4 ms·

I would be perfectly happy if they wanted to release a separate, clearly labeled version of this book that is adjusted for modern politically correct tastes. T

I would be perfectly happy if they wanted to release a separate, clearly labeled version of this book that is adjusted for modern politically correct tastes. The issue is when you rewrite history and pretend it had always been like that. That's in 1984 territory.

mc32 4y ago
I think the Bowdlers would be proud of what we see happening.
- 8f2ab37a-ed6c 4y ago
  Everything old is new again.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  Although even when Thomas Bowdler bowdlerized Shakespeare, he made it clear his was a derivative work. He didn't try to pass it off as the way Shakespeare wrote it.
Symbiote 4y ago
Would you like the first edition, where the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are African pygmies, labelled differently to subsequent editions where they are white-skinned with golden hair?
- JohnFen 4y ago
  That was a change Dahl himself willingly made, so I don't see a serious problem with the fact that the altered text wasn't labelled differently. It's his work, he can do with it whatever he likes and it remains his work. The "definitive" version is whatever the author says it is. It'd be a totally different thing if the change was made by others without his permission.
  - skinnymuch 4y ago
    If Rowling changed Harry Potter to Voldemort being a bad person only because he’s trans and so are all his allies…I wouldn’t support that as any version. I hope to god the world would be the same way.
    - JohnFen 4y ago
      Rowling would absolutely be within her rights to make such a change. Whether or not the result is something people would want to read, and whether or not the result offends people, is a different thing.
    - joenot443 4y ago
      I don’t think anyone would support that, considering it’s a bizarre hypothetical you just made up as a non-sequiter. If Tolkien decided to change all the Orcs to Canadians, I’m sure it would be similarly poorly received, but it doesn’t really matter does it? Imagining hypotheticals and then pretending to be mad at them isn’t really good discussion, IMO.
      - skinnymuch 4y ago
        Was your comment just to insult me You gave a hypothetical but talk about what isn't good discussion. Why are you doing the same thing
- kerpotgh 4y ago
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mc32 4y ago

I think the Bowdlers would be proud of what we see happening.

8f2ab37a-ed6c 4y ago
Everything old is new again.
JohnFen 4y ago
Although even when Thomas Bowdler bowdlerized Shakespeare, he made it clear his was a derivative work. He didn't try to pass it off as the way Shakespeare wrote it.

Symbiote 4y ago

Would you like the first edition, where the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are African pygmies, labelled differently to subsequent editions where they are white-skinned with golden hair?

JohnFen 4y ago
That was a change Dahl himself willingly made, so I don't see a serious problem with the fact that the altered text wasn't labelled differently. It's his work, he can do with it whatever he likes and it remains his work. The "definitive" version is whatever the author says it is. It'd be a totally different thing if the change was made by others without his permission.
- skinnymuch 4y ago
  If Rowling changed Harry Potter to Voldemort being a bad person only because he’s trans and so are all his allies…I wouldn’t support that as any version. I hope to god the world would be the same way.
  - JohnFen 4y ago
    Rowling would absolutely be within her rights to make such a change. Whether or not the result is something people would want to read, and whether or not the result offends people, is a different thing.
  - joenot443 4y ago
    I don’t think anyone would support that, considering it’s a bizarre hypothetical you just made up as a non-sequiter. If Tolkien decided to change all the Orcs to Canadians, I’m sure it would be similarly poorly received, but it doesn’t really matter does it? Imagining hypotheticals and then pretending to be mad at them isn’t really good discussion, IMO.
    - skinnymuch 4y ago
      Was your comment just to insult me You gave a hypothetical but talk about what isn't good discussion. Why are you doing the same thing
kerpotgh 4y ago
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