Comments on: Tintin in the United Kingdom http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/ Behind the Book Reviews--The Official Blog of Booklist Online Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:21:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Tintin in the United States http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/comment-page-1/#comment-59722 Likely Stories » Blog Archive » Tintin in the United States Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:32:56 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/#comment-59722 [...] From the Tintin desk: Borders stores in the U.S. will also move Tintin in the Congo to the graphic novels section. From Publishers Weekly (”Borders Shelves Kids’ Tintin Title in Adult Section, by Karen Holt”): Borders in the U.S. released a statement about the book after PW raised the issue  last week. Spokesperson Ann Binkley said the retailer carries some titles from the Tintin series in its children’s sections. She added that the Borders is, “committed to acting responsibly as a retailer and with sensitivity to all of the communities we serve.  Therefore, with respect to the specific title Tintin in the Congo, which could be considered offensive by some of our customers, we have decided to place this title in a section of our store intended primarily for adults—the Graphic Novels section. We believe adults have the capacity to evaluate this work within historical context and make their own decision whether to read it or not.  Other “Tintin” titles will remain in the children’s section.”  [...] [...] From the Tintin desk: Borders stores in the U.S. will also move Tintin in the Congo to the graphic novels section. From Publishers Weekly (”Borders Shelves Kids’ Tintin Title in Adult Section, by Karen Holt”): Borders in the U.S. released a statement about the book after PW raised the issue  last week. Spokesperson Ann Binkley said the retailer carries some titles from the Tintin series in its children’s sections. She added that the Borders is, “committed to acting responsibly as a retailer and with sensitivity to all of the communities we serve.  Therefore, with respect to the specific title Tintin in the Congo, which could be considered offensive by some of our customers, we have decided to place this title in a section of our store intended primarily for adults—the Graphic Novels section. We believe adults have the capacity to evaluate this work within historical context and make their own decision whether to read it or not.  Other “Tintin” titles will remain in the children’s section.”  [...]

]]> By: Dave http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/comment-page-1/#comment-59183 Dave Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:31:27 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/#comment-59183 Tintin books are full of what you would lightly call inappropriate cultural references. They do cause some extra explaining (two kids at home). I'd say that having them on the top shelf (where kids can't just grab them) or in a different section is a good solution. Tintin books are full of what you would lightly call inappropriate cultural references. They do cause some extra explaining (two kids at home). I’d say that having them on the top shelf (where kids can’t just grab them) or in a different section is a good solution.

]]> By: John http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/comment-page-1/#comment-58885 John Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:40:39 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/#comment-58885 No real argument from me. I do think it is possible to define kinds of harm and employ that as a basis for these sorts of decision. Now THAT is a long discussion. It is a bad case for general rules, I think, but it is a compelling one nonetheless because so many people read and enjoy Tintin. Without thinking about their complicity in those icky ideas. Not a Hampshire student - but I teach them every semester! Faculty, live in FPH. Though I appreciate the compliment - the possible appearance of youth in print! No real argument from me. I do think it is possible to define kinds of harm and employ that as a basis for these sorts of decision. Now THAT is a long discussion.

It is a bad case for general rules, I think, but it is a compelling one nonetheless because so many people read and enjoy Tintin. Without thinking about their complicity in those icky ideas.

Not a Hampshire student - but I teach them every semester! Faculty, live in FPH. Though I appreciate the compliment - the possible appearance of youth in print!

]]> By: Keir http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/comment-page-1/#comment-58879 Keir Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:28:30 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/#comment-58879 I agree that this is a tough one for kids to process, and that's why I think the solution here was a good one--the book was moved out of the kids' section. But often even people who want to ban books will tell you that they're not in favor of banning books--they just want to make them harder for kids to find. And sometimes even moving a book from the place where people expect to find it can effectively be censorship. It's a terrible test case. I don't want to argue in favor of people reading comic books that depict Africans as subhuman. But I think we always have to err on the side of inclusion, even if we don't feel great about it. Not every case is so clear cut, and we don't always know why people want to read something in the first place. Hey--are you a Hampshire student? Or did I follow the wrong link? Keir Graff, F89 Mods 89 and 92 I agree that this is a tough one for kids to process, and that’s why I think the solution here was a good one–the book was moved out of the kids’ section. But often even people who want to ban books will tell you that they’re not in favor of banning books–they just want to make them harder for kids to find. And sometimes even moving a book from the place where people expect to find it can effectively be censorship.

It’s a terrible test case. I don’t want to argue in favor of people reading comic books that depict Africans as subhuman. But I think we always have to err on the side of inclusion, even if we don’t feel great about it. Not every case is so clear cut, and we don’t always know why people want to read something in the first place.

Hey–are you a Hampshire student? Or did I follow the wrong link?

Keir Graff, F89
Mods 89 and 92

]]> By: John http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/comment-page-1/#comment-58872 John Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:05:36 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/#comment-58872 Libraries are very different than bookstores, I think. In the case of libraries, I think an interesting question is that of cataloging. Perhaps these sorts of books should be relocated, so that the "historical lesson" (not sure what it is; it seems just an example rather than something actually instructive) is clear from the cataloging term. I guess I am comfortable saying that my judgment "the depiction of Congolese in Tintin is hateful and racist and therefore bad" is better than the original author's judgment that it is amusing, fun, or accurate. Not sure if that addresses your point. I doubt many actually advocate banning books. Some of us, though, think that real harm is done when kids pick up this particular book and see themselves or their friends or their fellow citizens depicted in such disgusting images. The "lesson" part of it all is, frankly, for adults. I don't want to work it all out through li'l brains, that's all. Libraries are very different than bookstores, I think. In the case of libraries, I think an interesting question is that of cataloging. Perhaps these sorts of books should be relocated, so that the “historical lesson” (not sure what it is; it seems just an example rather than something actually instructive) is clear from the cataloging term.

I guess I am comfortable saying that my judgment “the depiction of Congolese in Tintin is hateful and racist and therefore bad” is better than the original author’s judgment that it is amusing, fun, or accurate. Not sure if that addresses your point.

I doubt many actually advocate banning books. Some of us, though, think that real harm is done when kids pick up this particular book and see themselves or their friends or their fellow citizens depicted in such disgusting images. The “lesson” part of it all is, frankly, for adults. I don’t want to work it all out through li’l brains, that’s all.

]]> By: Keir http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/comment-page-1/#comment-58870 Keir Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:48:49 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/#comment-58870 But doesn't all censorship start with someone claiming to have better moral and political judgment? I don't think I have better judgment than everyone else, and so I don't know where to draw the line if we do start pulling books from shelves. What other books have to go? And do we take them out of libraries, too? And if so, what tools do people have for researching racism? That may sound like a stretch, but simply hiding the manifestations of racism doesn't eliminate the attitudes that cause it. And ignoring the bad parts of history surely improves our chances to repeat them. But doesn’t all censorship start with someone claiming to have better moral and political judgment? I don’t think I have better judgment than everyone else, and so I don’t know where to draw the line if we do start pulling books from shelves. What other books have to go? And do we take them out of libraries, too? And if so, what tools do people have for researching racism? That may sound like a stretch, but simply hiding the manifestations of racism doesn’t eliminate the attitudes that cause it. And ignoring the bad parts of history surely improves our chances to repeat them.

]]> By: John http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/comment-page-1/#comment-58838 John Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:15:24 +0000 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/07/13/tintin-in-the-united-kingdom/#comment-58838 I just posted a reflection on this case. I think it is important to see this as a matter of moral and political judgment, not censorship. After all, it is just a question of whether or not Borders wants to traffic in these sorts of images. Especially urgent, as you note, given that they're kid-books and that there are plenty of other, better ways for kids to learn about racism. The museum...yes, that's a good place for the book. That way we can actually have a space in which to comment on the book, its ideology, and so forth. The movie? Ugh. I guess it gives us more to blog about in the future... I just posted a reflection on this case.

I think it is important to see this as a matter of moral and political judgment, not censorship. After all, it is just a question of whether or not Borders wants to traffic in these sorts of images. Especially urgent, as you note, given that they’re kid-books and that there are plenty of other, better ways for kids to learn about racism.

The museum…yes, that’s a good place for the book. That way we can actually have a space in which to comment on the book, its ideology, and so forth.

The movie? Ugh. I guess it gives us more to blog about in the future…

]]>