4 ms·
I always notice that when someone is upset about 'moralism' and 'cancel culture' against a text, they rarely engage with the actual criticism against said text.
by FrancizHam 6y ago
I always notice that when someone is upset about 'moralism' and 'cancel culture' against a text, they rarely engage with the actual criticism against said text.
Has anyone actually looked at the drawings in Dr. Seuss' books? His political cartoons? Has anyone actually read American Dirt?
I agree that we shouldn't be outright censoring books, but that hasn't happened yet. You can still read JK Rowling, you can still find the six discontinued Dr. Seuss books quite easily. And no doubt, some of the imagery is slightly offensive at best, to overtly racist at worst.
The next time someone decries the 'cancellation' of something. Look at their reasoning instead of knee jerk reacting.
- zepto 6y ago> you can still find the six discontinued Dr. Seuss books quite easily Can you? Even used copies are now banned even on eBay. Where do you ‘easily’ find them?
- acdha 6y agoScans are widely available online, which is what most people have been using to discuss the works. It also turns out that used bookstores still exist and that eBay is not the only site on the internet where you can buy things.
- zepto 6y agoThe online scans are illegal. The fact that your first recommendation is to advocate breaking the law just so you can discuss a book, shows quite how totalitarian the situation has become.
- acdha 6y agoThat’d be an interesting fair-use case: criticism is a very solid exemption (i.e. I’d be very surprised if showing the offending images for review wasn’t upheld by the courts) but even if you look at the whole book the other factors are things like whether your use is educational, non-profit, or impacts commercial prospects for the rights holder. That last point seems especially relevant since they’ve very clearly told the world that they do not intend to sell these books any more.
- zepto 6y agoIt would be an interesting case, but doesn’t change the situation. You can’t distribute the book for people to read and criticize. It really is censored.
- FrancizHam 6y agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nsXxt59szI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nsXxt59szI
- zepto 6y agoSo the book isn’t available, and the only sources are illegal?
- FrancizHam 6y agoI also found it at my local library in physical and download form. It was a little harder to find but, you know, more ethical I guess.
- Pxtl 6y agoThey're still available on eBay in the larger anthologies like Six By Seuss. It's only the standalone that were removed and as I understand it that was because of the crazy bids they were getting. I assume they wouldn't have bothered if the reaction hadn't been so extreme.
- zepto 6y agoWhat’s ‘extreme’ about people bidding high amounts for a now rare book?