#bowdlerism

[writerystuff]

Author R.L. Stine Responds To Reports ‘Goosebumps’ Is Getting Edited With Inclusive Language – Update

UPDATE, Mon. March 6: R.L. Stine is reacting on social media to reports Goosebumps is being edited with more inclusive language. “The storie

I'm not sure how to think about this.

Of course we shouldn't write things that are offensive to people?

Or,

Of course our writing should reflect how real people think and act, even if it's offensive?

So maybe it's okay in dialogue or a character's internal monologue but not in authorial voice?

But what about things written in the past? Should they be rewritten? To what extent?

Please weigh in.

[bright-as-a-starr]

literary term: bowdlerism - the practice of removing or restating any material that might be offensive to others

an example of bowdlerism is when Starr omitted the fact that she knew Khalil sold drugs, but because the cops had asked "did Khalil tell you about him selling drugs?" and technically he didn't tell her, she didn't mention that she knew at all. technically she didn't lie to the cops. so she had nothing to be afraid of. however, because she did leave that little detail out of that meeting, she showed a case of bowdlerism.

[throughoneouttheother]

Notes from class:

"But what if we were all critics in the sense that we had all developed a special self interest in constructions of reality" -That we take a look and ask ourselves, is this the story we want to be telling? -Let's get interested in the story that is being told about you, us, me, and the way we live -To inspire people to think about the ways they are representing you,us,me, them in medias. Do we say scew that and try to create a new story?