December 23, 2006
Power Outage and Racism?
Last night I was trying to blog because I’ve been slacking, and I felt bad about it, but our power went out at around 8:00 p.m. We had already received 5 inches of snow and apparently snow can be heavy on power lines. We weren’t electrified again until 9:20 p.m.
Let’s just say it got a little cold in the house. But we survived. Doug, Dawson, Murphy and I curled up on the couch to read “If I Ran the Zoo” by Dr. Seuss, via candle light. I couldn’t finish reading the book because I felt as though there was a racial slur in it.
I may be overreacting, which I do well, but there’s a part in the book where character Gerald McGrew wants to run the zoo and hunt (but not kill) animals in Zomba-ma Tant and as Dr. Seuss puts it he will enlist the help of men “with eyes at a slant”.
I stopped reading. I do not want my two year old to say something horrible like that because his mother read it to him from a Dr. Seuss book. As far as I’m concerned that’s not a good thing to say. I don’t care if he couldn’t find another word that rhymes with the funny named city Gerald was visiting….but I can…rant. Rant rhymes with Zomba-ma Tant. Or Pant! Or Can’t. Or Shan’t (is that a word?) or something other than that. (hey! That! That kind of rhymes!)
He could have written that Gerald McGrew would enlist men who wear one-legged pants. Close enough to rhyming. WAY better than what he really wrote!
Am I nuts or just crazy? Ha! That’s a funny question. Obviously, I’m reading Dr. Seuss to my child and worried about all the hidden racist remarks to be found. Dr. Seuss! Of all the books I could be questioning, I never thought it would be Dr. Seuss!
Mocha and The Caffeinated Librarian, maybe you could help me out. Am I overreacting?
Posted by Dana @ 6:29 AM • Uncategorized
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December 23rd, 2006 at 7:01 AM, Janet a.k.a Wonder Mom Says:
I haven’t been able to get to your blog in days. The internet won’t even let me read it….SO today is the first day I can get on here…I miss you.
I would have taken that line as “he was squinting” to get a good focus on what he was hunting. You know how you do when you can’t read the alarm clock at 4:30 in the morning? But I am naive to a fault sometimes….
December 23rd, 2006 at 2:47 PM, Dana Says:
No, but you see, the picture of the “men” shows them wearing those thong shoes like the ones they wore in the move “Memoirs of a Geisha”….It’s ridiculous!
December 23rd, 2006 at 4:35 PM, Mammacheryl Says:
I don’t think you’re overreacting. When Dawson’s older, you can explain more succinctly about how nice people don’t make references to physical differences that might be attributed to heritage, race and disability.
Unfortunately, Dr. Seuss is from an older generation that wasn’t accustomed to the sensitivities that the modern person is aware of.
December 30th, 2006 at 11:33 AM, texas math Says:
As I grew older and started reading children’s books to my nephew and niece, I noticed alot of things that just shouldn’t be in a children’s book…things you’d never see as a child…some of the so called “classics” are the biggest culprits just because they are already so widely accepted.
January 13th, 2007 at 10:55 AM, Caffeinated Librarian Says:
Hey Lady. You can see how far behind I am, I’m just getting around to answering posts from Dec. Good thing you linked to me otherwise I might have missed it, and I think you asked a very good question.
And I’ve got a couple of different answers for you.
First, I don’t know the book in question – it’s a Seuss I’ve never seen myself. But you have to remember that books are reflections of the time during which they were written. Judging a book originally published in 1950 by the social standards of 2007 is taking a work out of its original context. And without their original context, some books don’t weather very well. What you could do, if your son were older, is turn it into an opportunity to talk about the social changes that have gone on since the book was written…and how something that was (probably) seen as okay in the 1950s is not longer acceptable. That way you could make it a great learning experience for you both.
But your son is a little young for all that. My advice – trust your gut. If you are uncomfortable reading it than that will translate to him when you try to read it…so pick a different Seuss to substitute – The Sneetches, for example…which is one of my all time favorite children’s books and a great story to teach inclusion and accepting yourself and other people for who you/they are.
Hope that helps and sorry I was so late. Oh and did you see – I have music suggestions for you now…
January 13th, 2007 at 10:58 AM, Dana Says:
Yay! CL! Thanks!! I’m heading over for the music lists! I’m getting an iPod and I want to be ready with my downloading!