4 ms·

I agree with most of this comment, but I'm struggling with the conclusion. What I find deeply concerning is not the distortion of the pristine original state o

I agree with most of this comment, but I'm struggling with the conclusion. What I find deeply concerning is not the distortion of the pristine original state of James Bond. What I find deeply concerning is the whitewashing of cultural artifacts and the implications of both the intent of such actions and the potential outcomes. The quality of the content itself does not reduce the cultural popularity and impact that the content had in its time, and altering the content can only cloud any modern examination of the past. Old content that ages poorly should do just that - age poorly. We should look back at it and roll our eyes and wonder what we were thinking. We should draw conclusions from this more modern examination that help guide the creation of future content that doesn't perpetuate the same problems. There is no progress without reflection and a place from which to move forward. And this quickly turns into a "First, they came for..." type of scenario, IMO.

DoreenMichele 4y ago
We routinely update Shakespeare. Westside Story is an updated version of Romeo and Juliette. Popular works being kept current so we can still enjoy them even though things have changed is nothing at all like "First they came for...." It's more like the opposite of that.
- sam_lowry_ 4y ago
  We do not call these updates Romeo and Juliette for a reason. If anything, neo-copyright should protect the original works from alteration by the copyright holders.
  - op00to 4y ago
    Romeo + Juliet (1996) Leo DiCaprio / Claire Danes
- Semaphor 4y ago
  > We routinely update Shakespeare. Do we? Further, than translating from English to a different version of English? > Westside Story is an updated version of Romeo and Juliette. It is not, it’s an adaption at best.
  - DoreenMichele 4y ago
    My general understanding is that Romeo and Juliet has come to mean essentially the opposite to people today from the original intent of the story. They are described as star crossed lovers which used to essentially mean it was a bad idea for them to get together and now we think it means fate and other people are keeping apart two people who belong together. It was a story about two foolish youth and their feuding families making stupid choices, a kind of warning of what not to do. Now, we think it's about true love or some nonsense.
  - op00to 4y ago
    > Do we? Yes. Literally what you said, right here. https://nosweatshakespeare.com/ebooks/shakespeare-for-kids/ https://nosweatshakespeare.com/ebooks/shakespeare-for-kids/
    - nhchris 4y ago
      I would have much less of a problem with these edits if they were loudly announced from the cover, and used not the original title of a work, but an altered one, such as "Ian Fleming For Kids". Though I wouldn't want to see originals displaced or even outnumbered by "For Kids" or similar versions. But if they use the original title and author, I expect the original work. Because that's literally what the title and author on a book cover mean - this work, as written and approved by this author, no different than the ingredients list on food. Anything else* is lying. *Translations give the translator's name, and don't pretend they're the original. And editors probably should be credited, but at least in that case the edits are approved by the author.
- starkd 4y ago
  Generally, the updates are minor textual modifications that are done to remove confusion. Not to protect the audience from being offended. Very different. Renaming "pussing galore" to something less offending of modern sensibilities does not count.

DoreenMichele 4y ago

We routinely update Shakespeare. Westside Story is an updated version of Romeo and Juliette. Popular works being kept current so we can still enjoy them even though things have changed is nothing at all like "First they came for...." It's more like the opposite of that.

sam_lowry_ 4y ago
We do not call these updates Romeo and Juliette for a reason. If anything, neo-copyright should protect the original works from alteration by the copyright holders.
- op00to 4y ago
  Romeo + Juliet (1996) Leo DiCaprio / Claire Danes
Semaphor 4y ago
> We routinely update Shakespeare. Do we? Further, than translating from English to a different version of English? > Westside Story is an updated version of Romeo and Juliette. It is not, it’s an adaption at best.
- DoreenMichele 4y ago
  My general understanding is that Romeo and Juliet has come to mean essentially the opposite to people today from the original intent of the story. They are described as star crossed lovers which used to essentially mean it was a bad idea for them to get together and now we think it means fate and other people are keeping apart two people who belong together. It was a story about two foolish youth and their feuding families making stupid choices, a kind of warning of what not to do. Now, we think it's about true love or some nonsense.
- op00to 4y ago
  > Do we? Yes. Literally what you said, right here. https://nosweatshakespeare.com/ebooks/shakespeare-for-kids/ https://nosweatshakespeare.com/ebooks/shakespeare-for-kids/
  - nhchris 4y ago
    I would have much less of a problem with these edits if they were loudly announced from the cover, and used not the original title of a work, but an altered one, such as "Ian Fleming For Kids". Though I wouldn't want to see originals displaced or even outnumbered by "For Kids" or similar versions. But if they use the original title and author, I expect the original work. Because that's literally what the title and author on a book cover mean - this work, as written and approved by this author, no different than the ingredients list on food. Anything else* is lying. *Translations give the translator's name, and don't pretend they're the original. And editors probably should be credited, but at least in that case the edits are approved by the author.
starkd 4y ago
Generally, the updates are minor textual modifications that are done to remove confusion. Not to protect the audience from being offended. Very different. Renaming "pussing galore" to something less offending of modern sensibilities does not count.