Enid Blyton and the Brownies etc.

[EatsYummySprouts]

These are things which I grew up with and loved. Now the language Enid Blyton used is not acceptable to the woke ways, and the Brownies is name changing to the Embers (in Canada)
These are just two examples of ridiculous wokeness.
I am a very open person, and am open to the beliefs of all, and sexual identity of all. But honestly, all if these rules, and that people cannot decide for themselves any more if something is okay or not is completely bonkers. AIBU???

Canada seems to be publicly tackling racism against first nation people. This is part of that. Whether there's anything changing behind the scenes, I don't know. Language is important and some phrases/words should be dropped from usage if they are being used to racially abuse people. Sparks are the name of the 5/6 group. Their saying is
"Embers are full of potential. When they work together they can ignite a powerful flame".
I don't see the issue with this tbh.

I had a search as I can’t remember any of the books and this popped up:

The Famous Five novels often show the young female characters trying to act like boys, but they're always put into their place, suggesting they'll never be "as good as a real boy." In one instance, Dick tells George: "It's really time you gave up thinking you're as good as a boy." Furthermore, Anne makes sexist remarks like boys not being able to wear pretty dresses or like dolls.
^^
One of the main characters, George, has short hair in Five on a Hike Together. In earlier editions of the novel, Blyton says George's short and spiky hair makes her look like a boy. These references were later removed because of the suggestion that girls needed to have long hair to be seen as feminine or "normal."

Which is quite interesting because boys caught wearing pretty dresses or liking dolls now are by default pathologised as trans.

Whereas girls with short spiky hair are pressured to declare their pronouns.

Perhaps Blyton’s promotion of rigid gender stereotypes is closer to modern ideas than we imagine.

The racism was blatant however. thetab.com/uk/2019/08/27/enid-blytons-books-were-racist-xenophobic-and-sexist-we-shouldnt-be-celebrating-her-121609

Brownie leader here.

If you did any research about the name change in Canada, you would know it is because "brownies" is a racist derogatory term in Canada, which used to be used against people of colour. So a totally different scenario to here. The organisation had a vote to choose the new name because some communities felt they could not participate due to the name.

Brownies in the UK is not planning a name change.

Imagine if there was an organisation for girls in the UK called the "n" word. Of course it would have been changed before now!!! It is ridiculous to think otherwise!!

I have no clue, my rigid, biased agenda, like what? That I take the people as they want to define themselves?

Wait, are you talking about Brownies the club or Brownies the little elves? I mean, presumably the former got its name from the latter as they were meant to be helpful around the house (like pixies, leprechauns etc, but benevolent) but...wouldn't need to change their name, surely?

I agree with this.
However, I don't think the books should be censored. A better approach would be to have a preface in them which outlines how language has changed, along with attitudes, to make it clear that these were written in a very different time and to an extent, promoted certain perspectives.

Taking the explicit sexism and racism out of Enid Blyton means that kids can continue to enjoy the stories without the toxic prejudice.

I don't see what's wrong with that.

And whilst in the UK we have the cultural heritage that brownies are fairy folk - if Canada doesn't have that and the word brownie has different con there then it's fair enough if they want to update things.

I’ve read and watched many things with my DD that aren’t at all politically correct nowadays. We simply discuss it. Sexism on any show made more than 10 years ago is absolutely rife. We’ve been watching Little House on the Prairie, and whilst being completely innocent in many ways, there are often opportunities to discuss things like “in those days, that sort of behaviour was very common. Women often didn’t work, they were expected to stay home. Some people still hold these beliefs now, although it’s not considered socially acceptable…. Etc etc”. With what feels like growing misogyny in teenage boys, having these conversations with our daughters is vital. I cannot wait for my daughter to be old enough for The Handmaids Tale.

Stories, films etc simply reflect the time period they were written in. They provide an opportunity to educate our children. My daughter never really got into Enid Blyton (neither did I). But she loves The Secret Garden, Goodnight Mr Tom, Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie. None are perfect from a ‘woke’ persoectuve.

We won’t be reading Enid Blyton because it’s not our thing. But if she ever stumbles across a book will I confiscate it and pretend racism never existed? No, I will explain that once upon a time, racism was so common place and accepted by society that it even featured in children’s stories. And if you truly understand how subtle and unconscious racism can be, you can still there now. Consider how many main characters are white verses black or brown?

I think children are perfectly capable of understanding that just because Henry the 8th beheaded wives for not bearing him a son, that doesn’t make it ok. What are we going to do next? Ban Shakespeare? No…. We read, we learn and we do better.

Please don't tell me they are changing Dick and Aunt Fannies names! Hours and hours of hilarity over their names as children. Juvenile, I know!

@grapehyacinthisactuallyblue being compelled/manipulated into using language that objectively and scientifically is not correct.
Utilizing queer theory and division to make categories for people that have not existed since recently.
Its like a sort of liberal communism. Except some are more equal than others.

This makes perfect sense. Thanks Brown Owl 🦉

You are welcome! 🦉😀

Thank you @GuidingSpirit

You inspired me to Google 😁

Here you are Op, a link to the reason behind the name change www.girlguides.ca/WEB/GGC/branch_name_change.aspx

It's something you could have easily done before you posted this thread, but never mind.

Is it still "ridiculous wokeness"?

They changed it because girls of colour were put off/upset by the name.
If people used the word 'Brownie' as a slur against you, you'd probably want it changed too.

FTR I am opposed to censoring Enid Blyton's books (or any books, for that matter). EB's books should exist in their original form: racist, sexist, xenophobic. They are pretty irredeemable IMO, but if people want to read them they should see them for what they are.

Some on this thread would probably be thrilled about some kinds of censorship, e.g. the horrendous attack on public education in Florida by Ron DeSantis. He and his ilk have prohibited classroom discussion of racism and LGBTQ issues. Books have been removed from school libraries and classrooms, the Advanced Placement course on African-American history has been drastically revised under pressure from DeSantis, etc. He's a huge opponent of what he (incorrectly) calls "wokeness." But really he's just a racist and a fascist.

Tbf I'd have loved it it Brownies had a different name when I was one.

"What did the Cub Scout find in the toilet?

"A Brownie!" 💩🙄

I think if you took out the sexism and racism in Blyton's books you would be left with

"That was a good adventure"
The end

Should Noddy and Big Ears be banned?

So boys / men can join a girls / women's group but they can't be called brownies. Ffs.

Thanks for that. I am now better informed!

Brownies isn’t changing here OP.

You can be sure of one thing – this isn't going to stop. I knew Enid Blyton would be next in the firing line. And who will follow? Jane Austen? Dickens? Virginia Woolf? The left are having the time of their lives. Eventually, certain books will be declared illegal altogether, and you'll be fined for owning a copy. It will start with controversial stuff like Gone with the Wind, but it won't end there. Think I'm exaggerating? Wait and see.

Life moves on. That's what happens.

Society changes over time, we grow as people, and, some of the laws, language and behaviours that are common, becomes outdated. It’s ok that we change .. it’s ok some language isn’t used anymore, it’s not an attack on all things “British”

There is some racist stuff in Enid Blighton, and it’s ok to take it out, in the same way we wouldn’t use the “N” word in a TV comedy anymore. Why should black children need to be exposed to racist tropes?

I am sure that of someone wants them in their full Racist glory, they can go on E-Bay and get them.

I honestly never thought about the name Brownies being insensitive. The brownie fairy figure is Scottish in origin and "brownie" is just an English pronunciation of the original name "broonie" in Scottish dialect. I think they might have been an inspiration for house elves, as they're supposed to come out and do chores for you at night but will leave if you give them clothes.

Still, if it's causing a problem then by all means change it. Embers is a bit shit though. Surely there's a better name than that.