# The world has gone mad.



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/p...d-by-royal-mint-over-backlash-fears-1-9048579

Ray.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Just shows how innocent we are when we are young. I probably read all of her books during my childhood and, now, can't remember a single thing that could be used against her. Unless, that is, you think that a love of reading and books would do it?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Much of our childhood characters are now PC frowned upon. Humour must not be aimed at any part of society now. Whats left?

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Dreadful woman. Her books were rabbitist.

Mr McGregor would certainly have had homophobic views. These books were filth.


Or else they were a source or great entertainment to millions of us when we were children. Fondly remembered. They would have been of their time, families didn't have two daddies or two mummies back then not least because it was illegal. 

Now let me see, filth or wonderful entertainment? That's easy I think.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I reread some a few years ago, crap, but great when I was a kid, I'm sure most people learned to read better with her books.


The should release the coin, too much PC IMHO.


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

​I never liked her books as a kid ,I suppose that's why I'm raving lefty now.:grin2:f


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## powerplus (Oct 6, 2014)

i had a golly when i was small and did not even think the other part of the name would be offensive in later years

loads of colored kids had them as well

just like some of them old children's songs and those people on Sunday night at the London Palladium with white gloves and a smile


just looking forward to getting this year over with and hopefully a peaceful and no worry 2020


barry


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

PC on behalf of others, I have a Golly in the van, picked it up in a charity shop a while back.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

My wife has knitted dozens of individual dolls including Betty Boop and twin Golly's. 

Ray.


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

OK guys: hands up time! How many of those responding so far are black/coloured?

If YOU aren't, there's every chance you would not be personally offended by some of the things mentioned as "acceptable" at the time.

Lets try a different topic: how many of you get offended when councils place bans on MH parking? Or carparks are fitted with height barriers to keep us out?
Do you think of those things as unreasonable discrimination?
The majority of car owners would probably regard them as "acceptable".

Walk a mile in another person's shoes before you complain about them - Gordon


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

:laugh::laugh::laugh: yeah. 

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I confess I haven't read an Enid Blyton book sine I was a child, but I don't remember anything sexist in them. My mother, an architect, wore trousers to work in her office and enjoyed the outrage it caused. I expect that if she'd found the books sexist we'd have heard all about it. Maybe I missed something?


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I don’t remember the books for younger kids

I loved the famous five and especially the Adventure series, the valley of adventure etc 

They were sexist, in terms of the role of boys and girls

But in those days everything was , cookery for girls, woodwork for boys in schools 

Early marriage and children was the norm, men were the breadwinners in society, woman the child and home minders 

The countless adverts extolling women to change into a nice dress and put on makeup before her man came back from a hard days work to a warm nourishing meal, in an immaculate house, not a toy or snotty nosed kid in sight !!

I guess she wrote of the norms of her time , no longer the norm today 

But I still remember Timmy the dog and Kiki the parrot with affection 

Sandra


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

I wasn't allowed children's books. From shortly after I could read I was fed a diet of Hereward the Wake, The Call of the Wild, Last of the Mohicans, Gulliver's Travels, Allan Quatermain type books.

When our boys were little I changed all that and bought them Molly Brett, Famous Five and Beatrix Potter type stuff.

None of us seem to have gone off the rails, and so for me the important thing is to read as much as possible, form your own opinions, and ignore the potentially biased vociferous minority.
.


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## powerplus (Oct 6, 2014)

Gulliver's Travels

that takes me back i have a memory of gulliver laying on the beach covered in ropes with stakes being hammered into the sand by the little people to hold him down


barry


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

I was an avid reader as a child. I read all the Famous Five and Secret Seven books. My favourite, though, was Black Beauty. I can still quote the first passage - "The first place that I well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it"  I read that book so many times.

I remember being engrossed in a book in primary school that I carried on reading it after a maths class had started. One of the other kids told on me to teacher. His reply was "mind you own business and get on with your work". That teacher knew the value of a love of books. Was always good at English and I won prizes for my essays. Rubbish at maths though!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

powerplus said:


> Gulliver's Travels
> 
> that takes me back i have a memory of gulliver laying on the beach covered in ropes with stakes being hammered into the sand by the little people to hold him down barry


Mee too Barry. Probably not allowed now as people with height disability mustn't have it mentioned in case it affects their mental state.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Loved so many books as a child

Trapped in children’s homes

Not so good at the time

Enid brighten set me free for a short while

As I clutched that library book , which would set free my imagination

So was she sexist, etc 

Did you ever live in children’s homes at that time ?

Were you a number?

Did you know or care about the horrors there?

And all these years later

You care that she wasn’t P C 

Gosh so much wasn’t P C 

At least hers was just books

Not real every day existence that some of us 

Just kids , experienced 

And before the brigade come on 

Let me tell you

The reason you haven’t a cat in hells chance to do me down

Is because experts tried before you 

And failed

And for those moments I fled to another world of make believe

I thank you Enid Brighton

Sandra


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

Nobody is trying to put you down Sandra.

I enjoyed Enid Blyton books too, not knowing about the sexism and racism prevalent in the society of the time and quietly being re-enforced by the books that I was reading.

Now, however, I am able to look back and try to ensure that my children and grandchildren receive a broader, fairer, more balanced view of the wonderful world in which we all share.

But the original post was about *celebrating* EB and the backlash which might ensue. Do you advocate raising more monuments to slave traders? to imperialist officials? to war-mongers? EB may not be seen in the same light as the worst of our predecessors BUT it is the quiet, seditious ideas which can cause the greatest damage to the fabric of society.

I'm not suggesting that EB wrote in order to keep minorities "in their place"; she was merely reflecting the norms of her time. Fortunately, the norms have moved on.

Gordon


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

H1-GBV said:


> ... But the original post was about *celebrating* EB and the backlash which might ensue. Do you advocate raising more monuments to slave traders? to imperialist officials? to war-mongers? EB may not be seen in the same light as the worst of our predecessors BUT it is the quiet, seditious ideas which can cause the greatest damage to the fabric of society.
> 
> I'm not suggesting that EB wrote in order to keep minorities "in their place"; she was merely reflecting the norms of her time. Fortunately, the norms have moved on.
> 
> Gordon


That's a very good point Gordon.

I am now ashamed to admit that my grandparents' dog was called ****** (tho there is an artist colour black - as he was - called ******).

And at the age of 18 I called our new pup ******, cos she was black too. Heaven knows what my various Uni friends from Africa and India made of that when they visited. The fact that I wasn't even aware that they might find it uncomfortable says, I think, that I wasn't in any way (intentionally) racist.

And there's the nub I think - we need to LEARN what makes other people uncomfortable, and act on our knowledge.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Ooops, those stars above represent n-igg-er


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Yes, I agree, Gordon. But Enid Blyton was not going to influence many of us into being sexist or racist. It is much more likely to be the opinions of family and friends and the environment we live in. If we do not live in a multi cultural environment we are bound to find other races "different". If we live with a set of parents whose relationship is sexist then that is the norm for us. It takes education and an open mind to change things for the better.

When we first moved to Norfolk, nearly forty years ago, we were considered to be "outsiders". Geographically Norfolk is isolated and , therefore, was slow to join the new multicultural society of that time. The locals took a long time to accept us and our strange accent (Essex!) with even stranger ways. We made every effort to blend in to the way of life in Norfolk, to adopt their dialect, to ask advice rather than give it and now, thankfully, we are accepted. This only came about because we gave up our Essex ways (nosy, interfering in others' business, judgmental, know-alls ) and joined with them in their "live and let live" "mind your own business", "be suspicious of strangers" outlook on life. It is interesting to note that the farming community is, still, quite sexist. They expect the boys to to want to be farmers and the girls to be farmers' wives. Many have still never been out of Norfolk!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

As the world moves on and times change we can't be expected to suffer for the acts of our forefathers as it was the norm then.
If not I want compensation from Rome for feeding my relatives to their lions.

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Agreed Ray, but as Gordon said, now we know what we know, we maybe don't want to celebrate what is now seen as racism and sexism, even if it wasn't back then.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

raynipper said:


> As the world moves on and times change we can't be expected to suffer for the acts of our forefathers as it was the norm then.
> If not I want compensation from Rome for feeding my relatives to their lions.
> 
> Ray.


You come on here and openly admit to having had christians in your family, well I never! What next.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yeah but a while ago. 
In those days you had to declare some religious following or get hacked to pieces by the other lot. Frying pan and the fire syndrome.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Like NI then. You had to be catholic or protestant, nothing else existed. If you'd said Hindu, they'd have said "Catholic Hundu or Protestant Hindu?"

Just like how Engoland's soon going to be. Just like Gulliver's Travels. Littleendians and Bigendians.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I'm a Christian you know. Not a very good one. 

I once nearly joined the Mormons when I was about 18. They kept sending these two incredibly beautiful girls round my house trying to lure me in. I was excited at the prospect of being able to have them both but binned it when I found out I had to marry them both first, no sex before marriage and that there could be no boozing.  What a fecking waste.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

You might not fully appreciate this but I was a Billy Graham convert and became a Baptist lay preacher. So I have seen both sides.

Ray. Atheist.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

raynipper said:


> You might not fully appreciate this but I was a Billy Graham convert and became a Baptist lay preacher. So I have seen both sides.
> 
> Ray. Atheist.


Yes Ray. Rare footage has emerged of you from when you were a Baptist Lay Preacher.

https://tinyurl.com/yypzotaq


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Close Baz.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

You could have done worse Ray. I understand that old Billy was a genuinely decent man, if deluded.


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

So happily we seem to have come to the understanding that the past was a very different time and things happened that cannot be changed.

So Ray your title the world gone mad does not help as it seems to present the "PC brigade gone mad" and wanting in some way to steal or criticise your past.

The world moves on,we learn some aspects of history we never knew about and although we cannot change the past, we decide we do not want to celebrate certain aspects of it. 

I am embarrased to think of some of my beliefs and thoughts and jokes from the past but I am happy most of us have moved on.

I read somewhere of a motorhomer proudly carrying a gollywog (remember them) with him-ok do what you want--

but why feel the need to proudly announce the fact.

I fly the Swastika because it is a Hindu symbol of Good Luck...............no really that's the only reason.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I feel some aspects of modern PC life are totally mad. So my title still stands imho.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

so I Ray 

Let’s condemn an author who wrote of our time

And forget what is of our time 

The kids in children’s homes, still abused, easy prey, and as in the days of the workhouse they have no where else to go 

So must deserve it 

And someone carries a gollywog in their motorhome

And you bouncing bunny will not name him despite your revulsion ( so you say)

Yet he names himself 

What if it had been me ?

You would have passed over it?

I never had a black doll, in fact I only ever had one doll throughout my childhood 

Which was given to another once it was decided I was old enough to no longer love her 

My kids did 

They had black dolls, boy dolls 

They and my grandkids are products of a different age 

They read the famous five books 

But my boys are the cooks in their families

My girls well up the professional ladders 

My grandkids well one a lawyer, another an entrepreneur, both doing well, the others a bit young yet 

Will they blame authors for their non PC views ?

If in fact they have any non Pc views ?

There far more to worry about in this day and age than Big Ears

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

H1-GBV said:


> Nobody is trying to put you down Sandra.
> 
> I enjoyed Enid Blyton books too, not knowing about the sexism and racism prevalent in the society of the time and quietly being re-enforced by the books that I was reading.
> 
> ...


Hey Gordon

I wish I could just mirror one line from your post

But I can't

No one is trying to put me down ?

Well they are , in countless ways

And I guess my refusal to be put down angers some

I can only say in my life " experts" tried and failed

And I'm really sorry to tell those Amateurs that try
Just leave it, know you haven't a chance

Sandra


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Barking.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Dogs bark ernyboy 

Surely your English is far superior ?

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Oh the horror!!! One of the Scottish judges has "a passion for France!". The traitor!! One likes Jazz (FFS!).


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1172015270589870081


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

aldra said:


> Dogs bark ernyboy
> 
> Surely your English is far superior ?
> 
> Sandra


Mind you I own the hound from hell

He doesn't need to bark

He fixes with his eyes

Fresh water needs refilling, breakfast, dinner all covered

And if Albert leaves without him he barks his disagreement

So maybe barking is OK

Sandra


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