Gawd Elp Us Is Nothing Sacred?

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/enid-blyton-blue-plaque-bio-by-english-heritage-includes-racist-and-xenophobic-criticism-12334601
....Perlease!

[barry1010]

I read articles about Blyton's xenophobia, racism and dislike of children way back in the early 80s, long before 'woke' and BLM.

[naomi24]

Looks like my English Heritage subscription is about to go the same way as my National Trust one went in the wake of ‘woke’.

[Mamyalynne]

Looking back through literature shows up many such instances, knowing about them doesn't change how popular they were at the time and it's not as if her Blue Plaque has been removed.

Simply a statement added online.

[Mamyalynne]

Some of the information added dates from the mid 1960s when Enid was still alive.

[bhg481]

Last year I was offered a free 3-month extension to my EH subscription to compensate for time lost due to the virus; I turned it down on the grounds that I feel that their work is important and they could better use the money. I now feel that they are wasting money and am very seriously thinking of not renewing next year.

[Togo]

Wait till they get around to Janet and John and Chicken Licken.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Only a matter of time before Peter and Jane get banned (replaced by Peter and Peter) not to mention Black Beauty.

[JimF]

Somebody's certainly cashing in!
Amazon.com User Recommendation

[Mamyalynne]

I doubt Mabel O'Donnell (Janet and John) even has a Blue Plaque being from Illinois.

Those books were a favourite target for humour by the late Terry Wogan.

[Buenchico]

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2010/09/04/noddy-and-big-ears-deny-%E2%80%98improper-relationship%E2%80%99/

;-)

[Khandro]

The only way to stop all this nonsense is I'm afraid, to start searching into the past of the 'woke' accusers & 'outing' THEM. Every single one of us will have somewhere in our family history something which can be construed as racist, somehow connected to slavery, non-PC or in some way reprehensible by today's standards.

The horrible Head librarian at the BL went so far as to want the Poet Ted Hughes's books removed from the shelves because she thought a forebear of his 300 years ago MAY have had some connection to slavery, 'Let's have a look at YOUR ancestry sweetheart' , sez I.

[naomi24]

Oh the shame, khandro. She’d probably end up in sackcloth and ashes...

Sick of it all.

[Mamyalynne]

Calling for the removal of certain literature is I agree a step too far, adding some context from a few decades ago (in this instance) doesn't seem too bad, especially for those who didn't read her stories as youngsters.

[Canary42]

All the usual dinosaurs frothing about social change. If they had their way we'd still be sending children up the chimneys or having them working in dangerous factories.

[burlyshirley]

Canary - do you SERIOUSLY think that anyone on here would want that, seriously ???

[naomi24]

I read her stories. I’ve always said Noddy taught me to read. Racism didn’t occur to me - probably because no sour faced killjoy made a point of pouring bile on everything in their path.

[Theland]

I loved her stories. So sad to see attempts to smear her good name.

[Theland]

(Oh dear! I loved Robertsons marmalade!)

[Mozz71]

I don't really see the fuss. Enid Blyton's xenophobia and casual racism were well known and shouldn't be an issue when looking at the joy her books have bought to millions of children. She was a child of Victorian England when those traits were commonplace.

[Mamyalynne]

I loved the stories too,captivating - and when as a teenager I heard the rumblings about her characters my thoughts then were the same thoughts as now.

They're fictional tales of characters we loved back then.

Acknowledging that those criticisms happened is not being anything other than honest - they did.