I'm a bit annoyed that the Enid Blyton book I have bought has been edited. Just bought The Magic Faraway Tree for a friend. I started to read it and realised the names have been changed from Dick and Fanny to Rick and Franny. Am now wondering what else has been changed. Wanted it for its old fashioned charm.

Surely it's taking it a bit far to change the names - and axe Dame Slap (who is now Dame Snap)?

I'm a bit annoyed that the Enid Blyton book I have bought has been edited. Just bought The Magic Faraway Tree for a friend. I started to read it and realised the names have been changed from Dick and Fanny to Rick and Franny. Am now wondering what else has been changed. Wanted it for its old fashioned charm.

Surely it's taking it a bit far to change the names - and axe Dame Slap (who is now Dame Snap)?


Political correctness gone mad!  >:(  Loved those books when I was little..... and was lucky enough to buy newer versions that had not yet been tampered with (for my own kids). 

But this has happened to a lot of Enid Blyton's stories....especially the stories that featured golliwogs. I had no idea that it was so offensive when I was young! So...I guess that particular term had to be changed ...as it was a racial issue. The rest of it should have been left alone though.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/enid-blytons-famous-five-to-get-21stcentury-updates-2036614.html

I'm a bit annoyed that the Enid Blyton book I have bought has been edited. Just bought The Magic Faraway Tree for a friend. I started to read it and realised the names have been changed from Dick and Fanny to Rick and Franny. Am now wondering what else has been changed. Wanted it for its old fashioned charm.

Surely it's taking it a bit far to change the names - and axe Dame Slap (who is now Dame Snap)?


I have an Enid Blynton story book.  I got it 30 years ago.  My father married an English lady and she gave it to me.  Gonna put it somewhere safe now. 

Just looked at Gis' link and I'm now dying to read them...

*runs over to Amazon...*  :)

Finally got my collection yesterday - it had to come all the way from England.  I ordered one book with three stories in it.  I can't be bothered to go and look at which three though because it's all the way downstairs and I am upstairs.  But I did make sure to order a used copy that has Dick and Fanny instead of Rick and Franny.  ;D

Heh heh, I remember watching 'Marmalade Atkins' on CITV (Childrens ITV) when I was about 4 or 5 years old. It starred the late Charlotte Coleman.

I read a few things about Enid Blyton. Apparently, a lot of people thought she was outdated while she was alive though, as much as I think golliwogs are an insensitive image to black people, I'm not sure it is cool to rewrite her works as a result.

Heh heh, I remember watching 'Marmalade Atkins' on CITV (Childrens ITV) when I was about 4 or 5 years old. It starred the late Charlotte Coleman.

I read a few things about Enid Blyton. Apparently, a lot of people thought she was outdated while she was alive though, as much as I think golliwogs are an insensitive image to black people, I'm not sure it is cool to rewrite her works as a result.






What is a golliwog?

What is a golliwog?


a cuddly toy

http://www.jgshow.com/pictures/TOYS/Tbiggolly.jpg

I had one that I loved so much his furry hair came off!

a cuddly toy

http://www.jgshow.com/pictures/TOYS/Tbiggolly.jpg

I had one that I loved so much his furry hair came off!


Hmmm.

I'm not really sure what to say.  Is this an Enid Blyton character?

Hmmm.

I'm not really sure what to say.  Is this an Enid Blyton character?


She wrote several stories based in Toytown or other areas where toys are alive or come to life at night.  The golliwogs feature particularly in the Noddy stories and sometimes they are the naughty characters (though not always).  Now they've been written out totally, even if they were just innocent bystanders!  I happened to have to copies of the same story and one picture of a birthday party has a golliwog replaced by a teddy bear

I love my Enid Blynton book.  I would hate for the stories in it that have Golly in them to change.  I got it when I was 8 or so and never made the connection between him and racism.  I just always assumed it was a doll with the name Golly.  **shrug**

Hmmm.

I'm not really sure what to say.  Is this an Enid Blyton character?


I don't think it is specifically an Enid Blyton thing, Ash. I know Robertsons Jam had a golliwog as their logo for years before...

http://www.golliwogg.co.uk/robertsons.htm

I think the golliwog was one of those things that were acceptable over 100 years ago but seem outdated and maybe classed as offensive in it's depiction of a black man these days. This is only my opinion but I don't really think they are that offensive (how many caucasian dolls out there showing exagerated features?) but maybe someone can enlighten me if that is not the case.

http://www.golliwogg.co.uk/racism.htm

Dagny, you are right. Golliwogs are usually called 'Gollys' but golliwog is the full name and likely more offensive because the word 'wog' is a racist slur against minorities.

Dagny, you are right. Golliwogs are usually called 'Gollys' but golliwog is the full name and likely more offensive because the word 'wog' is a racist slur against minorities.


Interesting to know.  Being American and, heck being like 8 when I got the book, I didn't realize that. ;D  I did think that the doll was not very nice.  He seemed like a bratty child.

My favorite story in the book was The Silver Merman, which didn't contain the doll at all. 


Now that I think of it, I wonder what my stepmom was thinking when she bought the book for me.  She was British so I am sure she understood what it meant.  Maybe it is just that it was the 70's and things were different. 

Interesting to know.  Being American and, heck being like 8 when I got the book, I didn't realize that. ;D  I did think that the doll was not very nice.  He seemed like a bratty child.


I think I had a golliwog when I was very little and, like you, saw nothing beyond what it was (didn't even know it was supposed to represent a black man). Now I know the 'idea' behind it, it still doesn't stop me liking them.

My favorite story in the book was The Silver Merman, which didn't contain the doll at all. 

I don't know that book unfortunately. My favourite was 'Merry Mr Meddle' and, to the best of my knowledge, didn't feature a golly either.  ;D

Now that I think of it, I wonder what my stepmom was thinking when she bought the book for me.  She was British so I am sure she understood what it meant.  Maybe it is just that it was the 70's and things were different. 


Political correctness was not around or even understood in the 70s UK so what would make us cringe now no one would have batted an eyelid back then. I very much doubt your step mom was thinking about racial issues when she bought the book, like I very much doubt Blyton thought about racial issues including gollys in her book decades previously.