A children’s book from the popular “Captain Underpants” series will be removed from library and book store shelves after Scholastic announced it was withdrawing it from publication because it “perpetuates passive racism”.
The book, titled “The Adventures of Ook and Gluk” by Dav Pilkey, “follows about a pair of friends who travel from 500,001 B.C. to 2222, where they meet a martial arts instructor who teaches them kung fu and they learn principles found in Chinese philosophy,” according to Breitbart.
In a statement on YouTube, Pilkey wrote that the book was “intended to showcase diversity, equality and non-violent conflict resolution.”
“But this week it was brought to my attention that this book also contains harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery. I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly apologize for this. It was and is wrong and harmful to my Asian readers, friends and family, and to all Asian people,” the statement continued.
“I hope that you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my mistake that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and racism are harmful to everyone,” he wrote.
Scholastic released a statement last week, stating that it had the “full support” of Pikley in its decision to stop the distribution of the book.
“Together, we recognize that this book perpetuates passive racism,” the statement said.
‘We are deeply sorry for this serious mistake. Scholastic has removed the book from our websites, stopped fulfillment of any orders (domestically or abroad), contacted our retail partners to explain why this book is no longer available, and sought a return of all inventory.”
For the full report, click HERE.
‘Oh, the Places You Won’t Go.’ Six Dr. Seuss Books Canceled for Racist Imagery
Six books from the iconic Dr. Seuss series of children’s books will “stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday,” reported by the Associated Press. Dr. Seuss Enterprises told the AP in a statement, “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” said the statement. Books on the chopping block are “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises said the company’s decision was made last year after they “listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academic and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles.”
In 2017 after first lady Melania Trump donated Dr. Seuss books to a school library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the school’s librarian criticized the gift saying many of his works were “steeped in racist propaganda caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”
Arguably one of the most famously well-known and loved Dr. Seuss books is “The Cat in the Hat” which has also come under criticism but the Enterprise says it “will continue to be published for now.” The AP reports how popular Dr. Seuss remains, “earning an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago, the company said.” In 2020 Forbes listed him as the second-highest-paid dead celebrities behind pop star Michael Jackson.
Cancel Culture Continues: Disney+ Removes Peter Pan, Dumbo from Kid’s Profile Accounts
Cancel culture’s latest victims include the films Dumbo, Peter Pan, Swiss Family Robinson and The Aristocats.
The Washington Examiner reports that Disney+ has removed the movies from children’s profile accounts and added warnings for adults due to the portrayal of offensive stereotypes in the films.
Disney says Dumbo was removed because, “The crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations. The leader of the group in Dumbo is Jim Crow, which shares the name of laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.”
As far as Peter Pan goes, “the film portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions. It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as ‘redskins,’ an offensive term. Peter and the Lost Boys engage in dancing, wearing headdresses and other exaggerated tropes.”
In the Aristocats, “the (Siamese) cat (Shun Gon) is depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth.”
According to the Daily Caller, the warning message that appears before the movies on adult accounts states:
“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe…”
