Whoopi Goldberg Criticizes Publishers Re-Editing Older Books to Avoid Offending Current Audiences

With the recent “rewriting” of books, one talk show host has blasted the efforts of those trying to rewrite history.

According to Fox News, Whoopi Goldberg has issues with people erasing initial work that may include racist words and overtones. This conversation focused on the recent re-editing of the author, Roald Dahl’s books, which contained language that was deemed offensive.

On a recent episode of The View, Goldberg stated that the re-editing of classic books should stay as is, and a disclaimer should be placed on it explaining that was how the language was when written. She said that “this is how kids learn.”

“Look, y’all got to stop this. Just put a disclaimer on it that says, listen, this book was written at this time, or put out the original and what y’all have done. Because kids should have the right to read how people thought so that they know how to make the change.”

Publishing house Puffin recently changed the content in some books by Dahl. His works included the titles Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Words were rewritten because the language was deemed offensive.

Goldberg also mentioned they wanted to do that with Mark Twain’s books that used the n-word through his classic works.

“You know, they tried to do this with Mark Twain as well because they were so concerned the n-word was in the book. Well, that’s how they did it. That’s how it was. We don’t want people doing it today, and you don’t see it as much. That’s how people learn.

But one of Goldberg’s hosts, Sunny Hostin, disagreed with her other co-hosts. She gave an example of the recent James Bond book series edits.

“When you think about a book like James Bond, and I’m a huge James Bond fan, in his Live and Let Die book, in that novel, he visits Harlem and uses the n-word to describe almost every Black person he sees there. And in my view, the sensitivity of the edits now says ‘Black man,’ ‘Black woman,’ ‘Black person.’ I appreciate that. You don’t have to call me the n-word for me to understand my oppression. And I think when someone who is oppressed tells you that, you should listen,” Hostin stated.