Ricky Gervais has slammed “fragile people” amid the ongoing row over planned changes to author Roald Dahl’s books – “pondering” whether his own comedy material will be amended after his death.
It was reported recently that new editions of classic kids’ books written by the late writer are being edited to remove untrendy language that may be regarded as offensive or inappropriate to a new generation.
The changes are said to affect references to weight, mental health, violence, gender, and race, with even the word “fat” being scrubbed out.
READ MORE: ‘Fat pig’ Augustus Gloop blasts rewriting of Roald Dahl book that branded him ‘hippo’
Ricky, 61, took to Twitter on Friday (February 24), with a picture of himself gazing into the distance in an auditorium, saying: “This is me pondering whether they’ll change any of the words I’ve used in my work after I’m dead, to spare those who are fragile and easily offended.”
(Image: getty)
He gave examples of words that could be censored, adding: “Words like ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’. And ‘c***’ and ‘f**k’. And ‘fat, ugly, greedy, pathetic little stupid f**king c***’. Stuff like that.”
One follower reacted by saying that his work was not aimed at young audiences, and suggested that it could be difficult to explain “hurtful words” in books to children.
The Office star responded by explaining that his tweet had been created for amusement and seemingly agreed, writing: “Yeah I know… It was a joke.”
It comes amid Puffin UK – a children’s version of Penguin – announcing that it will keep Roald’s classic texts in print with a new collection, which will “include archive material relevant to each of the stories.”
The Roald Dahl Classic Collection will be published under the Penguin logo, and will sit alongside the edited Puffin Roald Dahl books, which are aimed at younger readers.
(Image: getty)
The two versions of the late author’s books will apparently enable readers to “be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer”.
Francesca Dow, boss of Penguin Random House Children’s said: “We’ve listened to the debate over the past week which has reaffirmed the extraordinary power of (Roald’s) books and the very real questions around how stories from another era can be kept relevant for each new generation.
“As a children’s publisher, our role is to share the magic of stories with children with the greatest thought and care.
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“Roald’s fantastic books are often the first stories young children will read independently, and taking care for the imaginations and fast-developing minds of young readers is both a privilege and a responsibility.
“We also recognise the importance of keeping (Roald’s) classic texts in print. By making both Puffin and Penguin versions available, we are offering readers the choice to decide how they experience (Roald’s) magical, marvellous stories.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
