Olaf Myfrenzargay
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2021
Tom Sawyer’s Island at WDW has got to be on the list to go. Tom Sawyer. Huck Finn. All the same to mindless censorship.
This isn't about censorship, or wokeness, or cancel culture. Dr. Seuss' estate decided last year, on their own, that they didn't want to publish 6 - out of 60 - books that they decided have offensive content. I can't for the life of me figure out why people have flipped out so much about this! It's really not that big a deal that a private company is pulling some of their lesser-known books because the company considers them offensive today. People are legitimately this upset about it? Baffling.
Tom Sawyer’s Island at WDW has got to be on the list to go. Tom Sawyer. Huck Finn. All the same to mindless censorship.
Tom Sawyer’s Island at WDW has got to be on the list to go. Tom Sawyer. Huck Finn. All the same to mindless censorship.
Great books, just saying, if you want to understand the time and place. But context is everything. If we looked at just about any Victorian book, they might be removed because in those women had very little power. Sad thing is that was true then.
We are homeschoolers and for History we follow a 4-year cycle, so all of history is covered in 4 years and then you start over again (deeper). In one year both the Incas and slavery were covered, and that upset her greatly. We weren't quite done with the year, when we read "Life for Medieval Women" or something like that. The misery in it pushed her over the edge. It was too much for her gentle soul and she declared herself DONE with that part of history.
I knew about the mouse fur eyebrows, but not that one.I guess she probably wouldn't want to know about Renaissance women having mice living in their hairdos.
As an Asian-American, incredibly disheartening to see some of the commenters here harping against the decision made by the Dr. Seuss estate to stop publishing some of their books based on the racist imagery. I remember reading those books as a kid and being confused and upset but I couldn't articulate why - now I can, and I'm thankful for their decision.
I've seen some argue that this is erasing history - in what way? Dr. Seuss aren't history books. and actual history depicting the history of racism is still taught in schools, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese internment camps (although I'd argue not enough). And having these in circulation prior hasn't done anything to mitigate the rising hate crimes against Asian-Americans in the past year, so I don't buy the argument that these books had any effect on reducing racism.
...but I also have never heard someone cite Dr. Suess as the reason why their kids grew up treating people different in a negative way...actually quite the opposite.
Do you buy that these books and Suess land perpetuate racism in the minds of young children and push them towards racist tendencies?
I wouldnt dispute your feelings on the subject, but I also have never heard someone cite Dr. Suess as the reason why their kids grew up treating people different in a negative way...actually quite the opposite.
Where is the evidence of Disney being a Nazi sympathizer?Speaking of checked pasts. What about Walt Disney being a Nazi sympathizer? Wouldn't that eliminate going to any of the Disney parks?
There have been several times in the last few years that I've learned a really dark thing about someone that was a hero. As in my first reaction is, "What a douche!" is the mildest reaction.
I knew about the mouse fur eyebrows, but not that one.
We recently got done reading a true story about a girl and her family sent to Siberia for being Jews. She asked why we needed to read that since it wasn't fun. I said that we need to know that these things have happened because otherwise we would think they couldn't happen, then they would.
There is not a single "source" that someone can point to and say "because of this one thing, it led me on this path......". It's the culminated collective of all external influences that shape ones attitudes both consciously and subconsciously.
And just because something might not straight out incite racism (like coming right out and saying to treat others more poorly because of their race), we should still be taking a critical look at things that portray a tolerance of racist imagery/stereotypes. No different than when years ago Disney decided to stop publishing/showing Song of the South.
Seuss' work in general is indeed great for kids, and they'll all get to continue enjoying his 54 other books.
If we are indeed a society that does not tolerate racism in any form then I see no valid argument against the stopping of publication of entertainment publications that contain negative imagery of other races.
Where is the evidence of Disney being a Nazi sympathizer?
Just playing devil's advocate...wouldn't you prefer that they correct the images that bother you?.....