Enid Blyton is Cancelled

[arista]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06/17/09/article-9695159-44334511-804_964x543.jpg


[Now Enid Blyton is cancelled: Children's author's work
is 'racist, xenophobic and lacking literary
merit' says English Heritage in 're-appraisal' sparked
by Black Lives Matter protests
Enid Blyton has enchanted millions of young
readers with thousands of stories
Children's author has been linked to racism is
updated Blue Plaque information
English Heritage vowed to review all plaques
for links to 'contested' figures]

They have changed all the bad words



https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06/17/08/44333549-0-image-a-9_1623915577830.jpg
Back in 1962


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9695159/Enid-Blytons-work-racist-xenophobic-lacking-literary-merit-says-English-Heritage.html

[Crimson Dynamo]

English Heritage is a disgrace

[Tom4784]

English Heritage is a charity, not some sort of ruling authority that can change or alter books.

Another non-story aimed at gullible fragile people who scream 'Woke!' at shadows.

[Livia]

English Heritage is a disgrace

It is a disgrace, and if it carries on people with stop sending them cash.

[arista]

Dezzy they changed all the Bad words
Updated the Text


She was a great writer

[Niamh.]

I read a lot of her books as a child, they were a bit sexist as far as I can remember but that was the era. I wouldn't have been giving any of them to my daughter to read when she a child though :laugh:

[bots]

i read loads of enid blyton as a kid and i don't remember any of it, so it obviously had a lasting impact on me :laugh:

[arista]

I read a lot of her books as a child, they were a bit sexist as far as I can remember but that was the era. I wouldn't have been giving any of them to my daughter to read when she a child though :laugh:


Yes it was like that back then.


Racist Words now changed

[Oliver_W]

Ah they're fine. Or at least, Famous Five, Secret Seven, and Faraway Tree books were. I don't remember any "xenophobia" in them.

That said, I never cared for Noddy or her boarding school mysteries.

Also ... they don't have a lot of literary merit. They're fairly engaging and will spark imaginations, but they're not very well written.

The thing says the reclassification was sparked by BLM "protests" - did some of them actually moan about her books, or did the riots just make them look at old books in general?

[arista]

i read loads of enid blyton as a kid and i don't remember any of it, so it obviously had a lasting impact on me :laugh:



You were reading Hi Fi Revoultion, maybe
as well.

Quadraphonic.

Now made onto SACD's 5.1 and 4.1, Hybrid discs
UK firm in Watford
Selling them for £12.99

[Crimson Dynamo]

English Heritage is a charity, not some sort of ruling authority that can change or alter books.

Another non-story aimed at gullible fragile people who scream 'Woke!' at shadows.

the " gullible fragile people" would appear to work for English Heritage

[arista]

1405481236739641348

[James]

I loved reading Enid Blyton books when I was young.

I don't remember anything that could be racist. I think those stereotypes were in Noddy books, and I don't think I read those.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I read tons of Enid Blyton as a kid, loved the famous five books and secret seven and all my kids had noddy books read to them.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c9/FamousFive5.jpg/220px-FamousFive5.jpg

[UserSince2005]

is there a statue somewhere i can go topple?

[arista]

I loved reading Enid Blyton books when I was young.

I don't remember anything that could be racist. I think those stereotypes were in Noddy books, and I don't think I read those.


Yes She was a Great Writer

[arista]

is there a statue somewhere i can go topple?


No its a Blue Plate on a Building


https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06/17/07/44323263-9695159-In_1997_a_blue_plaque_was_installed_in_her_honour_ but_informatio-a-1_1623911155107.jpg

[arista]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06/17/01/44323273-9695159-image-a-91_1623891462030.jpg

[user104658]

Assessing books - or any other creative media - in anything other than the context of the time they were written is pretty daft, let's face it.

However I do remember the books and I agree that they were competent, but not brilliant, writing... so it's not like they're "cancelling literary classics".

I also don't think there's anything hugely wrong with copyright holders altering older stories to make them more suitable for a modern audience, to be honest. Not when it's just pulpy adventure stories. Obviously we don't want revisionism of actual classics. They should however come along with education about historical context when read by teens (which of course, they usually are, and that's usually half the point of studying them).

[James]

Also ... they don't have a lot of literary merit. They're fairly engaging and will spark imaginations, but they're not very well written.



I remember being in an English class in the first or second year of secondary school, and a teacher telling a girl who said she read Enid Blyton books, something like, aren't you too old for that now.

[James]

I have fond memories of sitting on a branch of a tree reading reading one of the Adventure series books. I was trying to find the cover from the time.

[Tom4784]

the " gullible fragile people" would appear to work for English Heritage

The gullible fragile people are the people falling for this trash, time and time again. No wonder tabloid trash keeps spinning stories like this when there's so many ignorant people that will believe it because they feel like it backs up their irrational fears about 'woke' culture.

Again, English Heritage is a charity, it's not a ratings board, it doesn't have any power to affect these books at all so yeah, it would take an exceptionally fragile person to get upset over the idea of Enid Blyton being cancelled (but not really, because the story is pure spin).

[Ammi]

…so the blue plaque is being altered in line with what English Heritage had said they would do…?….isn’t that what was always said would be a compromise, to not ‘cancel’ history by removing statues etc but to present the correct historic information…?…I don’t understand why it would be an issue…?…if she was ‘cancelled’ then she was also ‘cancelled’ when it was felt that she wouldn’t be an appropriate person/figurehead to have on a coin a few years ago…or is it because it’s connected to what English Heritage pledged in appropriately amending any information and fully presenting ‘heritage’….

….no one is cancelling her work or that many people have enjoyed her work over time…

…as the one time Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen once said…’she indeed was some of the negative things that she’s been accused of but at the same time she enabled millions of children to enjoy stories…’….that hasn’t and won’t change, neither will any pleasure she’s created and inspired… so it seems like another manufactured outrage of the day…

[DouglasS]

English Heritage is a disgrace

Literally


The woke brigade would stick their grand parents heads on a spike if they had a chance just because they were bought up in a different decade with different societal views - had they known the stuff they said/written in school…


Banning old films / old books / old songs or devaluing the artists work that were revolutionary because they were written in a different generation is just so dumb. Stuff being written and filmed right now that these woke people love right now will end up being cancelled in 50 years time also for being offensive in a way that is not yet known… maybe people who have said man or woman in songs/films - and then in 50 years this will be offensive and people like Kate Bush will be cancelled

[Cherie]

Literally


The woke brigade would stick their grand parents heads on a spike if they had a chance just because they were bought up in a different decade with different societal views - had they known the stuff they said/written in school…


Banning old films / old books / old songs or devaluing the artists work that were revolutionary because they were written in a different generation is just so dumb. Stuff being written and filmed right now that these woke people love right now will end up being cancelled in 50 years time also for being offensive in a way that is not yet known… maybe people who have said man or woman in songs/films - and then in 50 years this will be offensive and people like Kate Bush will be cancelled

.

30 years from now I guarantee you things we found perfectly acceptable today will no longer be so

[Tom4784]

Woke this, woke that. Do people ever get bored of being scared of their little boogeyman?

[Marsh.]

Didn't realise we had such Blyton loyalists.

[The Slim Reaper]

.

30 years from now I guarantee you things we found perfectly acceptable today will no longer be so

Isn't that always how things have worked, though? It's the same reason we don't have No blacks, no dogs, no Irish signs up in B&b's these days, or we don't see thick Irish and Paddy jokes on tv constantly.

Just trying to be a bit more inclusive isn't really the great crime it's pretended to be.

[Ammi]

Isn't that always how things have worked, though? It's the same reason we don't have No blacks, no dogs, no Irish signs up in B&b's these days, or we don't see thick Irish and Paddy jokes on tv constantly.

Just trying to be a bit more inclusive isn't really the great crime it's pretended to be.

….it’s not a new thing either, for decades this is something that’s been discussed regarding her…and she was deemed as inappropriate to be depicted on coinage…so if you like, English Heritage are very much just on the catch-up in making changes to the plaques, which is what they’re looking to do overall and that seems reasonable …it feels again as though the media outrage is because of the mention of Black Lives Matter as I can’t recall much feeling in any direction when she wasn’t appropriate to be on the coin…

[bots]

enid blyton isnt being cancelled though, they are changing the wording on some signage. I dont see that as something being cancelled or are people suggestting that once something is written, it can never be amended?

if that were the case, there would still be memorials to jimmy saville

[Cherie]

Isn't that always how things have worked, though? It's the same reason we don't have No blacks, no dogs, no Irish signs up in B&b's these days, or we don't see thick Irish and Paddy jokes on tv constantly.

Just trying to be a bit more inclusive isn't really the great crime it's pretended to be.

that is completely different from fiction which was not offensive at the time, the above was always offensive? like no one was railing against Enid we all enjoyed her books, i dont think the black or Irish looked at the signs and enjoyed them

[The Slim Reaper]

….it’s not a new thing either, for decades this is something that’s been discussed regarding her…and she was deemed as inappropriate to be depicted on coinage…so if you like, English Heritage are very much just on the catch-up in making changes to the plaques, which is what they’re looking to do overall and that seems reasonable …it feels again as though the media outrage is because of the mention of Black Lives Matter as I can’t recall much feeling in any direction when she wasn’t appropriate to be on the coin…

Just this whole outrage machine towards decency is really odd. If wokeness or political correctness wasn't a thing, it would have no effect on how I live my days, or post, or watch tv, or anything else, and I think those that are worried by decency are basically telling on themselves.

[The Slim Reaper]

that is completely different from fiction which was not offensive at the time, the above was always offensive? like no one was railing against Enid we all enjoyed her books, i dont think the black or Irish looked at the signs and enjoyed them

It shows that a societies attitudes to right and wrong evolves over time. I'm sure the people forced to remove those signs still felt exactly the same way, and were probably talking about how they couldn't even say they didn't like the darkies and the micks anymore. The worlds gone mad

[Ammi]

Just this whole outrage machine towards decency is really odd. If wokeness or political correctness wasn't a thing, it would have no effect on how I live my days, or post, or watch tv, or anything else, and I think those hat are worried by decency are basically telling on themselves.

…the objection to taking the knee seemed to be that it was injecting ‘political’…I mean it wasn’t for those practising it but that’s the interpretation for some…and yet, ‘woke/leftie and now extreme leftie’ by the same voices is a political being injected into any changes into anything that’s simply said…yeah, that feels more appropriate for these times and a compromise which everyone was hoping and looking for anyway…it’s not political and it’s not cancelling anything and it’s not removing anything in terms of who she was, it’s giving a more complete history….

[Crimson Dynamo]

there is little point trying to compare Enid Blyton with Saville or the sign "no blacks or Irish"

:joker:

does anyone actually know what Enid wrote that is now so offensive to the twits at EH?

[The Slim Reaper]

there is little point trying to compare Enid Blyton with Saville or the sign "no blacks or Irish"

:joker:

does anyone actually know what Enid wrote that is now so offensive to the twits at EH?

It wasn't compared though, I used them to show how societies evolve towards inclusivity, even if we go backwards a few steps every now and then, and sometimes we have to drag the mouth-breathing, knuckle-draggers along, even when they don't want to come :blush:

[arista]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06/17/11/44339417-9695159-Her_work_includes_Secret_Seven_the_Famous_Five_the _Faraway_Tree_-m-11_1623926417779.jpg

[bots]

there is little point trying to compare Enid Blyton with Saville or the sign "no blacks or Irish"

:joker:

does anyone actually know what Enid wrote that is now so offensive to the twits at EH?

i was pointing out that adjusting signage is perfectly reasonable, nothing is ever permanent. Don't even think about cancelling my argument :fist:

[Crimson Dynamo]

Enid Blyton is known for her children's books that confront class, gender and
racial issues. In The Little Black Doll (1937) her main character, Sambo, wants
to be washed white, or pink, by the rain. In her book The Three Golliwogs
(1944) the main characters are called Golly, Woggie and N1gger


http://www.wiki.ncac.org/images/3/3b/Gollywog2.jpghttp://www.wiki.ncac.org/images/0/08/Gollywog3.jpg

I had the golliwog book as a child

http://www.wiki.ncac.org/The_Little_Black_Doll,_The_Three_Golliwogs

[Marsh.]

"Confronting" class, gender and racial issues? Or containing class, gender and racial issues?

[Ammi]

…it’s absolutely crazy that we cant just enjoy our racism in peace…

[Crimson Dynamo]

…it’s absolutely crazy that we cant just enjoy our racism in peace…

or maybe concentrate on actual racism and not constantly dilute the message with exercises in virtue signaling and then moan that racism still exists?

[Ammi]

‘For everyone using the ‘don’t judge by modern standards’ line - Enid Blyton had a manuscript rejected by Macmillan in 1960 on the grounds of xenophobic content.’

[Strictly Jake]

Enid Blyton is known for her children's books that confront class, gender and
racial issues. In The Little Black Doll (1937) her main character, Sambo, wants
to be washed white, or pink, by the rain. In her book The Three Golliwogs
(1944) the main characters are called Golly, Woggie and N1gger


http://www.wiki.ncac.org/images/3/3b/Gollywog2.jpghttp://www.wiki.ncac.org/images/0/08/Gollywog3.jpg

I had the golliwog book as a child

http://www.wiki.ncac.org/The_Little_Black_Doll,_The_Three_Golliwogs

Oh. This is bad. Can't believe what views people once had.

That said I do love the famous five stories so they should stick around

But stuff like this yeah it isn't right

[The Slim Reaper]

or maybe concentrate on actual racism and not constantly dilute the message with exercises in virtue signaling and then moan that racism still exists?

Talking about racism dilutes the message against racism?

But talking about racism isn't a positive because it's virtue signalling?

:joker:

[Cherie]

Enid Blyton is known for her children's books that confront class, gender and
racial issues. In The Little Black Doll (1937) her main character, Sambo, wants
to be washed white, or pink, by the rain. In her book The Three Golliwogs
(1944) the main characters are called Golly, Woggie and N1gger


http://www.wiki.ncac.org/images/3/3b/Gollywog2.jpghttp://www.wiki.ncac.org/images/0/08/Gollywog3.jpg

I had the golliwog book as a child

http://www.wiki.ncac.org/The_Little_Black_Doll,_The_Three_Golliwogs

Never heard of these book, we were all about The famous five and the secret 7

[bots]

i remember those books, i thought they were removed from "service" a long, long time ago

[Crimson Dynamo]

Never heard of these book, we were all about The famous five and the secret 7

i mean she wrote like 700!

[Ammi]

Oh. This is bad. Can't believe what views people once had.

That said I do love the famous five stories so they should stick around

But stuff like this yeah it isn't right

…yeah, I think that’s the amendments to the plaques, giving more complete information in terms of heritage/her legacy it gives an accurate truth which doesn’t take away anything you enjoyed or enjoy about her…

[Crimson Dynamo]

…yeah, I think that’s the amendments to the plaques, giving more complete information in terms of heritage/her legacy it gives an accurate truth which doesn’t take away anything you enjoyed or enjoy about her…

No

I think the plaques do not get altered. There is an app that you use when you see a plaque that gives you all the details about the person who got the plaque

its that which they have altered because a man (drug-dealer and woman abuser) was killed by a police officer in the USA in a non-racist motivated incident.

[Marsh.]

No one:

LT: Racism should not be taken seriously because one of the black men murdered by a copper for being black was a suspected drug dealer. Because, apparently, if the black person wasn't perfect then racism is ok.

[The Slim Reaper]

LT refused to even believe that kneeling on his neck for ages was the reason he died, so this is progress of a sort.

[Crimson Dynamo]

untrue, i corrected Marsh who claimed the knee was on his windpipe and I am sure would have said lets wait until the autopsy.

i was also correct by questioning that it was racially motivated and it wasnt

[Marsh.]

Nope, you spent months parroting that it wasn't murder. And it was. So...

[The Slim Reaper]

And after the verdict he said it was a complete stitch up...

[Crimson Dynamo]

Nope, you spent months parroting that it wasn't murder. And it was. So...

if i recall i said it was a callous accident (and i still think it was) and i would think will be the basis of his appeal as well as "trial by media"

[Crimson Dynamo]

And after the verdict he said it was a complete stitch up...

trial by media and fear of what would happen if he was not convicted

correct

[Marsh.]

if i recall i said it was a callous accident

Callous means a disregard for others, he was a police officer who knew the full consequences of what he was doing and tried to use his position of authority to get away with it.

A callous act, disregarding the consequences for the man of his own actions.

Murder. Just as the courts decided.

[Crimson Dynamo]

it will be appealed and "Derek Chauvin's attorney says he shouldn't go to prison for George Floyd's murder"

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/06/02/derek-chauvin-sentence-attorney-argues-probation-no-prison-time/7512199002/

[The Slim Reaper]

trial by media and fear of what would happen if he was not convicted

correct

That's not what you said.


Total stitch up

As expected

You were horrendous through all of those threads.

I think the video of him killing someone was probably more influential in helping the jury reach a verdict, as was his own police force testifying against him.

And you brought this up, before you go running to the report button to get it deleted.

https://www.thisisbigbrother.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10969246&postcount=8

:hee:

[Livia]

So... back to Enid Blyton.

No one seems to have a problem with Walt Disney though. Or Roald Dahl. Two famous anti-Semites. If people are going to be cancelled perhaps the process of choosing could be a little more even-handed.

[The Slim Reaper]

So... back to Enid Blyton.

No one seems to have a problem with Walt Disney though. Or Roald Dahl. Two famous anti-Semites. If people are going to be cancelled perhaps the process of choosing could be a little more even-handed.

Aren't they just men of their time, in the same way you said Churchill was?

[Ammi]

…it feels a bit pointless to keep repeating this so I’ll just use the words of someone else from Twitter in response to the DM CANCELLED!!!!!!! headline….


‘Literally the only thing that's changed is English Heritage have put a paragraph about her well-known racism at the bottom of a webpage.’



…there has been no cancelling today ….

[Marsh.]

it will be appealed and "Derek Chauvin's attorney says he shouldn't go to prison for George Floyd's murder"

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/06/02/derek-chauvin-sentence-attorney-argues-probation-no-prison-time/7512199002/

Attorney of prisoner in "defending him" shocker!!!

[Marsh.]

So... back to Enid Blyton.

No one seems to have a problem with Walt Disney though. Or Roald Dahl. Two famous anti-Semites. If people are going to be cancelled perhaps the process of choosing could be a little more even-handed.

Whataboutery that has no relevance to what this story actually is.

[The Slim Reaper]

…it feels a bit pointless to keep repeating this so I’ll just use the words of someone else from Twitter in response to the DM CANCELLED!!!!!!! headline….


‘Literally the only thing that's changed is English Heritage have put a paragraph about her well-known racism at the bottom of a webpage.’



…there has been no cancelling today ….

Ammi cancels the thread

[Ammi]

…:laugh:…unless the thread gets CANCELLED by the DM or the Sun etc, there will be no outrage culture…them’s the rules….

[Marsh.]

…:laugh:…unless the thread gets CANCELLED by the DM or the Sun etc, there will be no outrage culture…them’s the rules….

:hehe:

[Livia]

Whataboutery that has no relevance to what this story actually is.

A response to a thread about an alleged bigot, siting two other alleged bigots and asking what the difference is. I would say that's more to do with debate than following people around making vacuous, smart-arse comments.

[Crimson Dynamo]

A response to a thread about an alleged bigot, siting two other alleged bigots and asking what the difference is. I would say that's more to do with debate than following people around making vacuous, smart-arse comments.

:joker:

[Marsh.]

A response to a thread about an alleged bigot, siting two other alleged bigots and asking what the difference is. I would say that's more to do with debate than following people around making vacuous, smart-arse comments.

Still unable to respond without dragging the poster into it. Grow up. It was a valid point about your distraction from the thread topic. Either respond to it, or don't bother with your not so smart-arse, just arse comments. It's really that simple.

Nobody said it was "ok" for Dahl and Disney to be bigots. Do people need to make a list of every example of something when one particular example comes into discussion?

Do we really need to highlight "Oh by the way guys, antisemitism is also bad" when discussing one form of racism or bigotry? That's just childish and you wanting to centre yourself in every discussion of bigotry. It's. Not. All. About. You.

[DouglasS]

A response to a thread about an alleged bigot, siting two other alleged bigots and asking what the difference is. I would say that's more to do with debate than following people around making vacuous, smart-arse comments.

:clap1:

You got him there.

Both were very fair and relevant comparisons to this topic. I always enjoy reading your posts and opinions in threads. Ignore the baiting Livia :wavey:

[Marsh.]

:laugh2:

Livia is not some authority who cannot have her posts questioned. But, yeah, get personal and then accuse me of baiting. :pat:

[arista]

…so the blue plaque is being altered in line with what English Heritage had said they would do…?….isn’t that what was always said would be a compromise, to not ‘cancel’ history by removing statues etc but to present the correct historic information…?…I don’t understand why it would be an issue…?…if she was ‘cancelled’ then she was also ‘cancelled’ when it was felt that she wouldn’t be an appropriate person/figurehead to have on a coin a few years ago…or is it because it’s connected to what English Heritage pledged in appropriately amending any information and fully presenting ‘heritage’….

….no one is cancelling her work or that many people have enjoyed her work over time…

…as the one time Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen once said…’she indeed was some of the negative things that she’s been accused of but at the same time she enabled millions of children to enjoy stories…’….that hasn’t and won’t change, neither will any pleasure she’s created and inspired… so it seems like another manufactured outrage of the day…


Once English heritage starts the Ball rolling
Shops start removing Her Updated Safe Books


Ammi you are not aware enough, sadly.



Ref: Ch5HD AM Live Debate, SkyNewsHD Live Debate
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[Ammi]

…English Heritage haven’t started any balls rolling, they’re on the catch up with their balls and updating information so that it’s more complete and accurate ….some of her books were removed from some libraries/schools decades ago ….life didn’t begin with the DM and other outrage creating media…a paragraph has been added to a website that changes nothing and makes few people aware of anything that they weren’t aware of anyway regarding some story content…Arista, you’re not aware enough sadly ….

[arista]

…English Heritage haven’t started any balls rolling, they’re on the catch up with their balls and updating information so that it’s more complete and accurate ….some of her books were removed from some libraries/schools decades ago ….life didn’t begin with the DM and other outrage creating media…a paragraph has been added to a website that changes nothing and makes few people aware of anything that they weren’t aware of anyway regarding some story content…Arista, you’re not aware enough sadly ….


We will see
All those Live debates
do not agree with you

[bots]

Ammi is correct, i remember loads of enid blyton books being removed from sale decades ago, quite rightly to i might add ....

[Ammi]

…that won’t change that this is just adding a little paragraph to a website and isn’t cancelling anything…debates don’t and won’t change that, Arista….the only relevant and non reactive/emotive debate would be …should English Heritage continue to omit information that completes an accurate detail…you can debate yes but I wouldn’t be a part of something that didn’t truthfully and completely inform on English Heritage…her stories provided huge enjoyment for many and that won’t ever change…but debate away en masse….

[Ammi]

Ammi is correct, i remember loads of enid blyton books being removed from sale decades ago, quite rightly to i might add ....

…even in her time she was considered racist and elitist…this is a ‘very gentle’ update with the paragraph edition and just basically inviting people to research those in the past who they have interest in…people are complicated, people are flawed etc…that also doesn’t represent complete characters and that’s not what is being suggested…