How many P.G. Wodehouse fans here? Yes, I’m talking about the creator of the butler Jeeves and his bumbling aristocrat employer Bertie Wooster. And the monocle-wearing, cool-as-a-cucumber dandy Psmith (pronounced Smith) who always managed to slip out of trouble. And the absent-minded Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle, whose peaceful life often got shattered by the shenanigans of his family and other animals. Yes, Plum Wodehouse the literary genius. Wodehouse, who died in 1975, has now been branded by campaigners as ‘an odious anti-Semite.’ Activists have asked Westminster Abbey—the imposing Gothic church in central London where Britain has crowned and buried its monarchs for the last thousand years, and commemorates the nation’s most revered and beloved playwrights, writers and poets—not to honour Wodehouse with a memorial stone. Why not? Because five controversial wartime radio broadcasts alleged to have been recorded by him have been dug up to show that he supported the Nazis.
Remember Enid Blyton? If you were born before 1985, how can you not? She was the beloved children's author who touched millions of lives with her writing. She wrote over 700 books and 4,500 short stories in her lifetime—amazing, isn’t it? She shaped the childhoods of millions of children across the world who read stories. I grew up wanting to be a part of the Secret Seven, The Famous Five and also the Five Find Outers, wanting to solve mysteries and catch the bad guys red handed. In the 5th Std in school, some of us had even formed a secret society, searching for a mystery to solve. We had our own secret greeting signs and a special hideout for our meetings during recess. Such was the influence her books had on most of us.
But charity English Heritage, an organization that installs blue plaques at sites which were once the working or living quarters of Britain’s canonical literary figures, recently updated the information on their website associated with Blyton’s plaque. Although there was no change to the plaque, Blyton has been accused of racism, xenophobia and sexism in her work.
Why can’t we let these icons be? They gave our generation and those before us so much joy during our childhoods, when there was nothing to amuse ourselves with except the world of books. Did Plum really make those broadcasts? Maybe he did. For what reason, God knows. Why wasn’t he asked at that time in the 1940s or 1950s? Why now? Did Blyton portray black toys called Golliwogs as villains in her Noddy books? I don’t remember and I don’t care. Did she often cast gypsies and foreigners as dishonest? Big deal. The joy she brought us with her lovely stories, cliff-hanger climaxes and strong moral code (that bravery and loyalty are rewarded in the end) make up for whatever racism and xenophobia she may have had within her. As young readers, we never felt any of that.
It was a different era then. People said and wrote what they felt. So what?
Pat Boone sang ‘Technique’ in 1957, a tongue-in-cheek song about how to treat women. I first heard it on a 45 rpm record at my father in law’s place and loved it. It has a lovely melody, and of course Boone’s voice is as smooth as silk. The problem is that the lyrics are considered misogynistic today. The singer got so much flak for it that he dissociated himself totally from the song. I think that’s unfair. The song is supposed to be humorous and should have been taken in the proper perspective. Bringing out a stinging reply with another song against men would’ve been the spirited thing to do. Tit for tat. But no—there was seething moral indignation instead; a hue and cry.
There was another popular song in the 60s called ‘Backward Child’ by Bill Forbes where he talks of his girlfriend who’s a bit slow and could never pass her exams; but when it came to kissing, she was the head of her class! Again, what is the need to get offended? Remember this was the 1950s. Times were different, patriarchy was strong, and there was no women’s liberation movement then. We should recognize that and move on. The fact that it was such a hit back then indicates that not many were offended. It used to play so often on the radio. But in today’s times, the song would have been banned.
Political correctness (PC) is good. We should use written or spoken language that is intentionally worded to avoid offending people unnecessarily. Yes, we should generally respect each other’s race, gender, sexual orientation, ability and religious beliefs as much as possible.
I just have a problem with too much political correctness.
To be too politically correct is to be hypersensitive, to get offended too easily. Or to be afraid to say what one wants to for fear of offending somebody or the other. Being afraid to speak one’s mind. That has its own fallout.
In a 1991 speech at the University of Michigan, George H.W. Bush said, ‘The notion of political correctness has ignited controversy across the land. Although the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism and sexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones." Though not a fan of President Bush, I agree totally. Free speech is becoming a casualty.
Imagine at the workplace a Hindu manager fears that he will be perceived as a bigot if he gives his incompetent Muslim or Dalit subordinate an average report. So he doesn’t; gives him a glowing one instead. The subordinate gets promoted at the expense of more deserving candidates and makes a mess of his new responsibilities. Imagine in the US a black engineer, thoroughly deserving, passed over for promotion and wondering whether his race had anything to do with it. But he’s reluctant to raise this concern lest he be seen as ‘playing the race card.’ So he quietly quits thinking he will ruffle too many feathers by speaking out and that no one will listen to him anyway; the organization loses a valuable employee. Imagine a company selecting a less qualified, less suitable candidate over more deserving ones because of his/her race, gender or religion, so as to appear truly unbiased.
These types of events occur daily in PC cultures, where propriety overrules merit and governs behaviour, in interactions among people of different races, genders, religions, and other potentially charged social identity groups. Yes, new prejudices are replacing the old ones. People now walk on eggshells for fear of unwittingly transgressing the rules of political correctness. Many companies now have policies where one may lose one’s job if one is perceived as being homophobic or a misogynist or a bigot. It may not be a fact; maybe just a stray incident, but it is the perception that matters—how others in the organization see you. As a result, resentments build, relationships fray, and performances suffer at the workplace.
Fat shaming is looked down upon as unacceptable. But big fat bellies and monstrous thighs are okay? How do you tell a person that he or she needs to stay off the samosas and jalebis for life and to walk daily at a brisk pace, in order to live a long and healthy life? I’m sorry if I’ve offended you but—how do I put this—you are fat, darling. Telling you that you’re beautiful inside is not going to make you get off the couch and step outdoors. Save yourself before it’s too late.
Then we have the euphemisms that we’re expected to use to not offend people. Since when did constipation become occasional irregularity? The guy behind the counter at Subway has to be called a Sandwich Artist? Imagine at the bar counter your pint being poured for you by a Beverage Dissemination Officer. British MP Kerry McCarthy has suggested dropping the term ‘fishermen’ to avoid offending women in the profession. That’s the kind of idiocy I’m talking about.
Over the decades, expressions and terms are getting watered down so as not to be offensive to some. Soldiers who once suffered from shell shock are now experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. (But the former description is so apt—it tells it like it is!) The CIA neutralizes its enemies. When you buy a used car, it was pre-owned. You’re not broke; you’re in a negative cash flow position. The ISI will not torture our soldiers; it will merely use enhanced interrogation techniques. Congratulations—you’re now 70 years young! Your BO is a non-discretionary fragrance. Anupam Kher is follically challenged. Who are we kidding? Must we use words that hide the truth, words that conceal reality?
Imagine a world without Santa and Banta jokes, without song parodies or witty comments on politicians, for fear of someone somewhere feeling hurt. Now that will be truly offensive to me.
Beetashok Chatterjee is the author of ‘Driftwood’, a collection of stories about Life at Sea and ‘The People Tree’, another collection of stories about ordinary people with extraordinary experiences. A retired merchant ship’s captain by profession, he lives in New Delhi with his memories of living more than 40 years on the waves.
His books are available on Amazon. Click here.
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