Banning Shakespeare, AIBU to think

[FluffBalled]

it's about time isn't it?

All that transphobia, prejudice and antisemitic language - it is amazing schools have allowed this stuff to continue.

Having only recently studied A-Level English Literature, I do not think it would be appropriate to ban Shakespeare (or, therefore, most of our historical writers).

I recall my Tutor telling us that we could not say [insert character/writer] was racist, because racism did not exist when they wrote their texts. That didn't mean it wasn't racist by today's standards, but back then it was the norm.

These novels give us an insight into our history and can be used to educate new generations on how harmful these behaviours and attitudes are. Banning them is counterproductive. When you tell a teenager that they can't do something, they do it anyway. If we just tell each new generation that something is 'wrong' with no evidence or ways to education, they may well respond in the same way and these prejudices could become more prevalent.

This is a wind up?

It's transphobic ?

Soon there's going to be nothing left.

Really don't think you can judge material from the past by today's standards.

In a similar vein, what's acceptable today that won't be in 50 years?

Not sure what the answer is but I'm pretty sure just removing it from public consumption isn't the way to go.

Surely not transphobic, given the female roles were played by men and boys at the time?

When we start to ban things - who is in charge of curating the 'good' list?

wtf why not ban everything

Well for things to be consistent, he should be banned

R&J:

Gang Violence. Teenage Sex. Child Bride. Illegal Drugs. Suicide Pacts.

What's not to like?

Missing the irony here methinks.

What we really need to do is ban everything produced before 2020, that way we can be sure that modern standards apply and no-one will be offended.

Absolutely! And Marlowe, Kydd... fuck the lot of them! Racist misogynists...

How about the bible? Can there be anything more presumptuous and racist than the claim that we are ALL descended from a white man and a white woman? Ban all religious script. Burn the churches! No more Christmas or Easter! I respect your autonomy and free choice to read whatever you want. Please respect mine. & just out of interest are you equally vocal about art and literature that oppresses women?

With historical texts you have to look at them in the context of their time. Shakespeare wrote for the masses, so his stuff is quite risqué in some ways. It was the soaps of the times and it's only quite recently that it's been considered so highbrow.

Guessing this is a wind up post though so yabu 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ban 1984

I am wondering if we are one step from book burning ... and I am not being ironic.

"Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people."

Heine. Jewish Poet. Early 1800s

Can there be anything more presumptuous and racist than the claim that we are ALL descended from a white man and a white woman?
My memory is a bit rusty, but I'm pretty sure the skin colour of Adam & Eve isn't mentioned. I still wonder where Cain & Seth's wives came from though.

Edmund Spencer can be banned though. The Faerie Queen is the most rambling, drawn out text I've ever read. 😲😩😂😂😂

Ban 1984

Yes, temporarily not airing a TV episode, which is still widely available on Netflix and a million other places, because it calls black people “NI**ERS” repeatedly, and causes actual harm and trauma to black people who have been forced to witness state murder of black people all over the news in the middle of the worst race war in decades, is exactly the same as book burning and outlawing all comedy.

Thanks for sticking it to us uppity over-sensitive blacks!! Yay white supremacy!!

Remember, next time a black person asks you to stop calling them n***r just scream CENSORSHIP as loudly as you can at them.

When we start to ban things - who is in charge of curating the 'good' list

Precisely.

Surely at this point we need to ban any play/film/tv programme with a woman in it?

@BovaryX

When we start to ban things - who is in charge of curating the 'good' list

Precisely.

Well China has made a pretty good start...

There is no serious proposal to ban Shakespeare

These strawman arguments are so dumb

Hopefully in 50 years time everyone will think sweatshops are abhorrent. But not yet, currently this form of modern slavery is fine and all these “influencers” are promoting fast fashion of companies which use them!
So hypocritical.