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Author of Captain Underpants Pulls (Racist) Book


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NEW YORK — Publisher Scholastic Corp has halted publication of a book by children’s author Dav Pilkey, best known for his “Captain Underpants” series, who offered an online apology for the title’s unintended “racist imagery.”

Pilkey, author of more than 40 books, said “The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future,” first published in 2010, would be pulled from retail and library shelves.

“I hope you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my mistakes that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and racism is harmful to everyone,” said Pilkey, 55, in a statement on YouTube on March 26.

The graphic novel about a group of friends who save the world using kung fu actually was “intended to showcase diversity, equality and non-violent conflict resolution” but it ultimately backfired, he said.

“It was brought to my attention that this book also contains harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery,” Pilkey said. “It was and is wrong and harmful to my Asian readers, friends, and family, and to all Asian people.”

 

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I haven't followed the books, but really? Using kung fu as part of the plot is considered racist? What about kung fu panda which obviously doesn't take itself seriously?

 

Edit: Saw the images of the problematic book. Yeah, it's not great in this political climate. The 'wong' thing has been used as a joke a lot. It's not very funny actually, so people who use it aren't being clever. It mocks the Chinese stereotype of speaking English.

I think it's wise that he took these books back because this 'joke' was both potentially offensive and unfunny.

Edited by Dazzle
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21 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

This just in, sales of a specific Captain Underpants book soar on ebay/amazon as conservative American voters suddenly decide to give a $&!# about said book 

Now that we seem to have a handle on identifying "passive racism" in literary works, perhaps we can now turn our attention to dealing with passive intolerance for people whose opinions and worldview don't match our own?

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5 minutes ago, Dazzle said:

Using kung fu as part of the plot is considered racist?

The author did not say that.

 

He did say:

 

" contains harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery,"

 

 

Edited by gurn
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26 minutes ago, ItsAllOursBoys said:

Now that we seem to have a handle on identifying "passive racism" in literary works, perhaps we can now turn our attention to dealing with passive intolerance for people whose opinions and worldview don't match our own?

In that quagmire that is the US? I doubt it. I mean, we've already seen this exact thing happen in the wake of Dr. Seuss. 

Edited by Coconuts
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2 hours ago, Coconuts said:

This just in, sales of a specific Captain Underpants book soar on ebay/amazon as conservative American voters suddenly decide to give a $&!# about said book 

raiders lawyer GIF

 

Wonder if this guy is going to argue the case in court

 

Ook and Gluk is hugely popular in my library.

Edited by stawns
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