliet retelling with modern dialect for ease of reading? We have tons of Bible rewordings as well, but for the majority of them the general idea and story is still conveyed.

When you're talking about book bans(which we've also seen lately) that's a specific intend to suppress or prevent not only the publication, but also the discovery and discussion of such works.

Both aren't always great, but one is significantly more extreme than the other
Click to expand...
The only time it is acceptable is to improve comprehension and intelligibility for audiences while retaining as much of the authors intent as possible. There is nothing in Dahl's work that would qualify and what they are doing is altering his intent. It's vandalism and destruction so that future generations are never exposed to the author's full intent. It's cross generational censorship is what it is.

If you'd written a book you'd know what it's like to agonise over a sentence or a word to get it just right. And now 50 year's later the snowflake generation just wants to shit on your efforts. Dahl would NOT be OK with this. No author would.
 
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gaming_again

gaming_again

Member
Marvel14 said:
The only time it is acceptable is to improve comprehension and intelligibility for audiences while retaining as much of the authors intent as possible. There is nothing in Dahl's work that would qualify and what they are doing is altering his intent. It's vandalism and destruction so that future generations are never exposed to the author's full intent. It's cross generational censorship is what it is.

If you'd written a book you'd know what it's like to agonise over a sentence or a word to get it just right. And now 50 year's later the snowflake generation just wants to shit on your efforts. Dahl would NOT be OK with this. No author would.
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Agreed with all this except the snowflake bit. It’s millennials doing this. OUR generation. Something went wrong.
 
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Tams

Tams

Member
Toons said:
I mean kids books aren't exactly running the societal zeitgeist. Im guessing if someone had me read the new version and didn't tell me it was changed i wouldn't have noticed.

Its social media outrage that is the reason we are even talking about it. And ironically it's likely social media is the reason it even happened
Click to expand...

This is such a stupid argument. Just because you are ignorant of something does not make it not true. You could have been brought up to not think the world is round and now very readily argue that it isn't.
 
J

jezhumphrey75

Member
man id love if eminem was dropping the marshall mathers lp today in this horrible woke world....can you imagine the uproar nowadays...christ it was bad back in 2000.
 
Toons

Toons

Member
Marvel14 said:
The only time it is acceptable is to improve comprehension and intelligibility for audiences while retaining as much of the authors intent as possible. There is nothing in Dahl's work that would qualify and what they are doing is altering his intent. It's vandalism and destruction so that future generations are never exposed to the author's full intent. It's cross generational censorship is what it is.

If you'd written a book you'd know what it's like to agonise over a sentence or a word to get it just right. And now 50 year's later the snowflake generation just wants to shit on your efforts. Dahl would NOT be OK with this. No author would.
Click to expand...

Dahl changed his own writing in his own works multiple times during his life so I'm sure he would've just wanted a say in it.

But this isnt destroying it for future generations in any way. We have the internet, this books text has been widely available for a long time.
 
Toons

Toons

Member
gaming_again said:
Agreed with all this except the snowflake bit. It’s millennials doing this. OUR generation. Something went wrong.
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Yeah, this too.

All the "new generation" stuff is some propaganda. The "new generation" has no money, no power and doesn't run any big corporations. This is either 40-50 year olds who grew up with the original, or even older folks making these decisions.

My guess is they were afraid if some imagined backlash that wouldn't have even happened and wanted to solve s problem that didn't exist.

Oldies still don't understand the populace of social media. No one under 30 cares much about Roald Dahl at all, let alone decided how his books should be working.
 
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