Dr Seuss books to stop publishing

chic said:
It's a shame. How can people ever learn from the mistakes of the past and improve themselves if we continually erase that past because it may offend somebody.
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chic...I could not agree more..I am so opposed to all the bans, cancels, in the name of being PC. I even dislike when they change names of streets or buildings ...leave the originals and honor the person somewhere new..
 

Well. When you're in the majority side it's a cave-in to "PC." When you're in the minority side it's "Thank god, you're finally listening." Perception.

Met people who are angry with PC because now they can't publicly say the "N" word anymore. Whatever happened to free speech? they whine. It's my god given right to humiliate people. Isn't it? :unsure:
 

Ceege said:
"Dr. Seuss is a phenomenal author and illustrator. Dr. Seuss has a racist past. Both can be true. Both are true."

https://adayinourshoes.com/was-dr-s...er&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=SocialSnap via @dontIEPalone
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Pepper said:
Well. When you're in the majority side it's a cave-in to "PC." When you're in the minority side it's "Thank god, you're finally listening." Perception.

Met people who are angry with PC because now they can't publicly say the "N" word anymore. Whatever happened to free speech? they whine. It's my god given right to humiliate people. Isn't it? :unsure:
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WOW I just read some of the blatent nastiness that I was never aware of..I can see why so many are upset now...the family was right to stop publishing
 
We're talking six books out of 60. Wonderful books, wonderful writing & illustration. Clever and fun. If he were alive today, he would change the few mistakes he honestly, without malice, made decades ago. He would know my 2.5 year old grandson is reading him right now in his class. That's real young, real impressionable.

It is no big deal to remove certain things. The 6 of 60 books are not being outlawed. No book burnings and please no hysteria.
 
Pepper said:
Explain @Serenity4321


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Pepper...My familiarity was with just a few of Seuss books..like Cat in the Hat, Sam I Am, Green Eggs and Ham..I never saw blatent racism. bigotry until I went to a link someone here posted...I couldn't find anything on the attachment you included ..so I am not sure I am answering your question.
I think the originals should not be further published with out some revisions...and I think you are right..he probably would not make the same mistakes today...
 
I read earlier that Dr. Seuss books are now best sellers on Amazon.com. That was a great marketing strategy if that was their purpose. Tell people they can't have something and they'll do everything they can to get it.
 
Packerjohn said:
I read a lot of Dr. Seuss when I had my kids. They never killed, murdered nor rapped anyone. Neither did I. The crazy politically correct have nothing else do do. Why is the young generation so afraid. Perhaps its their music or perhaps those crazy movies they watch all day on the not so smartphone? Banning good books for kids is just a bunch of BS. Time to "Get A Life."
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Racist pictures are not appropriate.I endorse this view, and don’t consider myself crazy, or lacking things to do. Also, I work with many of the young generation. They are not afraid of this stuff, nor were the books banned. My clients are suffering from PTSD

which any person regardless of age should find terrifying. I know I certainly do. Takes enormous courage to confront that particular hell. As for their music, during the fifties, some people considered rock and roll to be a tool of the devil. Times change. Regarding their movies, no worse than some of previous era’s racist or misogynist movies.
 
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Sunny said:
A lot of people are probably counting on them becoming collectors' items, and are buying them as an investment!
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Irwin said:
I read earlier that Dr. Seuss books are now best sellers on Amazon.com. That was a great marketing strategy if that was their purpose. Tell people they can't have something and they'll do everything they can to get it.
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Yep, that was the first thought that popped into my head when I heard the news item. :) It could have been done without the fanfare and no one would have probably even noticed, but look at the free publicity they're getting now. Priceless!!
 
While concerns about the content and imagery of certain Dr. Seuss books were legitimate, the six titles discontinued were lesser known works (I've never read some of them), and many books by Theodor Geisel do not contain anything objectionable, unless you resent inspired silliness and beloved characters. The Dr. Seuss books have also gotten generations of kids to read enthusiastically, and most of his characters are animals...wonderfully drawn, anthropomorphic animals or humanoids who were far more interesting than the "Dick and Jane" figures common in kid readers at the time. For me, "The Cat in the Hat" is where it's at, and I'm keeping my "Fox in Socks" copy until I die...

image.jpeg
 
To me, this is a shame. I read these books to my kids growing up. They carried those books with them when we would go on vacation. My daughter reads a lot. One day, I made the comment that every time I see her, she is reading. She told me that it all started with her Dr. Seuss books.

She read them to her 2 boys and she still hangs onto them.
 
Packerjohn said:
I read a lot of Dr. Seuss when I had my kids. They never killed, murdered nor rapped anyone. Neither did I. The crazy politically correct have nothing else do do. Why is the young generation so afraid. Perhaps its their music or perhaps those crazy movies they watch all day on the not so smartphone? Banning good books for kids is just a bunch of BS. Time to "Get A Life."
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Packerjohn, it's their music? Really? Going back through history, every generation of harumphing old geezers has blamed all the evils of the world on the latest trend in music and dance. I found this when I googled "Waltz immoral":

Why was the waltz considered scandalous?
As the dance started gaining popularity, it was criticised on moral grounds due to its close-hold stance and fast turning movements. Religious leaders regarded it as vulgar and sinful. The dance was criticised to the point where people were threatened with death from waltzing.

And then came jazz - oh, horrors!

And rock and roll!

And lots more, always shocking, immoral, the downfall of the younger generation! I have a feeling that the Neanderthals objected to the younger generation dancing around the campfire!

And in addition to that, you are now blaming the movies, and even blaming the smartphones, for people becoming "crazy politically correct."
Really, Packerjohn? Every new invention and new style in music is to blame for everything you don't like? Could it be that some of your values could use a little loosening up?

BTW, I love Dr. Seuss books. My first career was teaching elementary school, and one year I got first grade, so I am very familiar with his books. He was an invaluable asset in teaching young kids to read, and I found most of his books funny, and the poetry delightful. I never thought much about the illustrations, but the world has advanced since those days, and being horrified at cruel, racist stereotypes is an improvement, not a thing to be afraid of.

As I said, why not just keep publishing the books but change the illustrations?

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I was trying to post a video of "What's the Matter With Kids Today?" from the musical Bye Bye Birdie, but ran into technical difficulties. Too bad, as I think the lyrics are perfect.
 
Irwin said:
I read earlier that Dr. Seuss books are now best sellers on Amazon.com. That was a great marketing strategy if that was their purpose. Tell people they can't have something and they'll do everything they can to get it.
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Sunny said:
A lot of people are probably counting on them becoming collectors' items, and are buying them as an investment!
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Sunny said:
As I said, why not just keep publishing the books but change the illustrations?
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When the sales slow down, they’ll likely do the third.

Not here so much, but other places I’ve read complaints about these books being banned. The removal of these 6 books was done by the Seuss company. It’s a business. It was their decision, whatever the reasons.
 
StarSong said:
I'm in favor of ditching books aimed at young children if they have racist overtones or promote hurtful stereotypes.
Presumably Seuss's publisher considered revamping some of the illustrations and opted against it.
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I wish they'd gone with that instead. There would still be backlash from some people had that been the course chosen, but whole books with an overall good message wouldn't have been scrapped for a few easily modified illustrations.
 
Who are the "they" who decided to stop publishing these books? Are they Asian or Black people who are offended? Or are "they" academics and theorists who think people might be offended?

The past is always with us. Mark Twain used the n-word in Huckleberry Finn, not maliciously, but because it reflected the way people spoke back then. Edith Wharton, who is one of my favorite writers, made anti-Semitic asides. Harry Truman referred to Jews as "kikes." Flannery O'Connor, a truly great writer, wrote a short story called "The Artificial N....." Do we cancel all these people? Or do we make an effort to understand the times in which they lived? To me, it is absurd to judge people who lived in one era by using the standards of another.
 
Sunny said:
Packerjohn, it's their music? Really? Going back through history, every generation of harumphing old geezers has blamed all the evils of the world on the latest trend in music and dance. I found this when I googled "Waltz immoral":

Why was the waltz considered scandalous?
As the dance started gaining popularity, it was criticised on moral grounds due to its close-hold stance and fast turning movements. Religious leaders regarded it as vulgar and sinful. The dance was criticised to the point where people were threatened with death from waltzing.

And then came jazz - oh, horrors!

And rock and roll!

And lots more, always shocking, immoral, the downfall of the younger generation! I have a feeling that the Neanderthals objected to the younger generation dancing around the campfire!

And in addition to that, you are now blaming the movies, and even blaming the smartphones, for people becoming "crazy politically correct."
Really, Packerjohn? Every new invention and new style in music is to blame for everything you don't like? Could it be that some of your values could use a little loosening up?

BTW, I love Dr. Seuss books. My first career was teaching elementary school, and one year I got first grade, so I am very familiar with his books. He was an invaluable asset in teaching young kids to read, and I found most of his books funny, and the poetry delightful. I never thought much about the illustrations, but the world has advanced since those days, and being horrified at cruel, racist stereotypes is an improvement, not a thing to be afraid of.

As I said, why not just keep publishing the books but change the illustrations?

​

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That cannot be done. You have to get the permission of the author before changing anything and the author in this case is ... dead!
 
JimBob1952 said:
Who are the "they" who decided to stop publishing these books? Are they Asian or Black people who are offended? Or are "they" academics and theorists who think people might be offended?

The past is always with us. Mark Twain used the n-word in Huckleberry Finn, not maliciously, but because it reflected the way people spoke back then. Edith Wharton, who is one of my favorite writers, made anti-Semitic asides. Harry Truman referred to Jews as "kikes." Flannery O'Connor, a truly great writer, wrote a short story called "The Artificial N....." Do we cancel all these people? Or do we make an effort to understand the times in which they lived? To me, it is absurd to judge people who lived in one era by using the standards of another.-
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Normally, I'd agree, except that these are books for very young children.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises, who owns the rights to the books, chose to quit publishing them. They could've just as easily reissued revised editions but chose not to.
 
No matter what anyone says or who did what, I hate to think of a small black or Asian child reading a 'so called' children's book, and seeing their race depicted as something bad or funny. It's tough enough to grow up in this world without something that is supposed to be for children demeaning their race - no matter what that race is. Even genders are made to look ridiculous at times. Why do some have to find confidence in themselves by degrading someone else?
 

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