Earlier this week, news that Puffin Books have been making some changes to the works of Roald Dahl was met with a storm of outrage online both from fans, Hollywood actors and even the U.K.’s Prime Minister. The issues revolve around the removal of words such as “fat”, a section describing women as cashiers being changes to describe them as top scientist or business owners, and one scene describing someone being given and electric shock instead now describing them as being in an ejector seat, as well as many other minor alterations. There were claims that these changes have happened since Netflix bought the rights to Dahl’s collection, and the streamer was said to have had a direct hand in instigating the changes.
However, publisher Puffin Books have now set the record straight regarding Netflix’s involvement in the changes to the written works of the author, which it seems was no involvement at all. A statement from Puffin Books explained:
“We want to ensure that Roald Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today. When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a book’s cover and page layout. Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the storylines, characters, and the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text. Any changes made have been small and carefully considered. As part of our process to review the language used we worked in partnership with Inclusive Minds, a collective for people who are passionate about inclusion and accessibility in children’s literature. The current review began in 2020, before Dahl was acquired by Netflix. It was led by Puffin and Roald Dahl Story Company together.”
Why Has There Been So Much Backlash Against Changes To Roald Dahl’s Books?
The issue of censorship has been a constant presence in recent years, as what is and isn’t seen as acceptable terms for gender, sexuality, race and more continue to change year on year. There are always two very opposing mindsets involved in any changes to either written works or movie and TV shows that have outdated views and language involved.
The changes being made to Roald Dahl’s books are gaining the same kind of attention. Fans of Dahl’s stories have argued that all published work should have the right to remain as the author wrote it, with some even saying that altering Dahl’s work for being offensive is like making alterations to To Kill A Mockingbird to remove racial slurs. Others have simply commented that they are part of the stories and in context are there for a reason.
One of Dahl’s books that has been hit with a number of alterations is Matilda. A movie based on Matilda: The Musical, was recently released by Netflix and gained its own backlash for allowing Emma Thomson to wear, ironically, a fat suit. While none of the criticisms hurt the movie, it is another example of how wildly different opinions on what should and shouldn’t be allowed is making it increasingly difficult for any piece of entertainment to not be on the receiving end of complaints.