To wish for MORE political correctness sometimes in children's books

[BalloonSlayer]

Well, I have sighed over some of it...

When reading the Enchanted Wood, I thought Okaaaaay that Jo, Bessie and Fanny were now Joe, Beth and Frannie, smirked that they had a cousin called Rick who must have originally been a Dick. Yet was fed up that Dame Slap had been changed to Dame Snap, who now only shouted at the pupils at her school. How's that scary FGS?

But I digress.

DD has a new Enid Blyton book of short stories. I don't often read to her these days but today - hallelujah! - I had the time, she wanted one, so a chance for me to wear the Good Mother hat for 10 minutes.

The story was about a Brownie (cue discussion about the three types of Brownie, two of which are the same yadda yadda) called, wait for it, Mingy.

So how am I supposed to pronounce this.

To rhyme with Minge?
Or to rhyme with minger?

It turned out that he was a miserly brownie, so it was to rhyme with Stingey.

Joy.

So my first story I have read to DD in ages was all about a (male) brownie called Minge- ey. She didn't think anything of it, but it ruined it for me.

Why hadn't the PC brigade got to this book?

Am now worried that the next story will be about a golly.

LOL at Mingy the brownie!

I too love my old Enid Blyton books so DD has yet to encounter the PC updates. I have to say though, that much as I loved Blyton aged 6-8, I think they are "read in your head" rather than "read out loud" books. I've tried reading a few different one's to DD, but neither of us have enjoyed them as much as other things I've read her (most recently the Narnia series - they are beautifully written so a joy to read aloud). Now she can read Blyton herself, she loves them.

ah yes Enid Blyton, my dd is nealy threee so not really into the age range yet but discovered some old books of mine which were short story compliations and so I read her two- the brave little puppy and hoe john got his ducklings and she was riveted and listened well which i was most impressed with as there are only the odd black and white picture in them

but i was shocked at how old and out of touch they seem, Bill the would be car thief 'cuffed' the brave little puppy that bit him, its not written like that anymore is it

Why didn't they call him Stingy then? Mingy sounds way worse.

I was quite appalled a few years ago when I re-read a Famous Five book. Anne was scared because she had seen a man peering in through her window at night, or something, she screeches for the boys to help her and says something along the lines of 'Just think, it might even have been a black man!' Like that makes it so much worse than any other person.

The names of the three gollies from the original Noddy stories are pretty bad too.

The trouble is that some Enid Blyton has had the PC treatment and rightly so - Gollies for example, although Shiney I appreciate that Golly toys were objects of affection for many - and that this gives people the feeling that all of her work has been edited.

DH was PHSL at the Secret Seven where Peter "dictated a letter and [sister, forget name] typed it." And he has a secretary.

I was gutted with the changes to the Faraway Tree tbh especially Dame Snap - how crap.

I don't see the problem with Mingy though hopefully my dd wouldn't know Minge as in fanjo or Minging so only I would be .

During my childhood, I seem to remember "Mingy" (pronounced "minge-y" being a synonym for something being very cheap or "budget". As in "She's got a new tent/coat/sofa, but it's really mingy".
I guess the word must have died out of use these days.

I'm perfectly happy to read of children called "Fannie" and "Dick" - when I was little, I think the name "William" would have been mortifyingly embarassing for any little boys, because of the "Willy" connection. Yet nowadays, "williams" are ten-a-penny.

We used to use "mingy" like that at our school as well.

On the subject of childhood PC, am I the only person who didn't realise what a gollywog was supposed to be until they were a teenager? I assumed it was some sort of fantasy being, like an elf or a pixie.

By no means defending it, but the estate of Enid Blyton or whoever controls her copyright will have a say in what they change, so it may be them rather than the publishers IYSWIM. However, changing Stingey to Mingey seems utterly bizarre!

Heard a piece on radio 4 this week - it was Enid Blyton's daughters who made the decision to relegate golliwogs apparently.