Anyone else sick of Victoria Coren Michell slagging off Roald Dahl on ONLY CONNECT?

[Pottingplants]

Just that - anytime a question has anything to do with Roald Dahl Victoria is doing her best to put the boot in (it has happened at least 4 times now). I think if she dislikes him so much she should not have any questions which are to do with Dahl. I am surprised she is allowed to do this TBH.

(realised I misspelt Mitchell but can't edit it!)

She's Jewish, he was anti-Semitic. I think it's fair enough that she might have some beef with him tbh

He was so overtly, unambiguously anti semitic I'm surprised he's even mentioned any more, frankly.

No, because he was a hideous anti semite.

I think she makes the point that he was a great author but also an antisemite (which it true) - so I can only agree with her TBH

He was also pretty sexist (of his time, perhaps, but still) and all his “people who are ugly are evil” (The Witches, The Twits) not great either.

so I think VCM is fine!

I think he was more complex than that. I have read that even friends say he flipped and flopped in his opinions and wasn't always serious.
I feel, having read his autobiographies and reading about his war service, medical invention etc. that he was a decent man. Not perfect but who of us is.

I think she's doing it as a Jewish woman who is sick of the free pass which antisemites get. If RD, TS Elliot or Charles Dickens had said what they said about black people they would have been facing a lot more open criticism than they do. It's even worse as all of them were likely to have known someone Jewish or of Jewish heritage in their personal lives. The artistic circles have always been open to Jewish people.
Imagine knowing that a literary figure hated your you and family based on your race? And this person was on teatowels, national trust properties dedicated festivals to him, there was talk of him being on a coin? Wouldn't you feel put out?
But then again, as David Baddiel says, Jews don't count.

What sort of things is she saying, I havent noticed specifically?

He fought in the war - he was a pilot, he risked his life

@Pottingplants so was Colston, Cortez, Stalin etc if you read the biographies. Racists are complex. It doesn't make them not racist. It means they do not extend their generosity and warmth to all citizens.

My great uncle (RIP) also flew planes in the war, didn’t stop me having an issue with his sexist views about “proper” clothing for women.

Yes they let racists and anti semites fight in the war, I don't think they were that fussy at the time.

Really? It is so tiresome hearing the old adage about if this was said about black people, blah, blah, blah. Oh, and David Baddiel, the same person who used black face, and a pineapple on his head, to mock, and denigrate a black football player! Hmmm.

His books are dark and twisted, which I recognised from a young age. He has a malicious sense of humour and bullies relentlessly in his books.

David Walliams has the same vibe.

I’d not have trusted RD in life and don’t feel he should get a free pass in death.

I liked it better when we were allowed to like books or films without being subjected to a dismantling of the creator's personality.

If you read his own biographies he comes off as an entitled prick.

He did some good work encouraging vaccination for measles after losing his daughter.

Yes he fought in the war. Doesnt make him a nice person.

That doesn't automatically make you a good person.

I enjoyed his books as a kid but I also like VCM and clearly she has a point, so I don't mind it at all.

His plane crash in the war apparently affected his brain and made him have a different personality.
Apparently he was a much happier man before the crash.

VCM is a Jewish woman. She uses her high profile on TV to slag off a well known antisemite. Seems reasonable to me.

I think VCM is fine!
I'm not so sure about that. I get a Mean Girls vibe from her. It's "if you want to be in my gang - in with the kool kids - then this is what you will think." She often bullies the contestants into agreeing with her views.

I agree with her on Dahl but disagree on other subjects and I get a bit fed up with her using a quiz show to platform her proselytizing.

He was a vile man.

Hope she continues to bring it to attention.

I find it a useful antidote to the Roald Dahl hero worship.

@LadyKenya did you watch when he brought Jason Lee on his documentary to apologise to him? He could have ignored his own prejudice but he's tried to learn from it and educate himself. Yes it's not perfect, and he should have never thought black face was a good idea but his points about the left ignoring antisemitism are valid.

Man from different decade had unpalatable views shocker.

Course racism & anti semitism wouldn't fly today (thank god). But no need to cast him as a hero above reproach by a TV presenter, nor a villain whose books should not be read.

His books actually provide quite good talking points with kids on rudeness & tolerance. I'm not keen on everything being safe & sanitised, life isn't like that.