Once upon a time, people could express themselves in their writing without having to worry about hurting someone’s precious feelings. These days, reading has become a challenge, because our culture of political correctness has made us ultra-sensitive to language. Liberals claim that certain words are offensive and deserve to be censored or banned altogether, resulting in the tampering of classic works such as James Bond books.
In response to increasing calls for wokeness, Ian Fleming Publications’ like his James Bond series have recently been hijacked to be revised. In efforts to create more sensitive literary material, their review-in-conjunction with sensitivity readers-has successfully removed a plethora of racially insensitive or “racist” references in the original books, including the use of the n-word. Apparently this decision is supposed to bring this timeless classic up-to-date with a modern audience while preserving its core spirit.
Fox news reports, in response to Ian Fleming Publications’ commission to review “Casino Royale” ahead of its 70th anniversary, sensitive readers edited the classic James Bond series, rewriting racially insensitive or racist references, including the n-word, in the 1950s and 1960s books.
Edits mainly focus on racially insensitive terminology and stereotypes aimed at Black characters.
A disclaimer will accompany the reissue of the book, according to Saturday’s Telegraph, which reads, “This book was written at a time when terms and attitudes which might be considered offensive by modern readers were commonplace.”
Fox discussed this with another author, Kate Rosenfield and asked what a sensitivity reader is.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6320888386112
“In this edition, some updates have been made while staying as close as possible to the original text and period set.”
According to the outlet, the April reissue commemorating “Casino Royale’s” release will keep some controversial elements including phrases like “sweet tang of rape,” “blithering women” failing to do a “man’s work,” and language referring to homosexuality as a “stubborn disability.”
In the Telegraph, “black man” and “black person” have largely replaced the n-word.
In this day and age, it is hard to believe that something as wild and far-fetched as having a sensitivity reader has become normalized in political correctness. A lot of these people will find attending drag shows with their children inspiring, yet when it comes down to language around topics like disability or race, they draw the line. This further highlights how much our society has changed; we look closer at petty matters, whilst allowing people to fully embrace matters around sexuality and gender identity in themselves and others. Not to mention, how cowardice it is to do this reissue after the author has passed so he can’t decline destruction to his work.
Let’s continue this conversation, in the comments below.
