Dr. Seuss goes to Washington, Part 1. Have you heard about this silliness?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220275)
Walnut Creek, California
March 12, 2021 5:35pm CST
A softball buddy's son, now in his 20s, said on his Facebook page that Dr. Seuss had been a victim of censorship by Left Wing propaganda. He had learned it on Facebook. I told him that Facebook was not a reliable source of information.
I also told him that I had heard that it was those who controlled Dr. Seuss's estate that had decided to stop selling six Dr. Seuss books that had some racial stereotypes in them. There had been no censorship. But then I realized that I had gotten my information from the same source: Facebook!
So now I am faced with the task of using more reliable sources to see what really happened. I don't know how many Dr. Seuss books are really out there. My guess is that it's above 30. Did Dr. Seuss get "censored," as my friend's son contends? Or did those who control the estate of Dr. Seuss decide to cancel the publication of certain books that they considered to include racial stereotypes?
I am open to learning. But I am also sleepy.
23 people like this
21 responses
@spiderdust (14760)
• San Jose, California
12 Mar 21
I mean, they aren't burning the books. They aren't banning anyone from reading them. They just aren't printing new copies of them anymore. They'll still publish The Lorax and Horton Hears A Who and How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Green Eggs & Ham, and many beloved Seuss books.
5 people like this
@spiderdust (14760)
• San Jose, California
13 Mar 21
@TheHorse I do not, but I imagine it's a fairly small number.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
12 Mar 21
According to a Wikipedia Bibliography he wrote over 60 books. I believe it was on Yahoo that I read that his estate is ceasing publication of 6 of those books due to sterotypes.
5 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137602)
• United States
12 Mar 21
Apparently, Fb actually got some information right, for a change. How novel of them!
"Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which manages the author's legacy, announced last week that six books would no longer be published because they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”" Excerpt taken from:
And here is a complete list of his children's books...
https://www.best-books-for-kids.com/list-of-dr-seuss-books.html
The work of the beloved children’s author is at the center of a controversy over racist and stereotypical depictions. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which manages the author’s legacy, announced that six books would no longer be published because they “portray peop
4 people like this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
12 Mar 21
@DaddyEvil I wonder why all of a sudden they decided this. I think they were pressured by cancel culture.
6 people like this
@spiderdust (14760)
• San Jose, California
12 Mar 21
@TheHorse The Cat in the Hat is also not going away. The only ones that the estate is choosing to not publish anymore have problematic imagery.
3 people like this
@TheHorse (220275)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Mar 21
Yeah. I tend to blow off what I read on Facebook. But I'm glad some "truth" was out there in this case. No "censorship" was involved. But one could argue that "political correctness" is rearing it's ugly head again. I am not a fan of political correctness.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (35744)
•
13 Mar 21
The Seuss family cancelled those 6 books but it is the cancel culture whose to blame for this decision. I'm sure monetary reasons not a emotional revelation was behind the decision.
Now here is my serious answer to this topic question.
I thought we had freedom of thought in this country, specifically in this case, freedom of the press. Why are we following the lead of socialist and communist countries or Hitler's pre-WWII Germany, where books were banned and even burned? Why is history being erased because some interpret it as offensive? In my view this is very dangerous. Persecution of ethnic groups, races, religion in the past caused great harm. Going after people for their opinions or beliefs is equally harmful. This "Woke" mentality (what a ridiculous term) and irrational thinking will eventually lead our country into a civil war of right vs left that will leave a wake of destruction in it's path. I hope we can take a deep breath and realize we are all Americans and stop this cultural revolution and hostility. But, until current thinking changes I doubt it.
Sure you were not looking for that kind of answer but there you go. 
Whoops.. Not a laughing matter. Now back to searching for some non-confrontational topics.
Your right! Total silliness. Have a great weekend 
Whoops.. Not a laughing matter. Now back to searching for some non-confrontational topics.
Your right! Total silliness. Have a great weekend 2 people like this
@TheHorse (220275)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Mar 21
By the way, I agree with what you say. I heard in my childhood days (though I have not validated it) that some states banned Mark Twain (or some of his books) from High School curriculum because he used the word "n*gger." But only an idiot could miss the irony in a statement like, "Nobody hurt. Just a couple of n*ggers killed." Or something like that. I believe that's from Tom Sawyer. Twain was trying to expose the callous attitude of (some) white Americans toward black Americans in the late 19th Century.
3 people like this
@spiderdust (14760)
• San Jose, California
13 Mar 21
@TheHorse Well, a 14-year-old who just picked up the book off of the shelf might not realize it's supposed to be irony... imagine how that would feel for a black child to read that, not knowing what Twain was trying to expose?
Not that I'm advocating for the removal of Mark Twain books, by the way. It seems like a good topic for a classroom, but I'm also saying this as a middle-aged white woman who grew up surrounded by other people who looked like me.
I do wonder if publishers of controversial works might be better off doing what Looney Tunes/Warner Brothers did with some of its cartoon collections, putting a disclaimer at the beginning that some of the material is considered offensive by today's standards, but that they are included because "editing out the racist depictions—and therefore effectively denying that the racism of the era ever happened—is worse than actually showing them" (from Wikipedia).
2 people like this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
13 Mar 21
@TheHorse I get that.. but why did they make that decision? Just out of the blue? The books WERE censored.
Censorship definition:
the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47676)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Mar 21
The only one of those six that I'd ever heard of is If I Ran the Zoo...
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47676)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Mar 21
@TheHorse I've heard of it, not read it.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220275)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Mar 21
@BarBaraPrz I don't think I've read those six books either. How did so many people get the wrong idea about what actually happened (re: Dr. Seuss)? I am a tad grumpy about people who do not "fact-check."
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71804)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Mar 21
I wish I knew. I've heard a little about it from TicTok, but I wouldn't consider that to be "reliable" either. In light of how the world's turned, and how other companies are reacting to once beloved characters, either does sound like it could be true.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71804)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Mar 21
@TheHorse That does seem to be the most likely, and I don't disagree. However, when you consider that some ritors, for whatever reason, decided it was a wise idea to deface and destroy historical piceses the argument does seem valid. Personally, it would just be better if his family did in fact pull some of the books.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220275)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Mar 21
@kaylachan Elaborate. No buildings have been defaced (to my knowledge) over Dr. Seuss.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472078)
• Switzerland
14 Mar 21
@TheHorse I checked the news to be sure... it is a decision taken by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, in this case you are right, it is not censorship. Should I decide to delete some of my posts because I judge they contained something offending, it's not censorship, is my decision.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220275)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Mar 21
@LadyDuck I agree. That does not mean "political correctness" does not exist. Political correctness is one of my nemeses. But this may or may not be an example. I just want people to have their facts right (when the information is out there).
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (108196)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Mar 21
On MSN it stated that the estate decided to stop. Between the stereotype problem and that said many of those had not sold new copies in years
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (108196)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Mar 21
@TheHorse Yep. People wanted to make a big deal of it. Heard some were selling for over 1000 each. 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121729)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Mar 21
If you had your head buried in the sand like me, you would have no idea any of this is going on.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121729)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Mar 21
@TheHorse I would do the same here. I don't care how much I argue with someone, if they were in trouble I would stop to help them.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220275)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Mar 21
@moffittjc You would make a good Montanan.
1 person likes this
The reason i am keeping my facebook is to watch Korean dramas. the news? well.. nah
@lovebuglena (44721)
• Staten Island, New York
16 Mar 21
Another stupid cancel culture thing. And why now all of a sudden? Why not many years ago?
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44721)
• Staten Island, New York
19 Mar 21
@TheHorse I wish I knew. People didn't see anything wrong with it in the past.
@cmoneyspinner (9219)
• Austin, Texas
13 Mar 21
I have heard a lot about this. The only unconfirmed unverified explanation that sounds reasonable was that somebody said sales of Dr. Suess books were down so somebody came up with a way to get people talking about the books and perhaps they might go out and buy them. Terrific marketing ploy!. I think it's called Anger Marketing. You get people outraged about something. Then they go out and buy it in order to protest!! I suppose this could be easily verified if somebody did an analysis of sales. I don't know who this “somebody” is but the somebody sure ain't me!!
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (44422)
• Wapello, Iowa
13 Mar 21
You got it exactly right. If you go to the right places, FaceBook is accurate,
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181775)
• United States
14 Mar 21
@TheHorse Personally I'd like to read the books and see what all the hoopla is about.
@arunima25 (87854)
• Bangalore, India
13 Mar 21
A lot of debate going around on social media around the same. And so far, I loved Seuss books for my children as they are a good source to help with reading skills. I have few of them that I used for my daughters and then many of my students got benefitted from them.
I got interested in knowing more about the author after this controversy. He authored 60 books and 6 are off the shelves and printing. But then one news says that to these 6 got sold like hotcakes on all online platforms after this controversy erupt and before they went off shelves. I can't validate this news because I got it from social media.
His daughter has said that he had no racist bone in his body but it's better to take these 6 off the shelves and stop their printing as it's better to respect sentiments of people in this current situation.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87854)
• Bangalore, India
14 Mar 21
@TheHorse It's very tough in today's world. We are bombarded with headlines and breaking news from so many sources. Media houses and even people on social media go for headline management suiting their perspective and goal 
@DocAndersen (54402)
• United States
13 Mar 21
according to the NYTimes, the decision was wholly that of the Dr. Suess estate to cease publication. But, there has been some organized pressure against the books (6) with racial stereotypes in them. The organized pressure came from a parenting group. Not sure that the group is liberal or conservative.
1 person likes this
