Apparently, Enid Blyton is a bit Problematic

[Blumf]

According to English Heritage:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57517254

A freshly updated online description notes one of her characters, Sambo, "is only accepted by his owner" once his black face is washed "clean by rain".

English Heritage says it is trying to "better reflect today's values".

The revised article on its website and app noted that Blyton's work had been criticised during her lifetime and after, "for its racism, xenophobia and lack of literary merit".

It also claimed the writer was rejected by the Royal Mint for commemoration on a 50p coin because she was "a racist, sexist homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer".

And to rub it in the faces all all our brave boys and right thinking common sense Brits, English Heritage, the crazed woke-scolds, will not be removing the blue plaque dedicated to her. Just updating their description of her.

Was complete news to me. Who knew the author of The Golliwog Grumbled was a bit racist?

[Sebastian Cobb]

CW: Baddiel

[Fambo Number Mive]

I think Blyton's most.famous work was the Noddy books, which have been on television since the 1950s. Even those were racist.

Were the Famous Five and Secret Seven books problematic? I remember reading them when I was younger but dont recall much about them.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Were the Famous Five and Secret Seven books problematic? I remember reading them when I was younger but dont recall much about them.

lol same.

The 'without literary merit' addendum tickled me... "yeah we looked into it and it turned out they were racist and xenophobic... and shit".

I guess they might have a point if they're unmemorable.

[Johnny Yesno]

Were the Famous Five and Secret Seven books problematic? I remember reading them when I was younger but dont recall much about them.

They were fine but the Combat Eighteen were unacceptable as well as being overly complicated.

[Sebastian Cobb]

They were fine but the Combat Eighteen were unacceptable as well as being overly complicated.

I don't think she liked the Irish much based on The Birmingham Six.

[Fambo Number Mive]

I read the Malory Towers books and I remember how the one girl who didnt like sport was the villain of the books. As someone who hated playing sport at school, Blyton can fuck off.

Her writing style was ok,  not wonderful but ok, it was the racism and other bigoted attitudes displayed in them that was the problem. 

[Captain Z]

Well, I certainly won't be reading Winnie The Pooh books again.

[Blumf]

Were the Famous Five and Secret Seven books problematic? I remember reading them when I was younger but dont recall much about them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid_Blyton#Accusations_of_racism,_xenophobia_and_sexism

The Famous Five series depicts a power struggle between Julian, Dick and George (Georgina), in which the female characters either act like boys or are talked down to, as when Dick lectures George: "it's really time you gave up thinking you're as good as a boy".

Well, she did insist on called herself George, the crazy bull dyke!

It is interesting to see that the backlash was starting up as far back as the early-60s. Proof that it's not just some modern SJW tumblr cancel culture bollocks. Boomer poets are going to have to shift their references back to their parents inter-war years childhood.

[idunnosomename]

so now we're cancelling the Magnificent Seven? The Hateful Eight? Mambo No. 5? The Elite Four? couldn't make it up.

[Blumf]

so now we're cancelling the Magnificent Seven? The Hateful Eight? Mambo No. 5? The Elite Four? couldn't make it up.

The 3 Amigos is a bit rum, it has to be said.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

did... did anybody not know this?

I read a ton of Enid Blyton's story collections, most of the Noddys and all of the Amelia Janes before the golliwogs were changed into teddybears/goblins/toy soldiers. I swear to God there was a story where an elf or something was having a birthday party and three golliwogs were among the guests. Their names were Golly, Wolly, and N*****(!) The elf couldn't tell them apart (!!) so he said to each one, "Hello Golly-Wolly-N*****"(!!!)

This had no impact on the plot. The golliwogs weren't there to ruin the party or steal all the presents. She just wrote this in as a charming bit of colour to liven up the story.

The 'without literary merit' addendum tickled me... "yeah we looked into it and it turned out they were racist and xenophobic... and shit".

I guess they might have a point if they're unmemorable.

Blyton did at least three boarding-school series, three "crime-solving children" series, two "children are transported to magical lands" series, and two "man fucks things up" series (although Mr. Twiddle is more absent-minded while Mr. Meddle is more malicious). When she hit on a formula she stuck with it.

[Johnny Yesno]

Is it the Ghostbusters Two?

[MojoJojo]

It is interesting to see that the backlash was starting up as far back as the early-60s.

The BBC article ends with a link to a BBC radio programme saying she was banned by the BBC in the 1920s. It would be nice to think she was banned by a woke 1920s BBC, but it was probably because she played tennis naked or insisted on getting paid the same as the male authors.

I've not listened to the radio programme, obv.

[Blumf]

The BBC article ends with a link to a BBC radio programme saying she was banned by the BBC in the 1920s. It would be nice to think she was banned by a woke 1920s BBC, but it was probably because she played tennis naked or insisted on getting paid the same as the male authors.

Wiki says it was because she was shit:

Some libraries and schools banned her works, which the BBC had refused to broadcast from the 1930s until the 1950s, because they were perceived to lack literary merit

[Butchers Blind]

Yeah, have to agree, Rupert the Bear was shit.

[Kankurette]

What gave it away? Was it the naughty golliwogs?

I always preferred the Chalet School books, though tbf they were also sexist, ableist, racist Catholic propaganda. The writer used the phrase 'work like a n*****' a bit too much. On the plus side, not liking sport was not grounds for bullying.

[idunnosomename]

Yeah, have to agree, Rupert the Bear was shit.

published in the Daily Express

[Goldentony]

fucking jumping up and down round parliament square shotuing DYOU FUCKING SEE WHAT THEYRE DOING TO US NOW, DYOU FUCKING SEE FINALLY, THEYRE FUCKING FULL ON COMING FOR US kicking my top hat into a pret a manger

[Glebe]

This is gonna be the big headline on GB News tomorrow!

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/aug/11/six-of-the-best-enid-blyton-quotes

Guardian in 2015 not stopping to consider Blyton's total cuntery.

"Lashings of ginger beer" famously misattributed to Enid Blyton of course, who never used that term, but an array of others no-one ever mentions.

'Clitpiles of ginger beer'
'A pissmass of ginger beer'
'A dog coffin of ginger beer'
'Kristallnachts of ginger beer'
'A cunthammer of ginger fucking beer'
'A demi-wop of biere de ginge'
'A genghis of ginger beer'
'A ginger wipe the arse beer Julian you caucasian melm'

[willbo]

I've heard there are genuinely people out there who see George as a LGBT icon and found her inspirational growing up. I used to love the famous 5 books. Noddy seems a bit creepy sometimes - he's always a jerk. Pretty sure they've been "censoring" the golly themed books since at least the 80s

[Emotional Support Peacock]

Cancel The Guardian. If you're not anti-Blyton you're part of the problem.

[BritishHobo]

First they came for Moonface and I did not speak out because I have a small head

[Icehaven]

I read the Magic Faraway Tree and Malory Towers books, can't specifically remember anything offensive in those ones, but it was the 80s and I was about 9 so I might just not have noticed. I've got a vague memory of one of the characters in Malory Towers being sort of fat shamed, framed as lazy and unpleasant because she was a bit overweight. Is that the same character as the sport-hating one mentioned above?

[king_tubby]

Blyton's favourite pastime was naked tennis, the dirty old bollocks.

[timebug]

There was a Noddy book, where he was basically mugged in the forest by a gang of Golliwogs; it was redone years later, same story, but this time he was mugged by a gang of Goblins.Which was okay, because they do not exist,so cannot offend anyone!

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

There was a Noddy book, where he was basically mugged in the forest by a gang of Golliwogs; it was redone years later, same story, but this time he was mugged by a gang of Goblins.Which was okay, because they do not exist,so cannot offend anyone!

Yeah, the good golliwogs get changed to teddies and the bad golliwogs get changed to goblins.

Mr. Pinkwhistle was my favourite. He fucked with people who really deserved it.

[mothman]

so now we're cancelling the Magnificent Seven? The Hateful Eight? Mambo No. 5? The Elite Four? couldn't make it up.

Can I add Alexander O'Neal's Fake '88 to the list please?

Mr. Pinkwhistle was my favourite. He fucked with people who really deserved it.

The porn DVD series just writes itself.

[Bartholomew J Krishna]

Are the Moomins still acceptable?
(Asking for an imaginary friend)