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Post by Dante on May 31, 2017 15:56:00 GMT -5
This has been rumbling for about a month now, so I apologise for being late to report on it. Here's the quote which drew my attention to this particular situation: - Indie bookstores hold steady in tough retail market, Associated PressSnicket's The Bad Mood and the Stick was announced a few months ago, in a thread you can find here. It's important to note that the AP version of events appears to make a slight error; my background research indicates that the objections were based on the cover art. Here is the original cover: The offence caused is highlighted in the blog post I Am Not Your Bad Mood, which discusses how concerns were raised among a circle on Twitter as to the presentation of the bad mood on the cover, and by extension in the story. As the blog post records, Little Brown apologised for the offence and agreed to change the imagery in question. Here is the revised cover art: As an aside, the French edition cover art remains presently unchanged: The Bad Mood and the Stick, written by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Matt Forsythe, is due out on October 3rd in the U.S. and November 2nd in the U.K. Edit: Note that the French version has also now had its cover and even its title revised: Previously, it was titled La Colère Et La Branche, a less direct translation; whereas "Mauvaise Humeur" is a relatively straightforward equivalent for "bad mood," "Colère" means "anger" but also suggests "couleur," meaning "colour."
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Post by Reba on May 31, 2017 16:28:53 GMT -5
no. potatoing. way.
if the black cloud did not have a face on it, not even the most creative of all decriers could think up these insane accusations.
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Post by Hermes on May 31, 2017 17:27:43 GMT -5
That image does look to me quite like a historic caricature of a black person. Obviously the artist did not mean it that way; he meant it as a black cloud with a face on it. Nevertheless, it's understandable that some people would be distressed by it. That's not the same as objecting to any use of blackness/absence of light in a symbolic way, which I agree would be silly.
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Post by Teleram on May 31, 2017 19:17:31 GMT -5
Okay but this is really potato ing absurd
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Post by Reba on May 31, 2017 20:09:05 GMT -5
charles schulz has used the common technique of a black scribble to draw lucy's bad mood. would it have been racist if he used another common cartooning technique (personification) to make the bad mood look angrier? matthew forsythe didn't even go as far in his racism as charles schulz did, because his scribble was actually created using a variety of colors, not just black.
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Post by Charlie on May 31, 2017 20:51:13 GMT -5
You must admit that the "scribble" in question bears striking resemblance to black caricatures, for example, depictions of golliwogs in 20th century illustrations. It's one thing to say it does look like a black scribble (which is of course true), but it's another thing to claim this isn't similar in style to common racist depictions of black people (in my opinion, obviously an untrue statement).
It's unfortunate that Handler has once more been tied to anti-black sentiment, and perhaps without watermelon-gate people wouldn't be looking so hard for things to criticise him on, but it's irrefutable that such a link exists (though, of course, near definitely not on purpose)
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Post by Reba on May 31, 2017 21:43:56 GMT -5
You must admit that the "scribble" in question bears striking resemblance to black caricatures, for example, depictions of golliwogs in 20th century illustrations. It's one thing to say it does look like a black scribble (which is of course true), but it's another thing to claim this isn't similar in style to common racist depictions of black people (in my opinion, obviously an untrue statement). It's unfortunate that Handler has once more been tied to anti-black sentiment, and perhaps without watermelon-gate people wouldn't be looking so hard for things to criticise him on, but it's irrefutable that such a link exists (though, of course, near definitely not on purpose) no, i really can't see the slightest resemblance. maybe if the scribble had a black afro, round eyes, a goofy grin, and fat red lips. i agree that whoever originally conceived of this apparent racism probably remembered DH from Watermelongate. even if this isn't a deliberate vengeful attack on DH's art, the connection in their mind probably made this slight coincidence stick out more, and caused a reaction along the lines of "of course racist lemony snicket was totally racist again."
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Post by Dante on Aug 21, 2017 14:26:09 GMT -5
Note that the French version has also now had its cover and even its title revised: Previously, it was titled La Colère Et La Branche, a less direct translation; whereas "Mauvaise Humeur" is a relatively straightforward equivalent for "bad mood," "Colère" means "anger" but also suggests "couleur," meaning "colour."
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Post by Reba on Aug 21, 2017 14:35:34 GMT -5
adding insult to injury!!!!!
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Post by Poe's Coats Host Toast on Aug 21, 2017 16:21:08 GMT -5
Doesn't surprise me, most of France is even more politically correct than some of the US's media.
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Post by Reba on Oct 10, 2017 18:48:18 GMT -5
for anyone interested, THE BAD MOOD AND THE STICK isn't a complete disappointment, but it cannot be underestimated how much the book as a whole actually suffers from the art change.
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Post by Dante on Oct 14, 2017 12:32:33 GMT -5
Ah, so you've read the final version? I don't think I'll be able to acquire it for a little while, but I did wonder what the impact would be of an art alteration which, judging from the cover, appears to be fairly drastic. It's difficult to imagine that the finished product can much resemble the original vision.
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Post by Dante on Oct 30, 2017 17:25:47 GMT -5
It's just come to my attention, while skimming Snicket-related news, that around the time I made my previous post The Bad Mood and the Stick was once again being accused of racially-charged injudiciousness, this time by an author and editor ( tweet contains spoilers). This is the second time artistic decisions in the story have been questioned, though history has yet to record illustrator Matt Forsythe being asked for comment or indeed being mentioned at all.
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Post by Reba on Oct 30, 2017 17:30:45 GMT -5
KILL ALL LIBS
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Post by Dante on Oct 31, 2017 3:57:31 GMT -5
Perhaps a little too pointed a piece of satire, I'm afraid, both for beginning a new page and in relation to your more considered and critical comments on the previous page. I appreciate that it is unfortunate to see this subject dredged up again a quiet fortnight since the objection in question was made, and nearly a month after the book's publication. One does wonder, had it been aired a little farther pre-release than post-, whether the book might have been changed again, its publishers having already demonstrated a willingness to be quite radically flexible on its content.
I do think it is regrettable that Matt Forsythe has been rather left out of this discussion. People often fall into the trap of marginalising the role of illustrators within a book, but in the case of a picture book especially where Mr. Forsythe is presumably an equal partner then it retrospectively appears too great an oversight. Granted, I can understand why he and Mr. Snicket would be keeping quiet about the criticism this book has faced, since it seems to have been enjoying a successful tour otherwise.
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