James Finn Garner "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life & Times."
In this thin book Garner proposes to create "meaningful literature that is totally free from bias and purged from the influence of its flawed cultural past." The results are extremely funny.
A whimsical adaptation of classic fairy tales and bedtimes stories removes all kinds of bias and objectionable language from such traditional tales as "Chicken Little," "Rapunzel," "The Three Little Pigs," "Cinderella," and others.
James Finn Garner has taken 12 time-tested tales and retold them with the newfound sensitivity of our times. Here's a snippet from "Little Red Riding Hood":
- The wolf said, "You know, my dear, it isn't safe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone."
- Red Riding Hood said, "I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop your own, entirely valid, worldview. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way."
- Leap into a fairy-tale world where trolls are "dirt-accomplished and odor-enhanced," witches are "kindness-impaired," and Cinderella wears a gown "woven of silk stolen from unsuspecting silkworms." We can only regret that Garner had to exclude "The Duckling That Was Judged on Its Personal Merits and Not on Its Physical Appearance" for space reasons.
Hardcover with DJ. 1994.
New book.