Sunday, July 15, 2007

Rumble in the jungle

There's a bit of row going on about our favourite boy reporter. Tintin in the Congo, Herge's worst book by a mile has been attacked by the Commission for Racial Equality, who have said it should not be sold as children's book. To be fair, Herge would agree were he still alive today. The English edition wasn't released until many years after Herge's death. Even now it comes with a health warning attached clarifying it was a product of its time. It has some appalling racist stereotypes, it has little merit as a story and has few examples of the heroism and anti-bullying themes that make the rest of Tintin's stories so popular with all of the boys in this house, including me.


Ban it? Don't be stupid. But would I want my kids to read it? No, there are far better stories to read and learn from.

Scotland on Sunday reports that sales have soared, here.

Some sensible comment in the Times is here.


I've also got a Railway Series complete set from the 1970s. In Henry the Green engine, he blows soot at a gang of naughty boys who run away as black as coal. Except it only says "coal" in the new version. It says the "N" word in my original. It isn't political correctness gone mad to keep this outdated, silly, old language from children. It's common sense.

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