Sanitizing Huckleberry Finn

[flamepanther]

An English professor who is favor of censorship of classic literature? Thats a new one to me. Whats next, advertisements added to the stories? "Huck fills his pipe with Lucky Strike Tobacco, remember Lucky Strike means fine tobacco"

Yes, but they'll censor "Lucky Strike" to "Lucky Charms" to avoid controversy over tobacco use--and coincidentally accept a generous donation from General Mills.

[jfrost]

You guys already changed Ten Little Niggers to that other title. Nothing new, right?

[ieatramen]

They should just change nigger to nigga. That word is altogether accepted in our nation today. Heck, it's even considered cool.

[Breetai]

I am going to play Devil's Advocate:

Despite what rappers would have you believe, that is a pretty atrocious word. Huckleberry Finn, while a classic, is first and foremost a book intended for children. Time's have changed and kids do not have the sensibilities to reconcile the word they read with its current status in our language.

The book, along with its usage of the n-word, was controversial even when it came out if I remember what I heard correctly.

Those rappers who use it are beyond idiots, IMO. They are mocking their own ancestors and peers without fully realizing it, and teaching others that it is okay to do so.

[Bikeage]

Huckleberry Finn, while a classic, is first and foremost a book intended for children.

It is dangerously erroneous to state that 'Huckleberry Finn' was ever "intended for children." Surely original children's literature took some form back then, i'm no expert, but I doubt it was the lucrative industry writer's endeavor to profit from today.

Back then children's literature would have included The Bible, Greek Epics, history... not a polarizing depiction of then current social issues. The abridged versions of 'Huckleberry Finn' introduced to children over the 20th century and beyond have blurred the original manuscript's intended audience.

Sanitizing literature under the pretense of protecting children from offensive language is misguided... unless one's intent is to gradually eliminate future generation's divisive and critical thinking processes, resulting in easy to control "sheeple".... no way that could happen, right?

[aaron]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/01/ ... index.html

Unsurprisingly, there are already those who are yelling "Censorship!" as well as others with thesauruses yelling "Bowdlerization!" and "Comstockery!"

[dsheinem]

As I understood the issue, the main push behind this censorship isn't "protecting the children" but rather "protecting the spineless/mindless teachers from being uncomfortable saying 'nigger' in front of their students." These people have no business teaching, let alone even picking up a Twain book. Perhaps 'tis the fate of a genius to be translated by idiots.

Also, those of you who are bashing rappers who use the word are, I think, missing the point. The word "nigger" is a complex, polysemous word whose meaning can fluctuate from culture to culture. Just because it is offensive and means one thing in one context, doesn't mean it means the same in another. The word is controversial, has a deep history, and remains an important point of discussion in our country -- and for those reasons the whitewashing (triple entendre!) being done by these censors is deplorable and much more offensive than any word.

[Breetai]

Also, those of you who are bashing rappers who use the word are, I think, missing the point. The word "nigger" is a complex, polysemous word whose meaning can fluctuate from culture to culture. Just because it is offensive and means one thing in one context, doesn't mean it means the same in another. The word is controversial, has a deep history, and remains an important point of discussion in our country -- and for those reasons the whitewashing (triple entendre!) being done by these censors is deplorable and much more offensive than any word.

Not my country.

Joking aside, those rappers who are popular are WELL aware that their songs get air play on radio and on TV, and also stereo play via CDs and digital music. They ARE promoting that word beyond their culture and spreading it to other cultures (including the "white Anglo-Saxon protestant" group). By spreading that word beyond their culture, they are giving the okay for others to hear that word and also to use it (perhaps in private, but you cannot deny that is has become part of a lot of people's vocabulary where it previously had been nearly blocked out!). Then, after it has re-entered the active vocabulary, those who gave it through rap music complain that it is being used. They are hypocrites! Out of RESPECT for those ancestors of the slaves, and even other black people who feel uncomfortable around the word, those rappers should NOT have used it beyond their private music jam sessions. It should never have got to the point where it was used in the studio if they did not want it to become part of the current vocabulary.

I do agree that the whitewashing of the word in a historical context (such as in Huck Finn) is deplorable. If school districts want to ban the book, then it is their prerogative, but do not change it. It was a real part of the culture in which it was written. Should the penis on the statue of David been covered up (I can think of quite a few more lewd examples, but I think this serves the point).

[J T]

While I don't agree with how every rapper uses the word, I like what Tribe Called Quest has to say about it:

[aaron]