In recent times, many literary works have come under attack by what some people call “sensitivity gurus” who try to impose their agenda on popular children’s books. R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series is the latest target of these publishers who are attempting to satisfy the woke agenda.
The UK Times claimed that Stine censored over a dozen of his books to avoid mentions of race, and to remove stereotypes that could potentially offend people. However, Stine denied the claim and affirmed that the edits were never shown to him.
“The stories aren’t true. I’ve never changed a word in Goosebumps. Any changes were never shown to me,” said Stine.
Despite Stine’s denial, The Times of London reported that it found over 100 edits in e-book versions of the series of 62 books. The changes include the removal of mentions of slaves, and one character who “acts real cool, like the rappers on MTV videos” now just “acts real cool” — and is described as having “brown skin” rather than being “African-American.”
Other changes include the removal of the blackface worn by a character dressed as “a dark and stormy night” for Halloween. Additionally, characters who were once referred to as “roly-poly” and “plump” were described as now “cheerful” and one character who was “overweight” is now merely “huge” while another character with “at least six chins” is now “at least six feet six.”
Lindsey, the stories aren’t true. I’ve never changed a word in Goosebumps. Any changes were never shown to me.
— R.L. Stine (@RL_Stine) March 6, 2023
The UK Times also noted that a line about schoolgirls having “crushes” on their headmaster was cut, and a boy who wolf-whistled is now merely “whistled loudly.” In another change, something dismissed as “girl’s stuff” is now just “not interesting.”
The attempts to alter classic books to fit modern-day sensibilities have become increasingly common. Legendary author Roald Dahl’s children’s books have already been scrubbed of potentially offensive content, and Ian Fleming’s 1950s James Bond books are being rewritten to remove “racially insensitive” words and stereotypes.
Critics argue that these changes are unnecessary and take away from the original work. Some believe that classic books should be viewed in the context of the time they were written, rather than be rewritten to fit contemporary views.
In response to the growing trend of altering literary works, some people have started to call for more transparency in the editing process. They believe that authors should be consulted about any changes made to their work and that publishers should be more forthcoming about what changes are being made and why.
The editing of classic books has become a controversial issue, with some people seeing it as a way of “canceling” authors who wrote in a different era. While there are valid concerns about potentially offensive content, many believe that altering classic books does more harm than good. In the end, it is up to publishers and authors to decide what changes, if any, should be made to their works.
Sources: TheGatewayPundit, The New York Post
