Should We Insist On Gender-Neutral Books, Or Are Some Right Into Believing That This Is One Step Short Of Nazism?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/genderspecific-books-demean-all-our-children-so-the-independent-on-sunday-will-no-longer-review-anything-marketed-to-exclude-either-sex-9194694.html

/// There are those who will say that insisting on gender-neutral books and toys for children is a bizarre experiment in social engineering by radical lefties and paranoid “femininazis” who won’t allow boys to be boys, and girls to be girls. (Because, by the way, seeking equality of rights and opportunities was a key plank of Nazi ideology, was it?) ///

Could we see a mass burning of books that don't meet this criteria?

[jeffa]

This criterion.

[jim360]

I seriously hope not.

Books that are "for boys" or "for girls" become a problem if you stopped a girl reading a book "for boys", or vice versa. I don't see that it's necessarily a problem to have them in the first place, so like most things it probably comes down to sensible parenting.

[ToraToraTora]

clearly jeffa agrees AOG, choosing instead to nit pick singular/plural. Anyway it's another piece of PC nazism from the right on brigade. It is perhaps Ironic that liberism edges ever closer to Nazism!

[ummmm]

What a load of nonsense.

Let children be themselves. Simple really.

[THECORBYLOON]

ANOTHEOLDGIT, do you believe this is one step short of Nazism?

[sp1814]

AOG

If parents and children want the choice of gender neutral books, then the market will change to accommodate this.

There is already a market for this - The Hunger Games and the Harry Potter series prove this.

So, when publishers see the global success of these franchises, they will look for other properties which the market demands.

The answer is 'choice'. Choice in the marketplace is important. Some parents want gender specific material for their kids, and some don't.

Gender-specific books are unlikely to be burned, but if the market for gender neutral books keeps growing, then there IS a chance that some may be pulped.

[jno]

who believe it is one step short of nazism, then?

[Gromit]

1. We should have choice. Not just all boys and all girl books, but books that appeal to ALL children.

2. Burning books is an environmental hazard and acheives nothing.

3. Writing books just for girls is not nazism. Anyone suggesting such a thing should be sent to a gas chamber.

4. Market forces will apply. If a parent has a boy and a girl, it is preferable to buy one book that they both can enjoy rather than two which are only read by half heir children.

5. Publishers should be and are allowed to sell gender specific books if they want to. It just might be commercially unwise.

6. The Independent is a commercial company and as such can design their own criteria for what books get rieviewed.

6. If you do not like the Independent's stance, do not buy their newspper.

7. Lastly, there must be more interesting stuff to discuss than this nonsence?

[pixie373]

//paranoid “femininazis” who won’t allow boys to be boys, and girls to be girls//

feminists are the people that value girls as girls- so there's some misunderstanding here.

Children will just like what they like. (helpful, aren't i?:-))

[pixie373]

Having now read the link - it seems they want to change the advertising, rather than the books and avoid putting phrases on the front cover like "book for boys".

[ludwig]

I've seen a gender neutral version of that 'Men are from Mars ..' book. It's called 'People are from Earth, Other People are from Earth too'.

I found it a bit confusing to be honest.

[sandyRoe]

Where would it end? Two persons of Verona, Monarch Lear? Would no great of literature be safe?

[DaisyNonna]

How does one actually define a gender neutral book?
Never seen one which says on the cover 'Do not read if you are male/female'

[boxtops]

You wouldn't be able to say "Lady" Chatterley, either, DB.

[mikey4444]

This is complete claptrap.

One of the most successful series of children's books of modern times has been Harry Potter. Note its Harry, not Harriet. I don't know for sure but I suspect more girls have read Harry Potter than boys, just because more girls read books than boys. But any teacher will tell you that its been instrumental in getting boys to read books, always a difficult task.

When I was growing up, us boys read Biggles, Jennings, Billy Bunter, and the wonderful Just William. If these books had had a girl as the protagonist they would have remained firmly on the shelf. Nor did us boys feel the remotest interest in reading about ponies or what happened at Malory Towers.

Boys and girls are both children but they are not the same, and wishful thinking by a lot of feminists stricken with penis envy isn't going to change things.

I bet I have put the cat amongst the pigeons now !

[jno]

well, you've certainly left me wondering what you're talking about, mikey, since you seem to be agreeing with the independent's stance rather than disagreeing with it.

Harry Potter wasn't marketed as a girls' book or a boys' book.

[Old_Geezer]

Never read the Independent On Sunday books reviews anyway. If they wish to swim against the flow of what most public want, that is their choice.

[DaisyNonna]

I absolutely loved Biggles books and read them all.

[Old_Geezer]

Some things are aimed at what will appeal to one or other gender. I can't see it is much better if it is about ads. I'm sure the intentions are good but the road to hell .... I can see loads of kids on Xmas Morn shouting "Ugh what a horrible present, it's for girls/boys".