The publisher of the many books written by Theodor Geisl (“Dr. Seuss”) announced that it was suspending publication of six books that contained demeaning drawings of Asian and African figures.
The books that will no longer be published are:
“And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street”
“If I Ran the Zoo”
“McElligot’s Pool,”
“On Beyond Zebra!,”
“Scrambled Eggs Super!”
“The Cat’s Quizzer.”
Having written a book in 2003 called The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Children Learn, I have a long-standing interest in censorship of books, textbooks, and tests. In that book, I came down on the side of free speech and freedom of expression. I did not grapple, however, with the real dilemma presented by books that contained hateful images, even if they were not seen as such when they were first published. I was looking instead at organized efforts to cleanse publications of anything that might offend anyone, like a reference to a cowboy or a landlady or a man wearing a sombrero or an elderly person using a cane.
I wrote about campaigns to remove Huckleberry Finn from class reading lists, to revise Shakespeare to remove bawdy language, and to remove all gendered roles from books.
If I had the chance to revise The Language Police, I would express a different opinion today. I don’t think that children should be required to read books that contain images that are insulting to people based on their race, gender, ethnicity, or religion.
Dr. Seuss wrote wonderful books that did not contain objectionable images. His work will survive. I actually met Theodor Geisl (Dr. Seuss) at a dinner party at the home of Robert Bernstein, the publisher of Random House. He was not a racist or a sexist. The messages that I got from the books I read to my children were humorous, funny, anti-authoritarian, and very appealing to children. My sons learned to read because we read Dr. Seuss so often, again and again, books like “Cat in the Hat” and “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” Those books taught them the playfulness of language. We also read “I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew,” which had a very important lesson about not imagining that there was some ideal place out there “where they never have troubles, at least very few,” and that it is best to confront the problems you have in the here and the now. I memorized the opening lines of “Happy Birthday to You” because of its wonderful, wacky rhymes. Another favorite “Yertle the Turtle” was an implicit critique of big shots who tried to lord it over everyone else.
So I write as a mother and grandmother who admired Dr. Seuss’s works. Those that contain racist and insensitive images dishonor him. Any offensive images should be cut out.
Republicans have suddenly become big fans of Dr. Seuss, who was a liberal Democrat and a passionate anti-fascist (Antifa). They say that withdrawing his books because of racist imagery is “cancel culture.”
Donald Trump Jr. has been especially vocal about the harm of “cancel culture.” He is suddenly a fan of liberal anti-fascist Dr. Seuss. Real “cancel culture” is trying to cancel the results of a national election because you lost. Real “cancel culture” is suppressing the votes of people who are likely to vote for the other party. The worst “cancel culture” is using your power to cancel democracy.
The wounded Republicans who decry “cancel culture” are worried that the white male dominant culture in which they grew up is slipping away. Trump Sr. said he would put an end to “political correctness,” so that it would once again be fine to make jokes about women and people of color.
Robert Kuttner of The American Prospect expressed his opinion in a Seussian poem:
Kuttner on TAP |
If We Ran the Zoo |
A lefty named Ted used his art to fight bigots His books and cartoons were like tolerance spigots. He located his parables on islands and zoos And adopted the sweet pen name of Doctor Seuss. Some of his Sneetches had bellies with stars They dissed other Sneetches with none upon thars. The north-going Zax dumbly blocked the way Of the south-going Zax so that neither could play. So many of his stories had the same takeaway: No one is privileged, no race should hold sway. Our kids grew up with Ted’s tales as teachers Absorbing the lessons along with the creatures. Some of his stories were merely in fun But Ted Geisel’s great cause was to put hate on the run. His wartime cartoons in the great conflagration Attacked every brand of discrimination. In The Lorax Geisel was an early enviro On gender roles, he was also a tyro. When Mayzie the bird got weary of egg duty Horton pitched in and hatched a beauty. Of course good Doctor Seuss lived in a time When stereotypes were as common as grime. Once in a great while, one crept into his whimsy But against his good deeds the charge of bigot is flimsy. So swap out some pictures But please keep the text And watch who you cancel For you could be next. |
My hunch, having met the real Dr. Seuss, is that if he were alive today, he would change the illustrations in the offending books. And he would applaud the decision to revise them. He was born in 1905; he lived in a time when racism was commonplace and acceptable. It is not any more. And it should never be again. And Dr. Seuss would agree.
Hear, hear! Well spoken!
Thank you for this post. Typically we celebrate Read Across America by celebrating Dr. Seuss. The overall theme changed this year because of the controversy, but most teachers still incorporated Dr. Seuss into the week.
Maybe it’s a good thing that the Trumps are paying attention to Dr. Seuss – if they read the books and embrace the messages. I hope they read Bartholomew and the Oobleck and take the message against greed and authoritarianism to heart. And I would recommend a repeated reading of Lorax (I always tear up at the end when I read it to students – it much better than the movie).
No One Expects The
Spanish Inquisition…Think someone will be able to get Trump to read “green eggs and ham” on camera in front of everyone? You know, instead of just holding it up and posing with it?
I wonder…
haha….. this image made me smile.
Oops – sorry. I should not have posted this Jimmy Kimmel reference. Looking at it again…. but some of this tweet does not reflect my thinking.
Diane – if you are able to remove it I would appreciate it. Thank you.
I watched the Jimmy Kimmel and thought it was funny. But at your request, I deleted it.
Thank you 🙂
For adults who are fans of Turner Classic Movies, TCM has introduced programing to examine stereotypes in films. This is in addition to programing on women who have and are making films, and many rarely seen films for Black history month.
The TCM experts for the current effort do not mince words and they use clips from many films (older and newer) that depict, for example, male violence against women as if perfectly acceptable, the slaughter of American Indians and ersatz appropriations of native clothing, black actors cast in yes-suh roles, white actors pretending to be black and so on.
This link shows which movies have been selected, the schedule for critical commentary about them, and introduces the experts in film and film studies who will be on camera for the series.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-03-04/tcm-problematic-films-reframed
What a great idea! Critically examining the prejudices, bigotry, and stereotypes of another time (not so long ago) is a wonderful stimulus to critical thinking.
Thanks for sharing, I’m a TCM junky. One of my daily routines is to go over the daily TCM schedule to set my dvr. But I’m not a great fan of the hosts.
Context is essential and it shouldn’t lead us to censor. I never shied away from racial or ethnic stereotypes or epithets when I taught. The truth is always good for teaching. Films made during wartime are also great for exposing when we allow prejudices and bigotry to be acceptable. I have a dvd collection of Walt Disney cartoons made during WWII that are great teaching tools. Seeing Donald Duck killing Japanese soldiers while using slurs is something I would want my children, and my students if I were still teaching, to see.
Same with Huck Finn. Sterilizing language and history is just a bit too Stalinist for me.
It’s still somewhat acceptable to make fun of people with a southern accent or from those from Appalachia. Lot’s of current movies and TV shows are guilty of that stereotype. Want someone to look ignorant – give them a southern accent. Kinda horrible and not true. But acceptable.
And how about the culture we are creating in current online content, TV and movie productions. There is lots violence, crude talk, lack of care and empathy….. messages about “empowerment” and taking care of “me”……at the expense of kindness, caring and community. Movies with little plot and lots of mind-numbing “action.” How is this impacting and creating culture today. Here and now. It’s not all positive.
Is accurately portraying accents and sometimes joking about them really a bad thing? And by picking one and claiming it’s a negative stereotype, what does that say about you and others who would agree with that narrow example? I remember the inane arguments made when the film Fargo came out, that it was somehow denigrating, and thinking how idiotic those claims were. One hears those voices sitting in the 5-8 Club in Minneapolis while munching on a Jucy Lucy. Are the Chicago-accents on some Spongebob cartoons denigrating? What about Michiganders, Mainers, Bostonians…? Accents are the music of American language. Wish we had real dialects like in the UK and other languages.
As for expletives, the more of them, the more vibrant the language. But that’s also context. Most of us have different types of language we use among friends, in public, and in business. Let’s not bemoan that fact.
Yes. I think for someone to go out of their way to put on a southern drawl when they are intentionally feigning ignorance – is offensive and widely used.
This is different than using a regional accent / dialect in a movie that portrays characters who use that dialect.
I didn’t state it, thought it was implicit, I was specifically referring to children’s media – the culture we are creating for children. If you don’t have young children or do not watch current content…. take some time to do so. It’s filled with harsh sarcasm, violence and crude language that is affective.
Yes…. adult content is different. I did not “bemoan expletiives and vibrant language” for adults.
I think as a society it is important that we care for young children and that includes the images and language we expose them to in movies and on tv. It is impactful.
I would let children watch this in class. Where does this fit on your very selective spectrum?
A classic.
beachteach: I like this videos for many reasons, but one of them is his plea to look beyond the accent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg9QXrEBFo4
That was beautiful, Ginny! Thanks so much for sharing.
@ bethree5
Love that video of Corey. Thanks for sharing.
I have no problem with the choice not to continue to publish these books. I have a feeling that Theodor Geisl would agree. That is not the same as removing them from circulation. It is foolish to try to wipe out history that makes us uncomfortable now. Heck, we would have to perform a daily mindwipe if we wanted to ignore awareness of history that we could find offensive. Reminds me of The Giver.
Agree. This is the aspect that is not getting enough consideration.
There is no effective cancel culture . Boycotts and shaming seldom work . Their effect may be more over time, changing perspectives on issues which has the power to affect change . The fact that some individuals or corporations are finally responding to criticism is the result of long term enlightenment rather than a comment on Social Media . It was no secret to the Publisher that some of the graphics were racist . Decades after Geisel acknowledged that the images were racily offensive societal attitudes encouraged the Publisher to remove them.
The Right which has been waging culture wars since forever, well since before Goldwater; is now grieving about the efforts to push back on their racism , xenophobia homophobia, anti science and antidemocratic agenda. it would be laughable if they weren’t so dangerous .
What has been cancelled is our understanding of history. We have been teaching myths that are half truths at best, forever . Example: The Boston Tea Party was about taxes on tea . Unlike the statues of Confederate Generals , statues of Columbus were not specifically put up to suppress people . But all it takes is reading his Journals and those of his men to know that a statue is not what he deserved.
Those that would seek to cancel democracy itself deserve to be more than canceled .
racially (edit)
the Dr Seuss lesson last week was the first and only enjoyable activity of the entire past year at school for the child in my household. Common Core is despicable.
I am all for “Cancel Culture” if that results in stripping billionaires of the power they have over our government, and getting rid of racism and white supremacy. I don’t agree with censoring books and history that reveal what racism, hate, and greed meant in the era of racism, hate, and greed.
But those that shout “cancel culture” the loudest, fear losing exactly what I want our culture to get rid of.
I don’t want to drive racism and greed underground where they will survive in the swampy darkness where lies and conspiracy theories lurk that Donald Trump and his supporters love.
I mean we must cancel the power of racism and greed until they are gone so we don’t have a repeat of what happened under Trump.
“I mean we must cancel the power of racism and greed…”
Yes!
Amazon is selling the hard cover copy of “McElligot’s Pool” for a cheap $400!
“Scrambled Eggs Super,” hardcover from $250, paperback from $449.95. Eggs-cellent for Jeff Bezos. That’s some scrumptious cancel culture right there.
The right wingers are such blatant phonies. This cancel culture nonsense is nothing but a smoke screen of red herrings and straw men to dump on liberals and progressives. It’s akin to the ridiculous nonsense about a supposed war on Christmas. This from the people who are trying to cancel democracy itself. No one is cancelling Theodor Geisl or the rest of his books.
From wikipedia about “The Cat’s Quizzer,” published in 1976.
Withdrawal[edit]
On March 2, 2021, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business that preserves the author’s legacy, announced that The Cat’s Quizzer and five other books would be withdrawn from publication because they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”[3][4][5] The apparent reason for the book’s withdrawal from publication is an illustration (on page 11) of a yellow figure in a coolie hat with the caption, “How old do you have to be to be a Japanese?”[6] After the books were removed, nine of the top ten, including the top four, books on Amazon’s charts in the United States were Dr. Seuss books, though none were the books removed.[7] end quote
Etsy sells it for $600 and Amazon $683.74 for the hardcover.
The “war on Christmas” is such a good analogy to this. The Christmas hype has only increased in the last 20 years, not decreased.
It’s geared toward making people think if they buy more gifts and more decorations they are “winning the war.”
To be fair, these prices are out-of-print editions that are being sold through Amazon by third parties. That whole practice is a story for another day. While there is much disingenuous (to be charitable) hullaballoo from from the not-so-Right (say not-so real fast a few times to see what I did there), these books have been out of print for some time. For the so-called free marketers, they should appreciate the fact that there hasn’t been a market for these books in many, many years.
We are moving to a “Fahrenheit 451” society! You can’t rewrite history in an effort to remove bias and hate! You learn from it! You grow from it! You make efforts not to go back there!
The right wingers are the ones who want to rewrite history. They want to erase slavery and the genocide of the indigenous peoples from American history. The right wingers say that it’s anti-American to constantly dwell on the negative things in US history. So telling the truth about this country is anti-American! We have to face our past, that does not make one anti-American.
Germany recovered its soul by facing its past honestly. We can’t heal until we do.
Germany is a good example when seen through the long view of history, but there was a great deal of work along the way and it wasn’t often pretty. Historian Richard Evans cites the “amnesiac political culture of West Germany” in the 50s, a fact that has led to great works of literature by Günter Grass, Heinrich Böll, and Wolfgang Koeppen. In East Germany, there was a revisionism that was tailored to fit their conception of Communist ideology. The reckoning began seriously in the mid-60s, continued after the fall of the Iron Curtain, and has become internalized by most of the population. It has suffered some serious setbacks in the past few years, aided in large part by the situation in this country. The lesson is that we must always remain vigilant and never delude ourselves into believing the process has a happy ending.
I say they want to go past rewriting history and would like to relive history, perhaps not slavery but Jim Crow. Economically they would like to erase the new deal.Politically they would erase women’s suffrage.The home school movement and attacks on Public Education
part of the plan. Is it a stretch to see how they embrace an authoritarian demagogue.
Germany is a good example.
They dealt with their history by teaching about it.
I don’t recall that Germans insisted that children’s books filled with the Nazi-era offensive depictions of Jews must be retained in libraries and their publishers forced to continue to publish them for the sake of “teaching history”.
Was “Mein Kampf” required reading by every German child as a learning exercise? I don’t think so.
You can teach about historical books. You don’t have to require students to read them because there is something canonical about them.
Germany doesn’t permit the display of the Swastika, so neoNazis have adopted the Confederate battle flag.
Exactly.
I would suggest taking a listen to this… https://firstnamebasis.libsyn.com/206-the-untold-story-of-dr-seuss‘
Is it not different for the Geisel family to pull certain titles for fear of offense, than it would be if someone like Paul Robeson to be silenced because he was accused of being a communist? Geisel’s foundation can do whatever it deems proper. The voices of dissidents in times past were often silenced due to philosophical differences. Seems a different matter.
Rather than canceling the unacceptable, the racist or sexist, maybe we should use them for a teachable moment. We can show how culture changes over time, and we can learn from, not just cancel the repugnant. ignorant or offensive. If students are denied reading “Huckleberry Finn” due to the use of the “n” word, they will also lose out on many important life lessons and messages in the novel as well.
Really? Important life lessons that they need to read Huck Finn to learn?
Isn’t the unspoken assumption that Huck Finn is such an important “classic” that it must be read by teenagers despite the racist language? They will “lose out” if they don’t read it? And frankly, one could make a convincing argument that the book isn’t especially necessary at all.
Huck Finn is one example. My point was that censorship of biased content or imagery starves the mind of an opportunity to view from a more enlightened point of view. It is a opportunity to open doors in the mind.
Political correctness, history, and cancel culture.
Not surprising, republicans with selective memories and difficulty separating truth from lies or opinion would see no problem with extrapolating depictions of racism and other actions as if they were one more example of over-the-top political correctness.
Y’all prefer Congressman to Congressperson. Refuse to say “Ms.” Fine, go for it.
You don’t want to use “student-first” language (a child with disabilities vs. a disabled child) or you think the old term for mentally challenged is acceptable, well… well, no, it’s not.
You think it’s ok to state the actual n-word when reading Mark Twain or Harper Lee because “that’s the way they talked back then” – well, no, it’s not. Even Archie Bunker got that. (On the other hand, do we ban those books which depict history as it was? No.)
An episode of “Boston Public” illustrated another aspect. A white teacher wants to teach the book “N-word.” After the episode cites all the issues – the African-American principal states, yes, the students should read the book, “But I will teach it” – not you.
The Dr. Seuss characters and stories and others were not written to depict history or teach a lesson – they were just characters or stories as if that is the acceptable norm.
That’s not going overboard about political correctness – that comes off the shelf.
Today’s republicans? If they want to take away Sunday voting in Georgia, gerrymander America, allow states to usurp federal gun laws, or deny that a law prohibiting a knee on a person’s neck is restrictive – well, defending these Dr. Seuss books is a no brainer to them (pun intended).
As far as I am concerned, Republicans canceled reality, The Constitution, justice, equity and honesty They even canceled a political platform that they ceded to the worship of Trump. The right wing associates ‘cancel culture’ with thin skinned liberals that are too preoccupied with political correctness. Here is a song from their right wing muse, Buddy Brown, who ridicules the left’s cancel culture. He is the right wing version of the left’s Randy Rainbow.https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=the+offended+song
I agree. Screaming “political correctness” is the epitome of political correctness.
I truly wish Dr. Seuss had apologized for the horribly offensive depictions of Japanese Americans that he did in his political cartoons during WWII. He never did, and those cartoons are a stain on his legacy. I love his works, and even some of his political cartoons are amazing. But portraying all Japanese Americans as saboteurs was horrible. Of course, he was by no means the only one to do that, but it was and is a problem.
I think he did apologize – formally. And here is the perspective of the Asian-American author, Grace Lin, who states,
“He was a product of his time.
Time passed, however, and Seuss began to regret his images.
It’s widely accepted that his book, “Horton Hears a Who!” was an apology for his earlier racist art.
Dr. Seuss realized the harm his work could do, and he did better. That is what made him a good man and great artist. ”
Here is Grace Lin’s perspective (with the actual offensive images in print included):
https://www.nepm.org/post/dr-seuss-museum-should-honor-fact-he-outgrew-his-racist-past#stream/0
beachteach,
Thank you – I agree with Grace Lin and she so admirably explained that there is a difference between having that image in a museum, with an explanation – and having it in a book for children to read today.
To my understanding, he never apologized for those depictions. I agree he was a product of his time, but by the time he died in 1991, it was completely understood that Japanese American internment had been a grave mistake. I wrote a lesson plan on this very thing for the Japanese American National Museum.
From NBC News: Quote, By Robert Schlesinger – Let’s get some perspective here: Seuss Enterprises made $33 million last year, more than 650 million of his books have been sold around the world and they’re available in more than 100 countries. There is no significant move — and certainly not from Seuss Enterprises — to ban, burn or otherwise cancel Dr. Seuss. A private company has made a considered business decision by pulling a small fraction of the Seuss catalog (none among its top sellers). Exactly why is this any of the business of the federal government? Surely Republicans, who supposedly believe the government should interfere in private business decisions as little as possible, don’t think the market should cease to work its infallible will; surely if Seuss Enterprises is erring and catering to a political correctness that nobody wants, market forces will correct it. (Of course, the right-wing cancel chorus isn’t holding its breath for that to happen; neither should you. Most people weren’t buying these particular books in the first place.) end quote
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/seuss-debate-shows-republicans-cancel-culture-war-fight-against-free-ncna1259471
It’s really too bad that Dr. Seuss didn’t apologize for the really offensive way he depicted Japanese Americans in his political cartoons during WWII. It is a stain on his legacy. I truly love Dr. Seuss and most of his works, including his political cartoons, were pretty forward thinking for his day. But to depict Japanese Americans as saboteurs was and is awful. Of course, he was by no means the only one doing that. My students are fascinated by this cartoons and we go over them in depth. I have an entire lesson just on those racist portrayals.
Sorry about the double comment. Word Press is weird.
TOW,
I was born in 1938. By the time I was 5 or 6, I recall hearing many derogatory comments about Japanese people. The newspapers and newscasters always called them “Japs.”
News of the Bataan Death March and the brutal treatment of POWs reinforced hatred for our enemy. Dr. Seuss’s portrayal of Japanese people during the war represented widespread, commonplace hatred of Japanese militarism. Unfortunately, Japanese-Americans suffered as a consequence and were often viewed as double agents. FDR ordered the internment camps for Japanese-Americans and the Supreme Court approved his decision. It’s easy to condone bad decisions made decades ago, not so easy in the present. Anti-German sentiment goes back to World War 1 and deepened with World War 2.
Oh, I know that Seuss was a product of his time, and he bought and fed into the anti-Japanese American hysteria of the war years.
Sadly, FDR and other high government officials KNEW that the Japanese Americans were no threat. Read up on the Munson Report. Done in the fall of 1941, before Pearl Harbor, the report, later declassified, stated that West Coast Japanese Americans were MORE patriotic than average American citizens. That report was hidden from the public. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/active_learning/explorations/japanese_internment/munson_report.cfm
Also note that Japanese Americans were NOT interred in large numbers in Hawaii, where about 1/3 of the population had Japanese ancestry and it would have collapsed the economy to lock them all up. So the place where the attack actually happened didn’t see most Japanese Americans, including children, as a threat.
BUT on the West Coast, officials went into orphanages and grabbed up children of Japanese ancestry and sent THEM to camps. They also demanded children of mixed marriages go. One family had a Japanese American mother who had died. They made the children go alone–they wouldn’t even let their Caucasian father accompany them.
I am speaking here from almost total ignorance, but I thought I should mention that war doesn’t exactly bring out the best side in anyone. My mother, who I believe knew people who had been in Japanese internment camps, was not exactly enamored of most things Japanese for a long time. She lost friends in the Pacific to a people that was not exactly without its own issues with racism. Her attitudes changed with time as she was exposed to another side of the Japanese. Perspective and context. While I do not see these books as bedtime stories, I think it is vitally important to preserve them and use them to teach that particular time in history. Understanding hate can lead to overcoming it. Ignore it and we are in danger of normalizing it.
The publishers are astonished by this invented ‘controversy’. They were just looking back at the books in the context of now, and in no way were trying to ‘cancel’ anything.
THIS is a manifestation of the need to have an endless”breaking news “cycle” to manufacture entertainment for the masses, and to please the readers who thrive on this kind crap. I was born in 1941. I was raided before tv sold us the ideas that are the memes of today.
Yes, of course, their were notions that were flawed. People smoked and cigarettes were sold on tv. Misogyny was something that was pervasive, but we can see it in all the movies of the time. Should we take away the oscars from Gone with Wind for it’s depictions?
I loved “To Think That it Happened on Mulberry street.” for the theme which was NOT about racism. Gimme a break! Give US a break. Cancel your subscription but leave theist in the context of the past.
On a completely different note:
FEMA and the Air Force are doing an astonishing job with their vaccination sites! Incredibly well organized, adequately staffed for large crowds. They’ve thought of everything. Kudos.
This is how government is supposed to work. Congrats to the Biden Administration, to FEMA, and to the Air Force for the magnificent job they are doing!!!
People sometimes say that it makes no difference who is president.
WRONG!
A great piece on this, Diane!!! In my book, it’s the definitive word on this subject.
Outstanding!
First they came…
Now they’ve come for Dr. Suess–and I still like “If I Ran the Zoo.”
Soon they’ll come for Mother Goose–and I like “Baa, Baa Black Sheep” too.
And no one will save one of Aesop’s best fables
When the tortoise lovers come to turn the tables.
First they come for a few of Dr. Seuss’ books and only allow the dozens of other Dr. Seuss books to remain on the shelves. Next they will be coming for “Little Black Sambo” and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “Mein Kampf” since they are such great works of literature and their racism can be excused as a “teaching opportunity”.
I don’t recall Germany requiring all students to read the racist and anti-Semitic Nazi literature in schools because “they are necessary to teach children by holding these books out as classics that have some negative imagery but of such vital importance to Germany that they must be taught.
The publisher obviously can make its own decisions. I see no reason to cheer this, though.
You see no reason to cheer when publishers make their own decisions?
I certainly cheer that publishers don’t find it financially rewarding to publish children’s books that depict racist, anti-Asian stereotypes and drawings. And I cheer that there is no longer a market for children’s books with anti-Asian (and other racist) drawings or words.
Although if the right wing had its way, publishers would be forced to keep publishing all books with anti-Asian content and all elementary schools would be forced to keep copies in all classrooms and teach students that the book is a classic and must never be criticized.
Although those very same right wingers would demand books with anti-Asian content be removed if there was any positive mention of Colin Kaepernick or the (formerly Dixie) Chicks, both of whom the right wing demanded be “cancelled”.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/07/us/cancel-culture-accountability-reality-trnd/index.html
All this is doing is driving “the market”.
The article nailed it. Thanks
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/07/opinions/gop-cancel-culture-obeidallah/index.html
Another good one about how the GOP is using “cancel culture” to help the party. The GOP is the party of gas lighting. I refuse to get caught up in the madness of it. Life is too short and everybody has said or done something in their life that they are not proud of.
Lisa, please watch this interview.
Charles Siler explains that the GQP consciously keeps its base riled up with culture war issues like transgender bathrooms, Dr. Seuss, and other trivia so they won’t notice that the party does nothing about healthcare or economic issues. That’s what Colin K’s knee is about.
Absolutely agree! I think we would do well to allow objectionable literature to be called out without grieving it. I would like to have permission to “cancel” my own mistakes as well. We are imperfect human beings and it’s always ok to own up to that.
Agree! I can think of articles I wrote or things I said that I wish I could cancel. I hope those things that embarrass me now are lost in the mists of history but the Internet doesn’t allow our mistakes to disappear.
That’s true! Which is all the more reason to embrace being able to say “I have a different perspective of a thing” and give ourselves permission to pivot.
This is way off thread, but I missed the earlier posts. Anyway, if I see one more post RE: the DoEd’s (Ian RosenBUM, whose “title” seems to have changed–someone must’ve read your blog post, Diane) refusal to allow “standardized” test waivers, I will explode.
I have said–&, of course, not the only one here–that unless we take to the streets, the testing WILL happen, yet again. & why do we think there’s a push to get the kids back in school? Well, spring is here, test preps begin &—tests! (If yours are on remote, still–& it’s “testing time!!”–TURN OFF THE D@M& COMPUTER!! How nice for the kids to go back to school, just in time to be tested! No social interaction at school now…no improvement of “mental health” issues (it’s been proven “standardized” testing increases stress & anxiety in children).
On some news show(s) I was watching & news I’ve read, it was proven through research that the street protests were the major reason by which the Viet Nam War was ended. A study was recently done, & the BLM protests have dramatically decreased police incidents against Black persons. Therefore, conclusions have been drawn as to effectively ending that which must STOP–peaceful protest by LARGE #’s of people IN THE STREETS, & nothing else.
I am done whining & moaning about whining & moaning here. I’m a retired teacher, & I worked hard on the opt out movement, but it’s pretty clear what MUST be done. I care, deeply, but I have no kids in school, I no longer teach &, although I’ve contacted a huge local parent group & others, I’ve gotten no response from ANYONE. Pathetic.
I’ll go out in the street, but just me won’t be very effective. YOUR children YOUR movement. For G-d’s sake, DO something. EVERYONE: GET OUT IN THE STREET–EVERY VILLAGE, TOWN, CITY, STATE.
Good advice but it’s hard to get millions of parents into the streets without careful preparation. Better strategy: opt out. Don’t take the tests. Sit and stare. Deny them the useless data.
I always loved Dr. Seuss and am a HUGE FAN! I feel that he is an iconic image of children’s literature. His books inspire imagination and free thinking. Therefore, the idea of his books being censored is just so sad and crazy to me. I read all the books on the discontinued list and didn’t find them racist at all (but then again thats just me). Anyways, I wrote about the topic matter as well, Feel free to check it out if you’d like: https://storytimewithbell.wordpress.com/2021/03/07/dr-seuss-books-discontinued/
I just read McElligot’s Pool for the first time since childhood. It’s a wonderful story, and I see no reason why it’s “objectionable” or any “images that are insulting to people based on their race, gender, ethnicity, or religion.”
Here’s a PDF of the book. Am I wrong? What horrible images are in this?
Click to access QmY1vVQwfV986UVwvts25VSvDdR3SPiJQD6dxZBmnunrua
The Chicago Public Library is now pulling this book (and the five others) from its shelves. Memory-holing in progress.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/platform/amp/2021/3/6/22316983/dr-seuss-chicago-public-library-racist-imagery-circulation
This from wikipedia: quote -The book uses the word “Eskimo” in one instance, as an adjective describing a type of imagined fish that might swim from the North Pole to McElligot’s Pool. The term “Eskimo” could be considered old-fashioned in American English, and has been deemed by some as offensive in Canadian English,[7] even though the Inuit, Aleut and Yupik groups are grouped together under the name Eskimo. There is an accompanying illustration depicting the fantastical group of “Eskimo Fish” in hooded fur parkas. end quote
Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided not to publish this book and 5 others. That’s on them. The Chicago Public Library also decided to pull the 6 books (as noted by another commenter), that’s their prerogative. You know we are not talking about WAR AND PEACE or MOBY DICK. All the many other books of Dr. Seuss are still on the shelves. Obviously it’s possible to still read these 6 books online which admittedly is not as convenient as the paper book. I really don’t think this is some major tragedy or indicative of any trend toward mass book burnings.
Certainly the publisher had the right to do this. I suppose the library has the right to do it. I don’t see a reason to cheer it. And “I don’t think this is a major tragedy” is not a compelling defense of this, in my view.
Books are pulled from the shelves all the time — why is this one treated as if it is a “major tragedy”?
I can understand why it might be problematic to remove a book series like Harry Potter which children want to read, but removing a book that not only are children not reading, but their parents haven’t even heard of despite reading them many other books by Dr. Seuss?
Manufactured outrage by the same right wingers who wanted to cancel the 1619 project and who ignore the fact that anyone who bothered to look at the top 10 most challenged books every year would see that with just a few exceptions, most of them are challenged by the same right wingers manufacturing outrage about a publisher not continuing to publish a book no one has read for decades.
This discussion make me think of the ongoing concern with sexual harassment. The current thinking basically is that if you feel harassed, you are. It made me think of my uncle from a Latin American country who amused himself on occasion by backing U.S. Americans around a room. He recognized that personal space was more expansive here in the states than in his home country. He would have been horrified to be accused of harassing someone. I hope he confined himself to people/friends who would appreciate his sense of humor when he revealed his motives. I was too young to ask the appropriate questions at the time although I suspect those questions would not even have occurred to me at the time.
I also have to wonder if stereotyping is only offensive when used to identify a group different that your own particularly if you are from a privileged group. Cartoons often do not portray anyone in a particularly attractive light. As a woman, I don’t particularly appreciate some of the stereotypes I have heard men use about women over the years. Is it less offensive when women stereotype men because men are seen as dominant?
I remember reading McElligot’s Pool as a kid. I was fascinated with where the kid’s imagination took him. I’m sure someone could be offended by the guy on the tropical island or the Tibetan caricature standing in front of what might be a temple as well as the Eskimo (just the fish?). When these kinds of representations are used to ridicule and/or control, the necessity to call it out is pretty clear. How far and in what way appears to change with time. Obviously, we still have plenty of room for growth.
It feels like censorship to me. I agree with those who support showing history as it was and offering explanatory context.
Does not bode well for Eskimo Pies.
SomeDAM Eskimo Pies . . . will probably go the way of Aunt Jemima. CBK
I guess I’m late on that one.
The company has already said they will retire the name due to pressure.
Inuit pie just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Might I suggest Klondike Kreams?
Eskimo Pie History
The writing’s on the Igloo wall
The Eskimo Pie is toast
A frigid treat, about to fall
From grace, from coast to coast
I should go out and buy a bunch before they go the way of the Dinosaurs.
I bet they will be worth a lot someday — provided I don’t lose power for my freezer due to wind turbines.
Nah. Have you ever eaten ice cream that has been left in the freezer too long? Not a tasty treat.
In that case, they will just be Eskimo Puddles
Incidentally , the company has renamed it Edy’s Pie”
Edy Pies
In true attempt to edify
They changed the name to Edy Pie
From Eskimo to Edy
The frozen summer treaty
Edy’s Pie is not even easy to say.
Apparently it is named after the cofounder Edy, but Edy Pie would have been much better than Edy’s pie.
It sounds like they have a hidden microphone or camera in it or something.
Edy’s Pie
Edy’s Pie is Edy
But really isn’t easy
And Eskimo was simple
Although it was a pimple
Flerp: Thanks for posting the link to the book. Amazing, you learn something new everyday, especially here at Diane’s blog.
Here’s the offending page with the word “Eskimo.” It’s a wonderful illustration.
I’m witcha on this one, FLERP! I too suspect the reference to eskimo is the culprit. Not a convincing one, in my view. Change it to Inuit and there’s no harm that I can see. Thanks for posting pdf.
Or why not change it to “Jewish Fish” and have the fish wear yarmulkes and tallit?
One the things that is ridiculous is people acting as if this book which no one has read for decades is suddenly so wonderful that the publisher should be attacked for choosing not to publish it anymore.
You might want to ask some Alaskans whether “Eskimo” is just not a “convincing” enough offensive word to concern us.
Now you are being offensive and insensitive, NYC parent! Are you assuming that all Alaskans are Inuit? (snark alert)
Context seems to be the foreign word of the day. I take it that you also think the inclusion of the word “nigger” should put exclude Huck Finn from American literature courses. Something I consider to be ridiculous.
GregB,
Really should not use that word, period. I hope Diane erases your comment. And please don’t use “context” as an excuse because if you have been paying attention for the last decade, it is not. Learn to live with it. White folks are no longer the final arbiter of what is okay to say in ANY context. And yes, I learned that from my kid.
I think it is ridiculous that people believe that Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Huck Finn are of such vital importance that requiring a classroom of young teens to read those books instead of far better books is of such vital importance that they must be included. Why not “A Light in the Forest”? Why not “Johnny Tremaine”? Any child not forced to read both those books are forever harmed, right?
Book choices change all the time. I remember my school banning “Are you there god, it’s me Margaret?” And then “forever”. If a parent believes their child must read Huckleberry Finn to be properly educated, they can have them read it at home. It doesn’t need to be required reading when so many better novels could be read instead.
I am so glad I have the first amendment right to say and write xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx cxxx if I feel like it. Thanks, George Carlin.
Editor’s note: NO YOU DONT. NOT HERE
NYC Public School Parent,
Wow. You have missed the point on Huck Finn: It makes fun of the racist society at that time. It shames the white oppressors. Reading that book (required by my college professor at a liberal arts college in the Midwest) was a life-changing experience for me–I did not know the extent to which black people were treated so shamefully. Huck Finn should never be censored. How ironic that Mark Twain worked to bring this unfair society to light and now this is how his courageous, brilliant work of art is treated.
I guess if people want to censor books with the n word, they will also have to censor, prohibit reading of James Baldwin and a bunch of other African-American writers.
Montana teacher,
Your response demonstrates to me exactly what is wrong with the white centric view of what is “important” literature.
“Reading that book (required by my college professor at a liberal arts college in the Midwest) was a life-changing experience for me–I did not know the extent to which black people were treated so shamefully.”
How sad that with all the literature – including that written by African Americans – by the time you got through college your entire “knowledge” of “the extent to which black people were treated so shamefully” comes from Huck Finn.
I think that is pretty outrageous, and given the stereotypical and racist portrayals of black characters in that novel, it is very problematic.
When someone says “I learned everything I know about slavery from Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, something is wrong. But those are often the excuses given for why a supposed “classic” that is full of racist tropes absolutely “must” be included in the canon.
It is also possible to teach ABOUT racism and books and culture that includes racism without holding those books up as something that are so special (aside from their racist content) that they must be read.
Jews have done that all the time. I attended religious school where we were taught all about historic anti-Semitism. And not once did that require us reading Mein Kampf or other books written by non-Jews that had a lot of anti-Semitic content.
We read “Diary of Anne Frank” and other books by Jewish authors. We weren’t required to read the entirety of “The Merchant of Venice” so we could learn about ugly Jewish stereotypes. We might read about “The Merchant of Venice” or talk about it, but it would not be included as part of the canon.
“…I did not know the extent to which black people were treated so shamefully. ”
“…by the time you got through college your entire “knowledge” of “the extent to which black people were treated so shamefully” comes from Huck Finn.”
Reread Montana teacher’s comment. Given the pablum those of us of the older generation were taught that was represented as American history, I do not find it at all strange that it was in college that s/he was presented with what in my generation was considered an eye opening account of the execrable treatment of black people. I should hope a liberal arts education at that level would require a little shakeup of one’s thinking.
I graduated high school in 1956. We were never taught about racism and how deeply it was embedded in our institutions. The Houston public schools then were segregated. When they finally integrated, most whites fled.
I don’t remember being aware of racism until the Civil Rights movement and MLK came along. I was just entering my teens. We are obviously still learning what white privilege means. It’s a little different than blatant racism. One can profess to not believe in racism and not fully realize the privilege being white has allowed.
spedukr says:
“Given the pablum those of us of the older generation were taught that was represented as American history, I do not find it at all strange that it was in college that s/he was presented with what in my generation was considered an eye opening account of the execrable treatment of black people.”
What generation are you that Huck Finn was held out as an eye opening account of that treatment because I’m pretty old and even back then Huck Finn was not held out as that, and there was significantly better literature to read that would open people’s eyes than Huck Finn?
Jews don’t read anti-Semitic literature written by people who don’t particularly like Jews to teach their children about anti-Semitism. Do you know why? Because there are far better books written by authors who aren’t anti-Semites that can teach Jewish children about anti-Semitism! And if one of the few – and perhaps the only – required classroom reading with Jewish characters was a book written by a non-Jew that portrayed Jews in particularly demeaning and ignorant ways, I don’t think Jewish parents would be satisfied with “but this is a great way to teach other students about anti-Semitism”. That’s just an excuse because the people in power think that the book is so worthwhile and wonderful that it has to be read despite the anti-Semitism.
And that clearly is how some white folks view Huck Finn. It is supposedly such an important and wonderful book that instead of being appalled by the racism, they come up with a reason that the racism is okay. “It’s an important learning opportunity”. Really? I agree it is important to learn about racism, but learn about racism the right way. Not by reading a book full of demeaning racist stereotypes and being taught this book is a classic whose author is highly regarded despite those demeaning racist stereotypes.
My question is why those books are necessary. This isn’t censorship — those books can be read by anyone in their home. The question is why – given the limited number of books that any single student can possibly be required to read during a school year and the limited time available to discuss those books — why would anyone think reading Huck Finn is the best literature to read to teach students about racism?
I am seventy and grew up in what was a very WASP community. I was never “required’ to read Huckleberry Finn that I remember. I just did. I will change “execrable ” to “disturbing,” which probably more accurately describes what I felt at the time. “Execrable”is a more accurate description of my reaction now. In the case of Huckleberry Finn and what Mark Twain intended to convey, I think you have missed the point. Inclusion in a college course, I think, is entirely appropriate, and for someone who wants to understand racism in a historical context as conveyed through literature,Mark Twain’s works deserve consideration. If Huckleberry Finn was the racist trope you appear to believe it is, I certainly would not make it required reading for young readers. I still would not see it as inappropriate as a college course selection just as I would see Hitler’s Mein Kampf as entirely appropriate to study to understand the rise of fascism. Actually, if I was so inclined, I could probably go back through a lot of the classic literature I was required to read and find disturbing beliefs embedded in them. What criteria do we use to judge when and where a book is worth reading when it contains material that someone might find offensive or is blatantly contrary to today’s standards?
Huck Finn is worth reading in a college class entitled “Racism in historical American fiction”. Or “19th century white southern authors”. The title of the class is the framing of the books.
The problem is that it is more frequently read as part of a general high school English literature class in which supposedly high quality and worthwhile works of literature are read. Including a book in that class is a certification that this book is a very important work of literature.
And the people who seem to be offended when parents complain that Huck Finn is required reading in those classes tend to dismiss their complaints by saying “don’t worry about the offensive racist depictions of African Americans in the book or the racist language because we will mention that some readers might find them offensive today, while reinforcing to all of the students that this white author is such an American treasure that his works absolutely must be required reading for all students.”
The odd thing is that I’ve never heard anyone who objects to those books saying “we must burn all copies and no one must ever read it.”
There are so many great works of literature written – it seems natural that books that have racist depictions are replaced by books that don’t have racist depictions and books written by non-white authors.
And of course that doesn’t preclude anyone from reading Huck Finn at home, but that’s very different than having it required as part of a general literature curriculum.
Why, the people thank you for the privilege!
Sorry, but in the event we haven’t already all lost our minds, Huck Finn is worth reading under any circumstances or framing. But the main the reason teachers assign it because it’s great American literature, especially among 19th century authors. If a survey course in the 19th century American novel doesn’t have Huck Finn on the syllabus, it better have another Twain novel on the syllabus.
The real problem is that you see the book as racist where as I see it as an accurate reflection of the times written by a man who was anti-racist and trying to portray that racism in all its ugliness. I understood that even as a teenager although I have no problem with delaying its introduction if the consensus of scholars is that it is more appropriate as a college text.
@FLERP “Huck Finn is worth reading under any circumstances or framing. But the main the reason teachers assign it because it’s great American literature, especially among 19th century authors.”
I think this is the first time I have agreed with you on this blog.
“Huck Finn is worth reading under any circumstances or framing. But the main the reason teachers assign it because it’s great American literature, especially among 19th century authors. If a survey course in the 19th century American novel doesn’t have Huck Finn on the syllabus, it better have another Twain novel on the syllabus.”
The House of Seven Gables is worth reading under any circumstances or framing. But the main the reason teachers assign it because it’s great American literature, especially among 19th century authors. If a survey course in the 19th century American novel doesn’t have The House of Seven Gables on the syllabus, it better have another Nathaniel Hawthorne novel on the syllabus.
Moby Dick is worth reading under any circumstances or framing. But the main the reason teachers assign it because it’s great American literature, especially among 19th century authors. If a survey course in the 19th century American novel doesn’t have Moby Dick on the syllabus, it better have another Melville novel on the syllabus.
The Last of the Mohicans is worth reading under any circumstances or framing. But the main the reason teachers assign it because it’s great American literature, especially among 19th century authors. If a survey course in the 19th century American novel doesn’t have The Last of the Mohicans on the syllabus, it better have another James Fenimore Cooper novel on the syllabus.
The Portrait of a Lady is worth reading under any circumstances or framing. But the main the reason teachers assign it because it’s great American literature, especially among 19th century authors. If a survey course in the 19th century American novel doesn’t have The Portrait of a Lady on the syllabus, it better have another Henry James novel on the syllabus.
And don’t forget Longfellow. And Poe. And Irving. And of course Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic. And so on. Because some authors absolutely MUST be included and we alone will tell you who they are.
Sorry, we don’t have time to read Louisa May Alcott or Kate Chopin because there are just so many white male authors who works better be on the syllabus instead. And do we have time to read any non-white authors? Who needs that when all we have to do to understand the experience of non-white people is read what very important white authors, especially men, tell us about them! Sure there’s some ugly racist language, but no need to worry as we’ll mention that in passing as we teach them how very, very important these white authors are.
My point is that once you decide someone MUST be include over a different author despite the ugly racist language or nasty portrayals of non-white characters, what you are really doing is teaching students what is valued and what is not.
I assume you are speaking about Jim who is actually modeled after a man that Samuel Clemens admired.
Mark Twain was just an old white guy. (At least just before he died. he might have been black when he was younger) who is now widely quoted on the internet . Eg
Yesterday, December 7, 1941— a date which will live in infamy— the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
Why should anyone read his books when Mark Twain doesn’t even know that it was 19 Saudi Arabian hijackers who attacked us?
spedkr,
Jim is an admirable character. It could be argued that so is Uncle Tom.
Call me crazy, but I actually think that given the limited number of REQUIRED books that can be read in any high school English class, it might be nice to read a novel where students were given more than the white person’s version of an “admirable” non-white character.
Also, to bring this discussion full circle back to the original post by Diane Ravitch, whether or not a book is worthy of being absolutely “required” changes over time.
There was a time when “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” was a standard in many kids’ libraries (we have at least two copies in our house). But lately, plenty of children have grown up and even turned out to be very intelligent, engaged, caring 18 or 22 year olds without ever being exposed to that book. In fact, many of them have turned out that way without being required to read Huck Finn!
And I bet some of that younger generation was influenced by the more inclusive literature they read where Huck Finn wasn’t required but a novel by someone else who isn’t white was.
Meanwhile, the older generation who got to read any Dr. Seuss they wanted and were far more likely to be required to read Huck Finn had a much higher percentage of people who embraced Trump and believed nonsense.
NEA updated the theme of Read Across America day from a Dr Seuss emphasis to “Celebration a Nation of Diverse Readers” in Sept 2018. There had been a re-sparking of Dr Seuss controversy from Nel’s 2017 “Was the Cat in the Hat Black?”; that was continued more recently by Ishizuka/ Stephens 2019 study “The Cat is Out of the Bag.” IMHO the ivory tower input on the subject is an overreach. The implanting of a few subliminal racial stereotypes in the mind of today’s 3-4yo white children is probably near-zero. But to me that’s not the point. What’s important is whether Chinese- or African-American children see themselves depicted in a mocking way in popular children’s lit at the library, in school, at home. That alone is worth withdrawing a couple of those six titles.
What I find bizarre is the liberal conversation. Many commenters on the subject at both WaPo (the Answer Sheet) and NYT (Ross Douthat Op-Ed) are ignoring the larger discussion around censorship. They either pretzel themselves into temporary libertarians to point out this is not “State” censorship, it’s purely a private corporate decision (not cancel culture), or they what-about re: conservative/ Rep more onerous cancel culture. Geisel’s estate decision to withdraw titles is one thing. It is quite another for Ebay to quash all attempts to sell used copies of them.
The discussion as to whether or not the Geisel estate decision is or is not “State” censorship is beside the point. Our government has been busy deregulating the corporate/ financial sector and privatizing public goods for 40+ years. Now we have a tiny handful of press & publication-distribution monopolies making decisions on what we can see/ read/ hear, based on free-market principles with no regard to preserving the public good. The discussion about whether it’s in the public interest to censor unpopular information is being made by a few multibillionaire CEO’s based on bottom line. This should be worrisome to every citizen.
There needs to be a larger discussion about censorship, cancel culture, the first amendment. There was robust argument around what is and is not pornography in the ‘60’s, which has evolved: encouraging ‘prurient interests’ has to include whether personal choice & even ‘soft pornography’ encourages predatory attitudes and actions in society at large which feed consumption. By the same token, the intellectual discussion around blackface et al racial tropes needs to evolve beyond simple ‘free speech’ to considerations about what promotes racism today. The discussion needs to include whether it makes sense to simply ‘cancel’ these portrayals—i.e., make them unavailable for consumption—or let them die their own slow death while still available as anachronisms available for historical research. It’s parallel to the controversy over Confederate monuments, which do not belong in the public square as though heroic, but should perhaps should be preserved as historical artifacts.
We must be careful in our efforts to right wrongs that we don’t imitate the ultra-rights’ methods of hiding/ rewriting/ ‘canceling’ our history.
Good comment. In my view there is way to little concern on the left about the points you raise.
“The discussion as to whether or not the Geisel estate decision is or is not “State” censorship is beside the point.”
Do you have any idea how many books that used to be published are now out of print? Those include books that are offensive and books that are just undesired.
No one cares. Ross Douthat was fine with cancelling the 1619 project. The conservatives are manufacturing outrage and some liberals — often the same ones who want to cancel the 1619 project — are helping them manufacturing outrage.
You are way too smart to buy into this discussion. There is a very important discussion about REAL censorship that cannot be had because these false narratives are pushed on the right.
Your first paragraph was brilliant. But that is the argument that Ross Douthat rejects out of hand. That’s why the comments on his column called him out.
I had a probably rare, completely unbiased read of Douthat’s Op-Ed, as a reader so ignorant I’d never heard of him, nor previously read any of his columns! (blush) He grabbed me with his opening memory about hisch Engl class discussions on censorship, which echoed my own experience, so ended up reading the whole thing, pretty much nodding! I gathered quickly from commentary most of the stuff this guy writes would spike my blood pressure. Nevertheless, with that odd experience under my belt, commenters’ pushback felt like what-aboutism because it answered other things, not what he’d written in the piece. I wish I could somehow approach everything with a blank state that way. I generally approach articles with a full load of attitude based on the author’s previous positions.
What you say about books out of print is true, but I have a different take on that. My first taste of being hit personally in the gut by the Reagan era was a little-noticed change to the accounting law aimed directly at book publishers. Can’t remember the wonky details now, but the effect was to make the practice of keeping small quantities of inventory available for long periods in the warehouse unaffordable. Overnight the price of books quadrupled, mom&pop bookstores were replaced by a few big-box chains, used bookstores were shuttered, & just forget about interesting new poets or oddball stuff getting published. A piece of my own public good gone with a stroke of the pen.
I often like Douthat’s columns.
bethree5, you said: “I had a probably rare, completely unbiased read of Douthat’s Op-Ed, as a reader so ignorant I’d never heard of him, nor previously read any of his columns!”
I think this speaks to how insidious and powerful right wing propaganda is because it successfully forces every discussion about issues into one that is only based on the right wing framing of the issue. Ross Douthat specializes in this — he is blatantly hypocritical and his concern about free speech or political correctness is entirely limited to whether he can write a column to attack those evil “liberals” who he always mischaracterizes in the most extreme and disingenuous way.
I could do that, too, if I had the disingenuousness of Ross Douthat. I would express shock that you and Ross Douthat are demanding that a private publisher must be forced to continue to publish the Dr. Seuss books with the most racist and offensive images even though the publishers do not want to publish them. And I would “concern troll” about what is it about your and Ross Douthat’s character that you both seem so obsessed with forcing all Kindergarten teachers to teach their students that these books with offensive racist images and words are classics that better be highly respected. I would show my “balance” by acknowledging that you and Ross Douthat did recognize that some parents would find that book offensive, but I was shocked that you and Ross attacked and demeaned those parents bothered by the anti-Asian and racist images as ignorant dolts or oversensitive snowflakes and implied that those parents would not be able to recognize good literature if it hit them in the face.
Imagine how outraged my readers would be at Ross Douthat and you if I presented the discussion this way.
Is any of that true? I’m acting like Ross Douthat so this has nothing to do with truth or me having any interest in a real discussion of the issue. This is entirely about me trying to paint Ross Douthat and his supporters as the most racist and dangerous misguided folks who are taking us on the slippery slope where all teaching of racism is limited to when “very important” white writers include racist passages that can be acknowledged as racist only in the context of how very important their work is despite the racist content in it.
I agree with you that we need to have a discussion about this, but somehow that discussion only happens when the far right gets to frame it according to how they can demonize liberals as “dangerous”.
It’s like a Ross Douthat column claiming that “the left” supports voter fraud because they haven’t joined with the Republicans who are presented as only concerned with election integrity. And the only question is: “Do liberals care about election integrity or don’t they?” “Do liberals care about censorship or don’t they?” When you frame it like that, the right wing wins.
Dr. Seuss and the alleged cancel culture is just another GOP ploy to distract people for their opposition to spending a dime to help out anyone who is struggling
I just read On Beyond Zebra!, and, for the life of me, I can’t find what is offensive. I am going to have to listen to the other books on You tube to see if I can identify the offensive material.
Couldn’t agree more!!! I thought it was a greats book that teaches kids to think outside of the box, but I guess that’s just me.. lol
What’s wrong with zebras?
Why should we go beyond them?
Are we somehow better than them?
I think one of the things that the decision to no longer publish On Beyond Zebra demonstrates is that this is not just a black and white issue.
speduktr Ask Bill Gates. He knows everything. CBK
CBK: exactly the right answer to every question. “Ask Bill Gates. He knows everything.”
Better than the Magic Eight Ball.
Magic Bill, its been over ten years, when will we know whether your education stuff worked?
Magic Bill: Ask again later
Ten years later
Magic Bill, its been over twenty years, when will we know whether your education stuff worked?
Magic Bill: Ask again later
SomeDAM
Question: It’s been a long time. What’s going on?
Magic Bill: *Somehow, the data of education doesn’t want to act like the data of natural science. That seems to be the problem. But if we keep trying, maybe we can fix it . . . by finding the right way to manipulate the data. CBK
LOL YASS!
Come check out my article on the Dr. Seuss, I think you might like it!
As long as “Hop on Pop,” the first book I learned to read, remains in print, I’m good with any decision the Seuss estate makes. I am an adherent of pophopping in both theory and practice. Incidentally, did you know Dr. Seuss was a Dartmouth man, class of 1925? He has been an exceptionally generous donor to the school. Which is why, in 2012, Dartmouth renamed its medical school the Audrey and Theodor Geisel School of Medicine.
The Language Police is one of my favorite books. I am worried by this discussion that censorship (and its permutations) can be justified somehow. It is a slippery slope. I just re-read Mulberry Street. How is it racist or “hurtful”?
I have not seen Mulberry Street in many years, so I don’t know.
Chuck Jordan,
The fact that you didn’t see a single thing wrong with Mulberry Street after “just” re-reading it speaks volumes.
“And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” came under scrutiny in 2017 when a Western Massachusetts museum dedicated to Dr. Seuss said it would replace a mural featuring a Chinese character from the book after three authors threatened to boycott an exhibit due to the “jarring racial stereotype.”
The authors — Mike Curato, Mo Willems and Lisa Yee — explained their position on the image in a letter posted to Facebook, saying “the selected art is a jarring racial stereotype of a Chinese man, who is depicted with chopsticks, a pointed hat, and slanted slit eyes.”
The statement continued, “While the image may have been considered amusing to some when it was published 80 years ago, it is obviously offensive in 2017 … Displaying imagery this offensive damages not only Asian American children but also non-Asian kids who absorb this caricature and could associate it with all Asians or their Asian neighbors and classmates.”
Sometimes it is important to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, especially if you happen to benefit from white privilege. (I have no idea if you do, I’m just saying that those of us who do benefit need to be particularly careful that we haven’t internalized the racist idea that if we “just re-read” something and it doesn’t bother us, that means it is fine.
Thanks for sharing, I did not know that it was considered offensive in 2017!
I agree-this is definitely a slippery slope! Anyways, I read all the discontinued books and wrote an article over, with the read aloud’s attached.
Please feel free to check it out!
Why are chopsticks offensive if that’s what people use? Is depicting a Pacific Islander with a fishing net racially offensive? Is a cowboy with a cowboy hat and a rope mocking that profession?
I think this is off the rails. What are the rules of afro-art? Who is allowed to draw what?
Basically I think every TV comedy show and comic strip probably has something offensive in it for the last 50 years, according to the rules.
Put the fine tooth comb to every comic in the New Yorker. Is stereotyping a sex sexist? That’s pretty much the stock n trade of cartoons and comics.
I find chopsticks offensive, especially when I am trying to use them go pick up a slippery noodle.
Personally, I prefer a fork.
Ted,
Read my book THE LANGUAGE POLICE. You won’t find the word cowboy in any educational publication, whether textbook or test.
Goodbye to Pepe le Pew, too! 😦
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pepe-le-pew-not-slated-for-future-warner-bros-television-projects
I’m old and remember watching those cartoons and even in those pre-women’s movement days I remember feeling uncomfortable as a young child without actually understanding why.
But of course, a generation of children were raised to think that a male pawing a female he was attracted to was amusing instead of just plain wrong and unacceptable.
Some Things to think about
The book about Things 1 and 2
Is really something we should rue
To call them “Things” will make them blue*
You know, cuz Things have feelings too
*Or even bluer, cuz their hair is already blue
Eggjudice
What is wrong about green eggs?
A little spoilage never hurt
To throw them out is just a waste
We treat them bad, like so much dirt
SDP, sometimes your rhymes remind me of Dr. Seuss.
I am SomeDAM
SomeDAM I am
I do not like the tests and VAM
I do not like them, SomeDAM I am
Would you like them with DeVos?
Would you like them with a boss?
Would you like them with a Bill?
Would you like them on a hill?
Would you like them in a school?
Would you like them in a pool?
No not in pool
And not in school
And not on hill
And not with Bill
And not with boss
Or with DeVos
I do not like the tests and VAM
I do not like them, SomeDAM I am
Ha! Bravo!