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Six Dr. Seuss Books Will Stop Being Published Because of Racist Imagery

Debater Slayer

Vipassana
Staff member
Premium Member
From the linked article:

The works of Dr. Seuss, born Theodore Seuss Geisel, have long been considered canon for children’s literature thanks to their playful illustrations and tongue-twisting rhymes. In recent years, however, Geisel’s work has been called out for his caricature and stereotype-ridden depictions of racial minorities, particularly Black and Asian people. Geisel has also been critiqued for his work before becoming Dr. Seuss, including drawing WWII cartoons that used racist slurs and imagery, as well as writing and producing a minstrel show in college, where he performed in blackface—a form of entertainment that some children’s literature experts point to as the inspiration for Geisel’s most famous character, the Cat in the Hat.

Rest assured white bread and white chocolate are safe from being banned, because, unlike the above, they don't contain or promote blatant racism. Falling for hyperbole and fearmongering helps no one but the racists and reactionists.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I loathe any form of racism but if things keep going as they are, when will banning white bread or white chocolate happen?
Its time to curb it in.


Six Dr. Seuss Books Will Stop Being Published Because of Racist Imagery
I saw that in the news too.
Pretty amazing.
Reminds me of San Francisco renaming schools named
after people associated with racism, eg, Abraham Lincoln,
Dianne Feinstein, George Washington.
A couple decades back, Michigan's real estate licensing
board banned terms like "master bedroom" as insensitive.

I wonder if this phenomenon is related to making electrical
terms unisex in popular parlance? What is now just "plug"
was once separated into "plug" (male) & "outlet" (female).
 

Debater Slayer

Vipassana
Staff member
Premium Member
I saw that in the news too.
Pretty amazing.
Reminds me of San Francisco renaming schools named
after people associated with racism, eg, Abraham Lincoln,
Dianne Feinstein, George Washington.

That's good. Props to San Francisco for that decision.
 

Debater Slayer

Vipassana
Staff member
Premium Member
Yes, heaven forbid that a vile racist like Abraham Lincoln
be memorialized as a positive figure in history.
What do you have against Ms Feinstein?

Not familiar enough with her to have an opinion. My comment was more about the other two (Lincoln and Washington).
 

We Never Know

No Slack
From the linked article:



Rest assured white bread and white chocolate are safe from being banned, because, unlike the above, they don't contain or promote blatant racism. Falling for hyperbole and fearmongering helps no one but the racists and reactionists.


I used those more as a metaphor. In my opinion things are getting out of hand.

I'm mixed race so I can call my friends n****r and its fine but no other race can use it without being racist. Don't tell me its because its a friendship term among us because we even call that to people we despise.

Uncle Ben Rice. He was an African-American rice grower known for the quality of his rice. It made him famous

No more "Mr Potato Head" in order to be more inclusive and so all could feel “welcome in the Potato Head world.

They also made a "Mrs Potato Head". Don't want a Mr, buy the Mrs.

Etc
 

We Never Know

No Slack
From the linked article:



Rest assured white bread and white chocolate are safe from being banned, because, unlike the above, they don't contain or promote blatant racism. Falling for hyperbole and fearmongering helps no one but the racists and reactionists.

If we want to change things start with job applications, government paperwork, etc that ask us for our race and sex. In reality it shouldn't matter.
 
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Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
That's a topic for another thread. I'd rather not go on that tangent here.
It would only take a sentence or 2....he did this or that.
We have a problem in this country, where people try to
to erase history, topple icons, & sanitize the language
in extreme, inconsistent, superficial, & silly ways.
This improves nothing.
 
Last edited:

Quagmire

Imaginary talking monkey
Staff member
Premium Member
I'm still singing Green Eggs and Ham. I don't care what people say or think about that sir or ma'am. I am I am. Going to sing Green Eggs and Ham.
Green eggs and Ham?

Green eggs and Ham?
?"

If you think I'm offended well gosh darn I am!

As a new kosher vegan I find this obscene!!
(not to mentioin that we have a patent on " Green"!)
((and your appropriation is thoughtless and mean!))

Edit: Hey, if the classics are out we have to replace them with something, right?
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
I loathe any form of racism but if things keep going as they are, when will banning white bread or white chocolate happen?
Its time to curb it in.


Six Dr. Seuss Books Will Stop Being Published Because of Racist Imagery

Personally, I never associated an illustrated character in a book with an entire race of people.

However, I suppose the idea is to deprogram racism. People have a lot of unconscious routines constantly running. Every image, every word read/heard all get absorbed into our memory, the vast majority of which is not a conscious process. It all runs in the background as subconscious processes that bubble up to conscious awareness as feelings and thoughts none of which has been rationally analyzed.

Feeling of distrust, fear, anger, hate... is the image out of a children's book a part of that? :shrug:

Trying to deprogram racism is way beyond illustrations in children's books. The news, social media, commercials, political speeches.
There is overt racism which we can obviously quickly identify and then there is covert racism which we are not even consciously aware of.

Are you an overt racist? "No! Of course not!" Are you a covert racist? I don't think this is something that we can answer for ourselves.

First, if you are a covert racist, it is not your fault. You were programmed that way.
Second, should we attempt to eliminate the programming?
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
We'll need to ban Mark Twain, Shakespeare, Joseph Heller,
Martin Cruz Smith, Richard Wright, I.M. Tubby & so very many
others whose works include stereotypes of various races,
nationalities, genders, etc. Oh, the Bible & Koran will have to go.
What will we be left with?
I can think of only...
everyone-poops-266x300.png
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Green eggs and Ham?

Green eggs and Ham?
?"

If you think I'm offended well gosh darn I am!

As a new kosher vegan I find this obscene!!
(not to mentioin that we have a patent on " Green"!)
((and your appropriation is thoughtless and mean!))

Edit: Hey, if the classics are out we have to replace them with something, right?
It matters not my good man, that your offended by me, obscene or keen, that any patent has on green, I will continue to sing I am I am, my continued singing of Green Eggs and Ham.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Yes, heaven forbid that a vile racist like Abraham Lincoln
be memorialized as a positive figure in history.
What do you have against Ms Feinstein?
It is lame we can't even see a person's turn around. Sure, Lincoln wanted to ship the freed slaves back to Africa. Sure, he had some racist views. But we also know he listened to reason and did change his positions. Amd if changing when we're wrong isn't something we can look up to then we are in a very sad state. Because, truly, that's the best any of us can do.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
It is lame we can't even see a person's turn around. Sure, Lincoln wanted to ship the freed slaves back to Africa. Sure, he had some racist views. But we also know he listened to reason and did change his positions. Amd if changing when we're wrong isn't something we can look up to then we are in a very sad state. Because, truly, that's the best any of us can do.
If schools can be named only after people
without sin, I eagerly await their alternatives.
 
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