Cutter's Blog : Dahl on Trial
(Originally published as Ruminations #9 www.coffeewithcutter.com)
I grew up reading Roald Dahl’s books. His wondrous imagination, his distinctive characters and his wildly inventive plots appeal to me today just as much as they did when I was little. He’s regarded as one of the most beloved children's authors of all time, and rightfully so. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I think Matilda (1988) must take the top spot, followed closely by Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (1964) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (1989). By now, you may have heard the news regarding Roald Dahl and Puffin’s decision to re-print the author’s iconic titles with an array of revised corrections to appease modern day audiences, with many words being cut from the text (‘fat’ and ‘ugly’ being the most prominent examples) and whole new passages added (that Dahl himself did not write). All this is due to the fact the publishers are frightened of Dahl’s original texts causing offence because of how long ago they were written, and so they’re now taking it into their own hands and employing sensitivity readers (if you ever feel useless in life, take solace in the fact that at least your line of work doesn’t require you to be a soulless killjoy) to edit or remove words or phrases that may offend the softies. It’s a devious practice to do such a thing, especially to books written by authors who’re no longer with us. What gives Puffin the right to edit Roald Dahl’s words to fit their own attitudes? What justification is there for this brand of censorship? (It should be added that they’ve since backtracked and have decided to keep the original editions in print, along with the new butchered versions).
I’m fiercely against censorship. Hell, as a writer I bloody ought to be. I don’t think censorship leads to constructive discourse. I think it suffocates creativity and renders a piece of art less authentic, especially when the motivations behind it are political correctness. It was hugely disconcerting to see Puffin take such a shameless attitude towards what they’re doing, because publishers are supposed to be protectors of the words put together by authors whom they welcome into their ranks. Which publishers will think it is a bright idea to adopt similar practices moving forward? What further works of fiction will fall victim to this revisionist mentality? (Well, Beatrix Potter and Ian Fleming, it seems!) Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses (1988) and an outspoken critic of censorship, released a statement expressing his disdain for the absurd rewriting of Dahl’s work, and here’s hoping more authors express pushback as well, especially those who’re firmly embedded in the mainstream. I remember when the industry first announced the arrival of sensitivity readers. I couldn’t have been the only person to wonder if this would be the beginning of the end for mainstream publishing, could I? It may sound dramatic, but my fears are beginning to manifest into reality, and Dahl himself is on the chopping block. I don’t find anything to be remotely offensive in Dahl’s books. They’re a little dark and a little crude but that adds to their charm, and this may surprise the loons over at Puffin as well as those who’re supporting this nonsense, but children love these stories just the way they are, as do the adults who read them when they were children. Did it never occur to these ideological buffoons that there is a reason why Roald Dahl’s books are so beloved by generation after generation? His stories and characters are timeless and to butcher his words in order to appease today's PC sensibilities is utterly shameful and should not be celebrated. Recently, we’ve seen this happen with various Dr. Suess books, and even one of Dav Pilkey’s books, The Adventures of Ook & Gluk (2010), which has been removed entirely from the market, as if it never existed at all. It’s a frightening pattern, for sure, and one can only wonder just how far this will go.
We’re living in very worrying times, and our days are no doubt becoming all the more insufferable due to the uprising agendas regarding the rapidly evolving cesspit that is modern-day political correctness. Things are starting to feel very Orwellian, don’t you think? In George Orwell’s 1984, those who step into ‘wrong-think’ become ‘unpersoned’, and these totalitarian attitudes are becoming stronger within our own society. Those in control are seeking to rewrite the past (another subject of Orwell’s novel), but as we all know by now, those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it. We’ve seen it happen to all forms of art in recent years, not just books. Songs with lyrics deemed offensive have been rewritten and classic films are constantly being subjected to scrutiny. But here’s the thing, all these works are of their time, and to judge any piece of art by today's standards is utterly foolish behaviour. If something offends you, move on to something else. If everything offends you, well, maybe you’re the problem. Censorship does not belong in art. To put Roald Dahl’s books on trial like this is so stupid it actually gives me a headache, and reading the opinions of those who’re trying to justify this nonsense seriously makes me question their logic. These are children's books, for crying out loud. And the scary thing is, this is only the beginning. It’s time to stand up against this madness and say enough is enough. I’ll forever cherish my copies of Roald Dahl’s books, and I will one day pass them down to my own children in order for these stories to live on untainted, to exist as Roald Dahl intended them to. I’ll pass on these castrated editions, thank you very much.
I grew up reading Roald Dahl’s books. His wondrous imagination, his distinctive characters and his wildly inventive plots appeal to me today just as much as they did when I was little. He’s regarded as one of the most beloved children's authors of all time, and rightfully so. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I think Matilda (1988) must take the top spot, followed closely by Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (1964) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (1989). By now, you may have heard the news regarding Roald Dahl and Puffin’s decision to re-print the author’s iconic titles with an array of revised corrections to appease modern day audiences, with many words being cut from the text (‘fat’ and ‘ugly’ being the most prominent examples) and whole new passages added (that Dahl himself did not write). All this is due to the fact the publishers are frightened of Dahl’s original texts causing offence because of how long ago they were written, and so they’re now taking it into their own hands and employing sensitivity readers (if you ever feel useless in life, take solace in the fact that at least your line of work doesn’t require you to be a soulless killjoy) to edit or remove words or phrases that may offend the softies. It’s a devious practice to do such a thing, especially to books written by authors who’re no longer with us. What gives Puffin the right to edit Roald Dahl’s words to fit their own attitudes? What justification is there for this brand of censorship? (It should be added that they’ve since backtracked and have decided to keep the original editions in print, along with the new butchered versions).
I’m fiercely against censorship. Hell, as a writer I bloody ought to be. I don’t think censorship leads to constructive discourse. I think it suffocates creativity and renders a piece of art less authentic, especially when the motivations behind it are political correctness. It was hugely disconcerting to see Puffin take such a shameless attitude towards what they’re doing, because publishers are supposed to be protectors of the words put together by authors whom they welcome into their ranks. Which publishers will think it is a bright idea to adopt similar practices moving forward? What further works of fiction will fall victim to this revisionist mentality? (Well, Beatrix Potter and Ian Fleming, it seems!) Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses (1988) and an outspoken critic of censorship, released a statement expressing his disdain for the absurd rewriting of Dahl’s work, and here’s hoping more authors express pushback as well, especially those who’re firmly embedded in the mainstream. I remember when the industry first announced the arrival of sensitivity readers. I couldn’t have been the only person to wonder if this would be the beginning of the end for mainstream publishing, could I? It may sound dramatic, but my fears are beginning to manifest into reality, and Dahl himself is on the chopping block. I don’t find anything to be remotely offensive in Dahl’s books. They’re a little dark and a little crude but that adds to their charm, and this may surprise the loons over at Puffin as well as those who’re supporting this nonsense, but children love these stories just the way they are, as do the adults who read them when they were children. Did it never occur to these ideological buffoons that there is a reason why Roald Dahl’s books are so beloved by generation after generation? His stories and characters are timeless and to butcher his words in order to appease today's PC sensibilities is utterly shameful and should not be celebrated. Recently, we’ve seen this happen with various Dr. Suess books, and even one of Dav Pilkey’s books, The Adventures of Ook & Gluk (2010), which has been removed entirely from the market, as if it never existed at all. It’s a frightening pattern, for sure, and one can only wonder just how far this will go.
We’re living in very worrying times, and our days are no doubt becoming all the more insufferable due to the uprising agendas regarding the rapidly evolving cesspit that is modern-day political correctness. Things are starting to feel very Orwellian, don’t you think? In George Orwell’s 1984, those who step into ‘wrong-think’ become ‘unpersoned’, and these totalitarian attitudes are becoming stronger within our own society. Those in control are seeking to rewrite the past (another subject of Orwell’s novel), but as we all know by now, those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it. We’ve seen it happen to all forms of art in recent years, not just books. Songs with lyrics deemed offensive have been rewritten and classic films are constantly being subjected to scrutiny. But here’s the thing, all these works are of their time, and to judge any piece of art by today's standards is utterly foolish behaviour. If something offends you, move on to something else. If everything offends you, well, maybe you’re the problem. Censorship does not belong in art. To put Roald Dahl’s books on trial like this is so stupid it actually gives me a headache, and reading the opinions of those who’re trying to justify this nonsense seriously makes me question their logic. These are children's books, for crying out loud. And the scary thing is, this is only the beginning. It’s time to stand up against this madness and say enough is enough. I’ll forever cherish my copies of Roald Dahl’s books, and I will one day pass them down to my own children in order for these stories to live on untainted, to exist as Roald Dahl intended them to. I’ll pass on these castrated editions, thank you very much.
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