Enid Blyton coin stopped due to "racism and homophobia"
Discussion
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/b...
I knew it is fashionable to criticise poor old Enid but I am not at all sure that for her time she was particularly problematic and she was also an author who famously challenged gender roles with some of her characters.
I knew it is fashionable to criticise poor old Enid but I am not at all sure that for her time she was particularly problematic and she was also an author who famously challenged gender roles with some of her characters.
I suspect as well often they do not even read what they are banning or criticising.
Enid Blyton is hardly high literature but she is a great children's author as she introduces children to the joy of reading. I owe her a great debt as without her I may never have become such a dedicated reader and so missed out on many great books in my adult years.
The entire PC case against her seems to consist of one gollywog in Noddy (at a time when it was a much loved children's toy) and various descriptions of bad guys being swarthy (in a wandering gypsy rather than afro-Caribbean immigrant sort of way).
If you've actually read them (rather than automatically criticise them) she was actually quite progressive for her time in the range of female characters and roles. Not only with George in her most popular series but in other series such as Malory Towers.
It is a shame we cannot celebrate our greatest children's author in even such a small way.
Enid Blyton is hardly high literature but she is a great children's author as she introduces children to the joy of reading. I owe her a great debt as without her I may never have become such a dedicated reader and so missed out on many great books in my adult years.
The entire PC case against her seems to consist of one gollywog in Noddy (at a time when it was a much loved children's toy) and various descriptions of bad guys being swarthy (in a wandering gypsy rather than afro-Caribbean immigrant sort of way).
If you've actually read them (rather than automatically criticise them) she was actually quite progressive for her time in the range of female characters and roles. Not only with George in her most popular series but in other series such as Malory Towers.
It is a shame we cannot celebrate our greatest children's author in even such a small way.
Edited by JagLover on Wednesday 28th August 07:36
We can't ban History - she lived in a different time, the accepted norms of her day are somewhat different to what is acceptable today. Indeed, we are, to my mind, in a state of flux at the moment, an 'awakening' as it were that is being flushed out and debated thanks largely to Social Media and everyone now having a voice that can be heard by all.
Eventually, it will all settle down I think, as the debates as to what is now acceptable or should be are generally agreed. Obviously, older generations may not welcome the change and refuse to accept it but that is not unusual and they will eventually fade away as all older generations do.
In the meantime, we get this sort of thing that throws up who or what from History we ought to celebrate. We have characters in History who are clearly wrong-un's even in their day and so best not celebrated but then we have this type of fringe debate over an Author like Enid. Personally, I don't feel she is guilty of the accusations hurled at her by some but those 'some' are on the extreme end of the Debates in which we as a Society are currently embroiled.
I'd not have an issue with her, or her works, but some do and they are entitled to express that of course. The interesting part is the eventual outcome, will the extreme side of being Politically Correct win because it is 'easier' to allow them to get their way by most not knowing where to draw the line between what it truly offensive or not or will we reach a middle ground?
As I started though, we can't ban History. Learn from it, yes, but we shouldn't be deriding Authors like Enid because Society was somewhat different in her time, recognising that is enough.
Eventually, it will all settle down I think, as the debates as to what is now acceptable or should be are generally agreed. Obviously, older generations may not welcome the change and refuse to accept it but that is not unusual and they will eventually fade away as all older generations do.
In the meantime, we get this sort of thing that throws up who or what from History we ought to celebrate. We have characters in History who are clearly wrong-un's even in their day and so best not celebrated but then we have this type of fringe debate over an Author like Enid. Personally, I don't feel she is guilty of the accusations hurled at her by some but those 'some' are on the extreme end of the Debates in which we as a Society are currently embroiled.
I'd not have an issue with her, or her works, but some do and they are entitled to express that of course. The interesting part is the eventual outcome, will the extreme side of being Politically Correct win because it is 'easier' to allow them to get their way by most not knowing where to draw the line between what it truly offensive or not or will we reach a middle ground?
As I started though, we can't ban History. Learn from it, yes, but we shouldn't be deriding Authors like Enid because Society was somewhat different in her time, recognising that is enough.
I thought Roald Dahl might be next, seems he's already had his character assassinated;
"Associated with anti-Semitism and not regarded as an author of the highest reputation,” was the damning verdict of Britain’s Royal Mint on Roald Dahl. As we learnt earlier this week, the sub-committee that decides who gets to be honoured with commemorative coins chose not to nominate Dahl in 2016, the year of his centenary"
Sounds amost the same as what they said about Blyton!
“a racist, sexist, homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer”.
"Associated with anti-Semitism and not regarded as an author of the highest reputation,” was the damning verdict of Britain’s Royal Mint on Roald Dahl. As we learnt earlier this week, the sub-committee that decides who gets to be honoured with commemorative coins chose not to nominate Dahl in 2016, the year of his centenary"
Sounds amost the same as what they said about Blyton!
“a racist, sexist, homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer”.
markcoznottz said:
The professor of 'black studies' on gmb said that only 1% of children's books had an ethnic main character. I guess the reasons for that are racist too. He could write a book about the Notting hill carnival though, people openly smoking weed, grinding against each other and the police, defecating and urinating in public, all illegal acts. Not to add the numerous knife stabbings which would occur without arch scanners and a huge police presence.
Hmm.InitialDave said:
These people are going to have aneurysms if they ever read up on the old/original versions of most fairy tales and the like.
I can think of two works of fiction (well 3, but ones a sequel) that have racism, homophobia and misogyny on pretty much every page and yet the same people who want Enid Blyton to disappear down the memory hole are happy to protect (and even promote) these vile works of fiction. It's a strange world. Why can't they focus on religion. All the attitudes of Dahl and Blyton, and lots more besides. Anti-Semitic to a bewildering extent. How often do we see Jesus looking Jewish? There are numerous calls for genocide in the Abrahamic books, and as for homophobic - they set the standard. The various bibles are vicious and nasty.
It would be interesting to see if those criticising the famous from the past for believing the norms of the time are followers of a religion. If so, they seem to be able to ignore the criminal and just look on the bright side.
That said, I think there are many heroes who should be honoured well before a children's book author.
It would be interesting to see if those criticising the famous from the past for believing the norms of the time are followers of a religion. If so, they seem to be able to ignore the criminal and just look on the bright side.
That said, I think there are many heroes who should be honoured well before a children's book author.
Oakey said:
I thought Roald Dahl might be next, seems he's already had his character assassinated;
"Associated with anti-Semitism and not regarded as an author of the highest reputation,” was the damning verdict of Britain’s Royal Mint on Roald Dahl. As we learnt earlier this week, the sub-committee that decides who gets to be honoured with commemorative coins chose not to nominate Dahl in 2016, the year of his centenary"
Sounds amost the same as what they said about Blyton!
“a racist, sexist, homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer”.
Tbf, when you compare Roald Dahl's contribution to literature, etc with that of the BRM sub-committee the only suprise is that the sub-committee haven't minted commerative coins praising their own achievements. As for Enid Blyton, the number of children that became and hopefully still become avid readers must be astronomical. This kind of b"Associated with anti-Semitism and not regarded as an author of the highest reputation,” was the damning verdict of Britain’s Royal Mint on Roald Dahl. As we learnt earlier this week, the sub-committee that decides who gets to be honoured with commemorative coins chose not to nominate Dahl in 2016, the year of his centenary"
Sounds amost the same as what they said about Blyton!
“a racist, sexist, homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer”.
ks does efforts against racism no favours at all, imoDerek Smith said:
Why can't they focus on religion.
Because the sort of people who want Enid Blyton off the 50p are the sort that separate everyone into oppressed and oppressor. Oppressors can do no right and oppressed can do no wrong. Religion falls into the oppressed category and therefore can do no wrong, no matter how backward, homophobic, racist and misogynistic their views are. Ratski83 said:
More woke McCarthyism from the progressive authoritarian left nutjobs.
This. I often wonder what would happen if large companies, organisations or celebrities started publically disagreeing with them rather than pandering to their every whinge therefore fueling their 'campaigns'.The problem I have with Enid Blyton (besides her poor writing style), is her approach to class.
The working class are either kindly & thick, or criminal and thick.
The middle and upper class fare better, but I get the feeling that she never actually had a conversation with a working class person in her entire life.
Finally, I think this is a story over nothing. It's probably less about EB being a racist homophobe and more about another subject being a better choice for a coin. This story resonates because it allows 50+ year olds to confirm their view that everything is too PC.
P.s. I read loads of EB as a child and hav'nt become a racist homophobe. On the other hand I do love cream teas with lashings of ginger beer!
The working class are either kindly & thick, or criminal and thick.
The middle and upper class fare better, but I get the feeling that she never actually had a conversation with a working class person in her entire life.
Finally, I think this is a story over nothing. It's probably less about EB being a racist homophobe and more about another subject being a better choice for a coin. This story resonates because it allows 50+ year olds to confirm their view that everything is too PC.
P.s. I read loads of EB as a child and hav'nt become a racist homophobe. On the other hand I do love cream teas with lashings of ginger beer!
Derek Smith said:
Why can't they focus on religion. All the attitudes of Dahl and Blyton, and lots more besides. Anti-Semitic to a bewildering extent. How often do we see Jesus looking Jewish? There are numerous calls for genocide in the Abrahamic books, and as for homophobic - they set the standard. The various bibles are vicious and nasty.
It would be interesting to see if those criticising the famous from the past for believing the norms of the time are followers of a religion. If so, they seem to be able to ignore the criminal and just look on the bright side.
That said, I think there are many heroes who should be honoured well before a children's book author.
Don't the honours deserve different categories?It would be interesting to see if those criticising the famous from the past for believing the norms of the time are followers of a religion. If so, they seem to be able to ignore the criminal and just look on the bright side.
That said, I think there are many heroes who should be honoured well before a children's book author.
tangerine_sedge said:
The problem I have with Enid Blyton (besides her poor writing style), is her approach to class.
The working class are either kindly & thick, or criminal and thick.
It is the oldest rule in fiction, write what you know. She knew middle class kids so all her stories are of middle class kids.The working class are either kindly & thick, or criminal and thick.
It has been thirty years since I read one of her books but I think the above is a bit of an exaggeration.
There are for example a number of "salt of the earth" working class women in her books who aren't described as thick.
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