Sanitising literature

[Nerelie Teese]

Last century, back in my student teacher days, I was in a group who 're-did' Little Red Riding Hood as a musical performance assignment in Music 103 or whatever it was called. We sang and danced our way through the fairy tale and then our wolf went behind the firewood box and regurgitated Little Red, who triumphantly appeared covered in that shiny transparent paper stuff (cellophane - almost had another seniors' moment) representing slime and other stomach contents.

We thought this prevented scenes of axe wielding violence (the college was in the city and a lot of us were bushies) and so wouldn't upset sophisticated, politically correct audiences or cause students to become axe wielding violent citizens later in life, or over the weekend. We forgot about our sophisticated, politically correct feminist lecturer who told us we were 'sick and immature' and gave us just enough marks to pass the assessment.

But the audience - other student teachers - loved it and one of them actually had his class perform it when he was a 'real' teacher in a country school. I'm sure he said the kids, other teachers and parents loved it. I know the rest of us thought it was hilarious that he got real kids to perform it. Think the rest of us just 'filed' the script.

And so we now move into 21st century political correctness where everyone's really nice to each other all the time and fairy tales are being even more sanitised. Bring on the thought police ... and please keep the children away from TV news, reality programs and crime shows.

Cheers, Nerelie

[warooa]

Yeah I'm hearin' youse - don't get ya knickers in a twist over it all though. Check out "Elderly Man River" by Stan Freberg and Daws Butler on youtube from a 1957 radio clip to see how long people have been ripping the "proverbial" out of the PC brigade.

Marty

[Maureen K Clifford]

In a perfect world - but we don't live in a perfect word and children need to be able to differentiate between reality and make believe which appears to becoming increasingly difficult as with the violence depicted on computer games etc they seem to think that it is 'the real ' world.

Open and honest communication with kids has to be the key - let them see and read and then explain to them and ask how they feel or what do they think about it...get those little minds working at a young age and hopefully they will continue to work out the real meaning of life as they get older. It harks back to the old taboos on sex education - the not knowing was far more dangerous than the knowing, and now we seem to have gone to the knowing it all but choosing to disregard the safety factors required.....

Knowledge is power but there is no cure for stupid.

[Zondrae]

I must confess,

with my first child, I read the Grimms (oh dear .... another spelling trap) fairy tales as written. Note that most of the 'bloody' ones are by the brothers Grimm. (I think it has two 'm's) Now with my grandkids, I bent it a little and the wolf traps grandma in a cupboard and is just about to do the same to LRRH when the friendly axe wieling woodcutter comes along and chases the wolf away. As they get old enough to tell the difference between reality and pretend, I introduce the original version. I even have a version that gives LRRH the name of Amanda.

We also had the problem of three different books telling the story of Snow White and the seven vertically challenged adult males. In each book there is a variation on what the woodsman does to snow white and also the effects of the 'apple'. Does anyone know why so few of the characters in 'children's' stories have setp mothers? I count Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, Cinderella and I'm sure there are more.

Aside: I just made a typo that had our sublect named 'Snow Whilt'. - made me laugh. I hope I'm not the only one who thinks it is funny. ... and now, back to the catching up with typing in the poems I wrote when on holiday.

Kimmie, I've just about got 'Laurie' in the vault.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Well the story was written pre Viagra days Zondrae and wasn't one of the 7 dwarfs called Droopy Oh no- hang about it was Dopey but things were probably a lot more droopy way back then

What pray tell are you doing with Laurie in the vault???????

[Heather]

Who is Laurie and why do you have him in a vault? Is that legal?

[Neville Briggs]

I wonder what all the children who lined up at our local theatre were expecting to see in the Harry Potter movie. Is it the brothers Grimm or Harry Potter that might do with being sanitised ?

[Heather]

Neville I have a feeling that some of the Harry Potter movies were rated as not suitable for young children. Didn't see them myself but was told some were pretty scary. Probably more scary than a fairy tale because it is so graphic.

[Bob Pacey]

Went to see The Zoo Keeper the other night and took my nine year old grandson. The movie was rated pg and although he got a laugh out of the animals antics I really do not think he got the romantic story line ?

Just because a movie has that rating it does not always mean it is suitable for kids.


Bob

[Heather]

Bob I think some movies can have different elements to the stories that might suit either children or adults. They get different things out of it.

Heather