"I'm waiting for an announcer warning Eastenders viewers that "this post contains people laughing and smiling which may offend miserable b******s on some social media platforms".

I've done it - it makes even less sense.

My first reaction to this report was similar to those above, but upon reflection there is a world of difference between giving a book a warning label and banning it.

From what I have read, universities have done the former rather than the latter. We've had a 'rating' or a parental advisory system for films and music for decades, and its not only fine, but a good idea in the main. So long as books remain available, a label warning you that you might find the contents challenging, upsetting, or whatever, doesn't matter and might, in some cases, increase interest and/or allow a book into places it couldn't reach otherwise.

Example: I read The Lord of the Flies to my son a couple of years ago. I vaguely remembered enjoying it when we studied it at school in the early 90s. At one point one of the characters (a 1940s schoolboy) uses the N word when accusing other boys of acting like savages. Apparently some versions have the N word, some have the word Indians, and other versions (including, presumably, the one I studied at school) have the word Savages. In different ways these alterations represent interference with the text, censorship, and effect the books value as an historical artefact. However, the great power of the book is its central theme, which is wholly unaffected by the alteration. What that simple alteration does do is allow this brilliant, deep, engrossing book to be read to kids in schools (which it is). They can then consider the issues it raises, perhaps including the fact there are different versions (both the slur and the sentence it sits in are not at all central to the book in my opinion, but others may disagree), and read the original version if they choose.

So long as the original version remains available, and it is possible to tell which version one is reading, that little bit of consideration of what is appropriate opens the whole book, and the ideas it contains, up to more people.

Finally, one University claims to have replaced one or two 'warning label' books from course reading lists (rather than removed them) because other books are more useful to the subjects. If that's true then these reports are adding two and two and getting five.

Wokeism and the hyper-offended can cause serious problems that must be challenged, but I'd be wary of the growing industry in overreaction and misrepresentation before concluding that the nations universities have gone to s***.

Edited by TheBigToePunt (10 Aug 2022 7.43pm)

I think books that have warning labels attached should read:

If you are offended or upset by anything in this book you failed to reach the maturity, intelligence and common sense/logic/understanding of reality that is requisite of grown adults. Please seek urgent psychological care.

Edited by Nicholas91 (11 Aug 2022 11.58am)

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

I am always a bit reluctant to immediately accept some of the reports on "wokeism" and apparent attempts to censor this, or that.

Certain elements of the press are only too happy to come up with wildly inaccurate stories. In recent years we have been treated to a catalogue of examples of "health and safety gone made" and what absurdities the EU were imposing on us, much of it being untrue or wildly exaggerated. But it makes for good stories and re-enforces peoples beliefs and prejudices, and, worryingly, can enter the public domain as a truth.

That's not to say that there is not some silliness going on. The trouble is that these days a fairly small segment of society, using social media, can create the impression that they are a much larger and significant movement than they actually are.

They operate a concerted and repeated campaign against an individual or organisation, to achieve their ends, with demands for justice, retractions and apologies. The target of this intimidation, frightened of retribution be it being labelled racist, misogynistic, transphobic, being shamed, or having protesters on their doorstep, often take the easy route capitulate. hTe perpetrators can then claim that the target of their campaign has admitted "guilt".

I find Karl marx and most feminist writers very offensive.

Can we get the cops to scramble the helicopters ?

Eze Peasy at Anfield....

Poster on here are really slow to grasp the new reality about the culture wars/wokeness. call it what you will.

The woke brigade believe you are entitled to their opinion, not yours, and if they believe something then it is a fact.

It's quite extraordinary that a very loud minority have managed to ferment a culture of fear where people will not speak for fear of losing their job.

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.