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Post by Claire on Nov 23, 2014 23:48:05 GMT 1
Hi all I have been pondering on this since talking about kids having guns in old pony books - you can't imagine that happening now. Looking back from today's perspective with all the political correctness, health and safety and what not, it might be interesting to discuss things in old childrens books (pony or non pony) which would not be allowed now. What things come to your mind? Are there any children's book which you've found have been revised and edited to make them more PC? And are the changes for the better or worse?
Enid Blyton is a good one for this. Her book The Three Golliwogs was revised to change the names of the gollies which were totally unpolitcally correct. I can't even mention all the names on here but if you don't know what they were and can't guess them I am sure google will provide you with them. This change was inevitable but funnily enough the older non-PC editions of this book are far more in demand than the revised non-offensive ones.
However one EB series which has been ridiculously changed is The Faraway Tree series in which the kids names of Dick and Fanny have been done away with!!! That is just ridiculous and shows the editors must have dirty minds lol.
In pony books you can understand them changing pony names like N*gger (Ponies and Poachers which I am reading now has a mare in called Negress) but the most ridiculous name change must have been Jill's Blackboy to Danny Boy!
I'd be very interested to hear what other people think of this subject.
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Post by Charlotte on Nov 24, 2014 0:58:22 GMT 1
Well I do avoid Chalet School cut versions on principle. It was probably the worst abridged of any childrens' series in paperback. Some books deleted whole chapters as well as in many, numerous details, images, dedications. The first cuts were mainly because of the length of many originals, but later they normally altered or removed Non PC references too. About anyone smoking, adopting Red Indian names for a school prank etc. There are many awful accidents in the series which sometimes perhaps show lack of Health & Safety, like when a girl sneaks out to skate and nearly dies falling through the ice. Though occasionally the entire incident was deleted, but normally only details, not the substance.
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Post by Claire on Nov 24, 2014 2:42:10 GMT 1
I must admit I don't miss the racism that was shown to blacks, aborigines, etc in the old books. The Billabong books were I seem to remember pretty awful in that way. Also books where servants are treated like slaves, especially the ones where they have to obey children and the children treated them like dirt. One of the few things about modern books I prefer over some of the old ones is the lack of class distinction in most of them. Although it must be said many of the old pony books were actually against such class barriers. Was it Augusta in 3 Ponies and Shannan who said of her groom it must be awful taking orders from a kid? Or was it another book entirely lol.
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Post by rallycairn on Nov 24, 2014 3:29:12 GMT 1
Actually, Charlotte's use of "red Indian" seems pretty non-PC to American ears. No offense meant, just noticing the usage. I hardly hear Indian any more, but rather native American. Red Indian seems even before my time, born in 1966 - I always heard and used simply "Indian" before native American came into use.
Jill and Black Boy/ Danny Boy was the first thing I thought of. Also, like you both have said, any of those where a lot of the grooming and hands-on horse care is left to others, such as a groom, and the protagonists are little ladies who do not have to do anything strenuous, and this is acceptable. HM Peel seems a bit this way, for example, and some Dorothy Lyons, too. But almost from the beginning was the counter view, of how kids should care for their own ponies, like in They Bought Her a Pony.
Will have to give this one some thought!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2014 12:28:44 GMT 1
There's a Fanny and Willy in Cobblers Dream too, as well as a n*gger. They've been in all the editions even the latest ones. Have to say I agree about Fanny and Willy, just dirty minds! lol  |
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Post by tintin on Nov 24, 2014 12:30:49 GMT 1
It's not just years ago. There is a prominent side saddle horse in this area called "Cos Me is Black" which always makes me more than faintly embarassed.
As to Indian I think "Red Indian" kept on longer over here because we would naturally see "Indian" as someone from India unless there was a pretty clear context...
In "Riders from Afar" the US lad says some things you probably would n't now.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2014 12:33:28 GMT 1
One thing I've noticed with the older books is how it was acceptable to drown puppies and kittens.   Having said that I do enjoy the older books but ones with hunting, shooting and generally bumping off animals I read them as historical novels rather than comfort reads obviously! I finds it interesting how people lived in "those" days even if I don't agree with a lot of it. |
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Post by susanb on Nov 24, 2014 15:21:43 GMT 1
Most American Indians I've read use Indian, American Indian, or Native Peoples, with about the same frequency. Native American seems to be used more by white people than anyone else. (A fantastic YA read is Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian).
I agree with Claire, I don't miss the racist element in revised texts at all....if only they'd left the revisions there! Children/young adults definitely became less adventurous and self reliant in a lot of revised texts.
Nancy Drew is the one that springs to my mind....in the original texts of early books in the series, she was known to pack her father's 38 revolver on tough cases (she never used it, but still!) In one book, I think it was The Secret at Shadow Ranch, she uses a rifle to kill a wildcat that is attacking the horses, which I believe is her only kill of the series, with or without firearms.
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Post by Claire on Nov 24, 2014 22:05:26 GMT 1
Well done to the publishers of the Follyfoot books for keeping in Fanny and Willy Of course fanny is not snigger-worthy in America as it means a different body part lol. While on the subject of Fanny as a name, this is not related to books but its along the same lines and it wouldn't be heard on TV now, but a friend told me this story and it made me laugh. Back in the day there was a UK TV chef called Fanny Craddock, older forumites will probably remember her. she used to come on in a ballgown to do cookery and her husband assisted her. Apparently one show they were making donuts and her hubby said to the audience "If you do this correctly you will end up with doughnuts as big as Fannys"  I do agree that the children were portrayed as much more self reliant in the older books than those of today. The Famous Five and co were always going off on camping trips on their own and kids were always riding their ponies around by themselves. As I did as quite a young child. Nowadays with riders nervous to move out of a covered school and those who venture out being made to wear back protectors and hi res jackets, etc, just to go on a quiet hack, those old books must seem almost like fantasy! |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2014 7:36:17 GMT 1
Apparently one show they were making donuts and her hubby said to the audience "If you do this correctly you will end up with doughnuts as big as Fannys" |
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