Which one of the following recent PC-driven revisions to classic children’s stories and nursery rhymes is true: A rewrite of the Three Little Pigs called The Three Cowboy Builders being called offensive to Muslims and insulting to builders, Baa Baa Black Sheep being changed to Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep to satisfy race relations, the “Seven Dwarfs” removed from the title of Snow White to avoid offending the vertically challenged or the ending of Humpty Dumpty being rewritten to avoid upsetting sensitive children?
Trick Question, they’re all true.
A 3-D Educational Book based on the nursery rhyme The Three Little Pigs - called The Three Cowboy Builders (the cowboys are still pigs) – was criticized by Becta, England’s education technology agency, because the use of pigs could be offensive to Muslims and the story stereotypes builders. The condemnation of the Award winning interactive book occurred during the judging of entries at the annual BETT Awards, a ceremony designed to honor the best educational stories, programs and teaching aids for children.
Becta judges said that whereas the retelling of a story was acceptable, the story should not single-out and alienate sections of the workforce then added that builders should be positive role models for children. "Is it true that all builders are cowboys, builders get their work blown down, and builders are like pigs?" the judges asked.
Is there no end to this absurd hypersensitive politically correct bullshit? Even the head of education at the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “We are not offended by (the book) at all.” This isn’t the same as Disney’s intentional racially and ethnically insensitive characters (see Metrodad’s post on Cinderella Dolls & the Disney Industrial Complex) we’re talking about cowboy pigs building houses. Come on, lighten up people.
Where’s the story about how Hindus may be offended by the similarities between Babar the Elephant and their sacred deity Ganesha and Jack’s blasphemous selling of a sacred cow for magic beans? Will Clifford from here on in be the Big Rainbow Dog to avoid racial tension with American Indians or will that be an affront to Gay Pride? Will contestants from The Biggest Loser speak out against The Very Hungry Caterpillar because of the way it misrepresents the eating habits of the overweight?
They’re just harmless kids books and they’re for reading, not for reading into.
(Image from front cover of 'Ladybird' reading book - Illustrator: Robert Lumley)
