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Should We Edit Our Social History Through Editing Author's Books?
New Edition Of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" & "Tom Sawyer" Removes Mark Twain's "Offensive" Words
Should we be editing era period books?
What might the long term results be? Our history as a society rests with our authors and storytellers. It would seem to me, if we edit out the history we are not comfortable with, we may be doomed to repeat it. Do we want to go the way of sanitizing our social history?
JMO
Maddad
thanks for your comments and participation...MD
#1 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 4:18 PM ESTThis is just stupid.
Hell then they should completely reedit the Bible for all the derogatory terms in it.
Go to your local bookstores now and find the un-edited version before you never see it again. It'll be a collector's item! How sad is -that-!?
Go to your local bookstores now and find the un-edited version before you never see it again. It'll be a collector's item! How sad is -that-!?
That will NEVER happen.
One of the greatest threats to our nation is the pandemic of PC. It is despicable that a literary masterpiece would be edited by the PC Police !! That's along the lines of altering "anatomically correct" works of art !!!The "n" word is a despicable racial slur when uttered by a Caucasian (or any other race) to demean blacks, but it is a part of our history and should be preserved in this classic story.
It has been said that those who forget the mistakes of their past are doomed to repeat them, well those who remove a racial slur because it offends them are helping erase a shameful history that needs to be taught to our young folks so they can be sure not to repeat it !!
I don't think we should change our history. People need to know how things were, so that maybe we won't behave in those ways again. Where would it stop? Can you imagine how many books or films have politically incorrect things in them. Some people claim the holocaust never happened. Why hide the truth about it? Be truthful, so people can be horrified by it, and never want to let something like that happen again.
Maddad,,I just accepted you as a friend. Thanks! Always enjoy reading any of your seeds I come across. Happy New Year !
It is good to leave things alone, as a record to see where we were, and how far we have come
There is actually a messed up basis for the re-write. There are libraries that are not buying books written more than 8 years ago which means that as the old classics wear out they will effectively leave the system. An updated edition will automatically get purchased by library and educational institutions and keep the story alive. Unfortunately altered but out there. JJ
The pc police on crack.
Here is an idea lets edit out the n-word in rap music.
JM
#2 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 5:06 PM ESTAgreed... the language in Huckleberry Finn is meant to describe (and comment on) the language and attitude of the time period in which the book was written!
It's not like your kids haven't heard these words before. At least this puts them in some kind of historic context, instead of rappers using it 500x per song.
I have had young kids playing the garbage around me I got so sick of hearing it.
Music is just like candy good once you toss away the rapper's
JM
Music is just like candy good once you toss away the rapper's
Going to use that line if you don't mind. :)
What's next? Editing Moby Dick to eliminate all mention of the word "whale" because it could hurt the feelings of fat people?
Is it just me, or are we starting the society discussed in Fahrenheit 451?
#3 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 5:44 PM ESTbelle
Not to mention Dick, Im sure that something offends everyone.
Nah, dicks are good playthings. Nothing wrong with dicks :)
Unless you say dicks are for chicks. I am sure some will disagree from both spectrum's.
JM
People that believe historical books should be censored are probably too immature to appreciate the historic and aesthetic value of the literature. Authors write their books with meaning and purpose. There is no meaning in censoring those books.
#4 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 6:41 PM ESTCensoring books is completely wrong. If we don't learn from the past, you are right Maddad... we will repeat it.
The PC police are definitely on crack. I like that post Jon
#5 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 7:12 PM ESTIt would seem to me, if we edit out the history we are not comfortable with, we may be doomed to repeat it.
I agree, we got a new wave of book burners. And they've come to take everything from book classics to ethnic studies.
Banning knowledge never did anyone any good.
#6 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 8:01 PM ESTSeems to me that in order to teach good, ethical, or moral behavior you need to have examples of opposite behavior to open the discussion.
Actually I think the school kids would handle the material a whole lot better than the adults. It's the adults that need to be educated as to how to direct the discussions regarding race in a beneficial manner when they arise.
#8 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 8:22 PM ESTYes Twain's language is controversial. This is a great jumping off point for so many discussions on Race, Cultural History etc. Changing the language would dilute the impact of this great novel. Where do you stop. Do we remove the word from novels by Black Aauthors. What other terms do we remove. Are Chink, Mick , Wop or Injun offensive enough to be removed, where do you stop in this effort to make everything nice and banal.
#9 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 8:30 PM ESTAre Chink, Mick , Wop or Injun offensive enough to be removed,
I don't know about the others but "injun" was the second word that is being edited from the Twain novel. "Injun Joe" is to be changed to "Indian Joe."
#10 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 8:43 PM EST"Injun Joe" is to be changed to "Indian Joe."
I thought the word "Indian" used in reference to a Native American offends some. Shouldn't the edited version, instead, name him "Descended From People Who Immigrated To North America Centuries Ago" Joe?
Book burners are alive and doing quite well. If any of you out there remember the Paladin Press debacle, where some of their books were and are still banned.
I did check a few minutes ago to make sure that this statement is true, and it is with great sadness that it is. Even though we may find these books objectionable, we should always cater to the constitution in these matters.
#11 - Wed Jan 5, 2011 9:05 PM ESTDon't like what is said in the book? THEN DON'T READ THE DAMN THING
Seems pretty cut and dry to me
#15 - Thu Jan 6, 2011 1:09 AM ESTShould We Edit Our Social History Through Editing Author's Books?
I can't vote in polls but the answer is NO!!! How is that any different from any other repressive society in history?
#16 - Thu Jan 6, 2011 1:28 AM ESTI just don't understand why this was even needed, they word is still out there and used everyday. This was a waste of time, money and effort.
#18 - Thu Jan 6, 2011 2:10 PM ESTremoving the "not nice" parts of history might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. We can't just change the past to fit with our ridiculous PC version of what reality "should be" today. history needs to be accurately preserved as it is. We can't make it fit to the fantasy world some people like to live in today where everyone gets along and there never is or were any offensive concepts.
#20 - Thu Jan 6, 2011 4:05 PM ESTYou know what? Killing Native Americans is offensive... I think we should change the story of the trail of tears..... instead of dying... they all got really bad wedgies.
2 things to note here:
1. I know my example is real history and this is about a novel... but it's a short jump between the 2 once we start altering historical facts.
2. I'm really bad at history... so if what I said wasn't part of the trail of tears thing... sorry! lol
Or change the Bataan Death March to the Bataan Stroll Through the Jungle
that's my point kj -- the sweetening of history so it doesn't sound as bad, even though it really sucked!
I like the term used above..."epidemic of PC"...
How Does one choose which things to change? Do they change some and not others? Who decides what is considered offensive?
I believe also that history will repeat itself if we aren't reminded. It's a shame, it's sad, and seriously should not be allowed.
#21 - Thu Jan 6, 2011 5:09 PM ESTno bad words in books, no nipples on tv, we sort of pick and choose our funny like hates
#22 - Fri Jan 7, 2011 12:45 AM ESTTwain used his writings to make statements about social injustices. By removing words or passages from his work, you are taking away his voice. He intentionally wrote the way he did to drive his points. If reading his work as is makes you feel uncomfortable, then he obviously succeeded in making his point. He was not a racist.
To remove anything parts of his work is truly doing an injustice to this great writer.
#23 - Fri Jan 7, 2011 12:52 AM ESTIf it is for selfish purposes no. If it is discovering new information that challenges the book than maybe. Their are multiple perspectives throughout history and today making it impossible to know what is true and what isn't. For all we know Hitler, Elvis and JFK could all still be alive.
#27 - Wed Mar 9, 2011 12:15 PM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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