quade 3 #1 January 4, 2011 Quote What is a word worth? According to Publishers Weekly, NewSouth Books’ upcoming edition of Mark Twain’s seminal novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will remove all instances of the “n” word—I’ll give you a hint, it’s not nonesuch—present in the text and replace it with slave. The new book will also remove usage of the word Injun. The effort is spearheaded by Twain expert Alan Gribben, who says his PC-ified version is not an attempt to neuter the classic but rather to update it. “Race matters in these books,” Gribben told PW. “It’s a matter of how you express that in the 21st century.” Source; http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/01/03/huckleberry-finn-n-word-censor-edit/ I think this is a horrible idea. By doing this they don't make the book up-to-date, they make it less powerful in Huck's final summation. This is flat out wrong.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #2 January 4, 2011 Apparently it will fall in line with moderation here. How can this possibly be a bad thing? Obviously it is a harmful word and needs to be stricken from all records. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futuredivot 0 #3 January 4, 2011 A choice made by people that read the Cliff's Notes but not the book?You are only as strong as the prey you devour Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #4 January 4, 2011 Seems like a violation of the free speech amendment. Rewriting a book to edit out words deemed unwritable. Do we now ban these words from being written or spoken? Do we start fining or arresting people for saying these unspeakable words? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heatmiser 0 #5 January 4, 2011 If the person or company that holds the copyright wants to edit the product they sell, that is their right. If it is a government agency doing the censoring, it is a 1st amendment violation. Do I think it is asinine, yes.What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #6 January 4, 2011 QuoteSeems like a violation of the free speech amendment I really don't think it is. Dont get me wrong, it sounds like a very stupid thing to do, but the publishers are a private business, and if that's what they want to do... Now, the question is: who owns the rights to the work? If I was them, I would find a way to get out of any agreement with that publisher, and find one who respects the book as it was written.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peek 20 #7 January 4, 2011 Quotehttp://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/01/03/huckleberry-finn-n-word-censor-edit/ Yes, the expression is "Bowdlerization", and it is an unfortunate idea. I thought a while back about that very thing. What if I was reading passages of the book aloud and did not want to "drop the bomb"? Replacing it with the word "slave" would Bowdlerize it, and also work fairly well, except in one particular place in the book. Disclaimer: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is my favorite book, and Samuel Clemens is my favorite author. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #8 January 4, 2011 OK, the first person who says "politically correct" gets my foot up his ass. Quote Twain’s seminal novel [Beavis] Heh heh heh... he said "seminal"... heh heh heh [/Beavis] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #9 January 4, 2011 This is a horrible idea. They are taking an outstanding work that goes against racism, and they are neutering it. They are taking the book out of it's context and timeframe, and applying their own weak stomach and over-sensitivity. Professionally I refuse to say the word, even when sworn and instructed to quote someone who used the word, because of the effect it can have on my career and coworkers (due largely to weak stomachs and over sensitivty). I edit it from my vocabulary, but let's be honest, my spoken words are not the next great American classic. edit: typos (iPhone)witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #10 January 4, 2011 QuoteSeems like a violation of the free speech amendment. Rewriting a book to edit out words deemed unwritable. Do we now ban these words from being written or spoken? Do we start fining or arresting people for saying these unspeakable words? And who decides which word are unspeakable? And for what reasons?"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #11 January 4, 2011 QuoteThis is a horrible idea. They are taking an outstanding work that goes against racism, and they are neutering it. They are taking the book out of it's context and timeframe, and applying their own weak stomach and over-sensitivity. Professionally I refuse to say the word, even when sworn and instructed to quote someone who used the word, because of the effect it can have on my career and coworkers (due largely to weak stomachs and over sensitivty). I edIt it from my vocabulary, but let's be honest,y spoken words are not the next great American classic. This. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #12 January 4, 2011 That was sarcasm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,254 #13 January 4, 2011 QuoteSeems like a violation of the free speech amendment. Don't be so silly, of course it's not. They're not stopping anyone else from publishing the proper manuscript or using the offending word, they're just not publishing it themselves. QuoteDo we now ban these words from being written or spoken? Why ever would that follow? The government's going to rush out and ban the word nigger because NewSouth Books edited it out of one edition of one book? Remster: QuoteNow, the question is: who owns the rights to the work? It's an old book. The copyright is expired, it's in the public domain. Fair game. Now, I don't agree with censorship or revisionism at all, but any suggestion that what they're doing is anti-free speech or that someone shoud be able to stop them is way, way wide of the mark.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #14 January 4, 2011 >Seems like a violation of the free speech amendment. No. If the government tried to STOP the owner of a work of literature from changing it when they chose to do so, that would be a violation of the First Amendment. They own it; they can do what they like with it. >Do we now ban these words from being written or spoken? ?? No one's talking about banning anything. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DiverMike 5 #15 January 4, 2011 QuoteRewriting a book to edit out words deemed unwritable. When I was in High School I read Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None". It was original titled, "Ten Little N*ggers" and took place on "N*gger Island". That was deemed too offensive and all occurences of "n*gger" were change to "indian". Recently, that was considered too offensive and the latest publication of the book changed all references of "indian" to "soldier". I imagine the publisher did all this to offend the least number of people in order to make the most money. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #16 January 4, 2011 QuoteThat was sarcasm. Mine wasnt"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #17 January 4, 2011 Furthermore, Tom was the product of a drunken, abusive father, and that's why he ran away from home. Drunkenness and child abuse are also bad things, and therefore, they too should be stricken from the new book. And the idea of children running away, living alone on an island, and riding a raft down a river! Gosh, that's fraught with danger, and we shouldn't be giving kids ideas like that. I'm gonna have to say that the whole book should be stricken. Take 'em out of the libraries and burn 'em. They'll just have to be satisfied with "Curious George" the monkey. Do it for the children! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #19 January 4, 2011 QuoteGood for you You too"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #20 January 4, 2011 QuoteApparently it will fall in line with moderation here. By that I assume you mean "some" and not all.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #21 January 4, 2011 QuoteSeems like a violation of the free speech amendment. Rewriting a book to edit out words deemed unwritable. Do we now ban these words from being written or spoken? Do we start fining or arresting people for saying these unspeakable words? I believe that the word should be abolished - Not only from books and written material but from vocabulary. In this order: 1) Spoken word - Do not allow ANYONE to use it (This includes all music forms) Then and only then 2) Dictionarys - Online and all other Then and Only then 3) Works of literature - By date starting from the present. Unless all those measures are met - do nothing. (It will never happen)I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #22 January 4, 2011 Darn right John. On another note, My high school English teacher once told me that there is a version of Shakespeare's works that were modified to remove all the dirty, sinful jokes. I wonder if anyone knows where I can get a copy. I want to take it, redo the Merchant of Venice to remove all traces of antisemitism, and get my local school board to start using it exclusively. Someone has to think of the children. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyrider 0 #23 January 4, 2011 Is Uncle Toms Cabin next? So is it now, Afroamerican Jim? Leroy jim? Black Bubba Jim? Da Pimp Jim?Big dick Jim? Fat Lip Jim? Curly Jim? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyrider 0 #24 January 4, 2011 Where da white women Jim? , White Palm Jim? Can't hold down a job Jim? Welfare Jim? OJ Jim? ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #25 January 4, 2011 QuoteThey'll just have to be satisfied with "Curious George" the monkey Oh, hell no. The animal rights activists will need to change George's story, too. Remember that the Man with the Yellow Hat captured George in the wild in Africa and brought him to the big city to live in a zoo. A zoo! So inhumane. We'll need to change that one. Perhaps the Man With the Yellow Hat will find George as an infant after George's mother is killed by a predator animal and instead of capturing him, takes him to a rehab center so that George can live out his life in a natural environment without cages."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
