২৪ মার্চ, ২০২৪

"If I became a writer and artist of children’s books... it was not because I had in mind to create children’s books."

"I wanted Babar to live on (or, as some will say, my father to live on). I wanted to stay in his country, the elephant world which is both a utopia and a gentle satire on the society of men.... Babar and I both... take the same care to avoid over-dramatization of the events or situations that do arise. If we take the correct, efficient steps, we both believe that a happy end will come.... [T]here is a message in the Babar books, a message of nonviolence."


Babar was invented by Laurent de Brunhoff's mother, Cécile de Brunhoff. It was a bedtime story, told to Laurent when he was 5, and retold to his father, Jean de Brunhoff, who took the story further in words and drawings. Jean created the first 7 books, then died of tuberculosis at age 37. Laurent continued his father's world — the elephant world, where he wanted to stay.

The obituary links to a NYT book review from 40 years ago. The book is "What the Lone Ranger, Babar, and Other Innocent Heroes Do to Our Minds," which explains how "Babar's story is a lesson in colonialism with racist overtones." We're told: "[The author, Ariel] Dorfman explicates these episodes and stories at academic length. He even deciphers the racial and sexual symbolism of Zephyr the monkey and Silver the stallion. For authority, he cites such authors as Gyorgy Lukacs, Antonio Gramsci and Frantz Fanon, blending in the psychoanalytic leaven found in much Marxist writing."

Babar racist? It's an easy shot. The elephant is a big target.

২৬টি মন্তব্য:

rehajm বলেছেন...

It’s so hip and trendy to hate civilization innit?

R C Belaire বলেছেন...

Everything can be ruined/criticized if one invests enough effort into the project.

rhhardin বলেছেন...

I didn't see the point of Babar. It wasn't up there with Tootle.

My favorite was Crockett Johnson's Barnaby. Available collected in hardcover, which is how I encountered it.

Curious George বলেছেন...

Babar always make me think of this.

Christopher B বলেছেন...

Vladimiro Ariel Dorfman is an Argentine-Chilean-American novelist, playwright, essayist, academic, and human rights activist. A citizen of the United States since 2004, he has been a professor of literature and Latin American Studies at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina, since 1985.

Wikipedia

Born: 1942 (age 81 years), Buenos Aires, Argentina


That review sounded like it could have been written yesterday rather than forty years ago, and not surprisingly the math worked out. The race-obsessed Woke Millennials were raised and taught by the race-obsessed Boomers.

Strauss and Howe didn't get everything right but they did get some things right.

Big Mike বলেছেন...

@Althouse, first of all, it’s Zephir, with an ‘i.’ Secondly, you stinking, shit-eating liberals should leave Babar and his family the Hell alone.

Tina Trent বলেছেন...

And yet somehow, that communist Dorfman managed to miss the body count of Stalin and Mao, and supported both men.

Roger Sweeny বলেছেন...

"The obituary links to a NYT book review from 40 years ago."

"Woke" is not some new thing.

Howard বলেছেন...

The Bible hates civilization. The fall of man, getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden all for becoming civilized. The floods and desertification of the Middle East were Gods punishment for civilization. Slavery, genocide, habitat destruction, global scale pollution, the rise of the billionaire oligarchy, theocracy, tyrannical dictatorships... all contribute to the obesity, auto immune, diabetes, dementia and mental illness epidemic.

That said, to criticize Babar is disgusting. Next, will they go after Curious George? Oh, the Humanity.

Thank Odin we still have Alley Oop.

Zavier Onasses বলেছেন...

Colonialism, racism, and sexism - but no global warming. Maybe 40 years ago was the lull between global cooling scare and global warming scare.

Aggie বলেছেন...

"Babar racist? It's an easy shot. The elephant is a big target..."

Small minds must have big targets, if they're to have any chance of hitting them.

mikeski বলেছেন...

The obituary links to a NYT book review from 40 years ago [...] which explains how "Babar's story is a lesson in colonialism with racist overtones."

Don’t drink beer.
Don’t watch football.
Don’t eat hamburgers.
Don't read children's books.
This is not good for you.

The message is too feminine.

Temujin বলেছেন...

"Babar's story is a lesson in colonialism with racist overtones."

Ugh. These leftists are the most miserable people in history. Always, constantly.
Even Babar? Sheesh.

J L Oliver বলেছেন...

Now do Eloise.

tcrosse বলেছেন...

Now do Little Black Sambo.

MadTownGuy বলেছেন...

Temujin said...

["Babar's story is a lesson in colonialism with racist overtones."]

"Ugh. These leftists are the most miserable people in history. Always, constantly.
Even Babar? Sheesh.
"

Worse still, they want everyone else to be miserable, even more so than they are.

RCOCEAN II বলেছেন...

Sorry, I don't need to have my brain washed by Mr. Dorfman. Fine old American, Mr. Dorfman. Probably came over on the Mayflower.

I went on the internet and found the original 7 books published in the 30s. I'll have to translate the French. The pictures are amusing - although inconsistent. In one drawing barbar the Elephant is towering over everyone in his top hat and tails in Paris, which is believable.

But in the next he's driving a car. But the car would have to be a MONSTER car for him to drive it. But it isn't.

So, I call Bullshit on Barbar.

Ann Althouse বলেছেন...

"@Althouse, first of all, it’s Zephir, with an ‘i.’..."

I just cut and pasted, but I'll take your word for it.

MadisonMan বলেছেন...

As a kid, I never liked Babar. Not sure why. So Babar was never read to my kids.

Gulistan বলেছেন...

Here's where Babar and the late, great M. Emmett Walsh come together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-zf2UBp7fY

Hassayamper বলেছেন...

I much preferred Kipling and Tintin to Babar. Give me that old-time colonialism, straight up.

Big Mike বলেছেন...

Fine old American, Mr. Dorfman. Probably came over on the Mayflower.

Nope. He’s Chilean, and a former advisor to Salvador Allende. Hard to say what pisses him off more, that Allende was overthrown or that Pinochet, applying the principles of Chicago School monetary theory, was so successful in bringing a level of prosperity to the country.

William বলেছেন...

They made a p.c. remake of The Lone Ranger in 2013. Holy shit, you can't believe how awful it was. Johnny Depp tried to do for Indians what he did for pirates, but just looked weird. Arnie Hammer, noted scion of those Commie millionaires and later more famous for his cannibalism than for his acting ability, played the title role. I forget most of the movie, but I remember it's message was that the west was won and civilized by prostitutes, Black men, and Indians despite the many barbarities practiced by the the white men. Sadly the movie neglected the many contributions that the transgendered made to the winning of the west. Perhaps that's why it bombed....I wonder why some academic has never deconstructed the absurd hold that Marxism has had over artists and intellectuals over these many generations. There's not much evidence that Divine Providence has shaped human affairs, but there's even less evidence that under Communism the working class thrives and prospers.

RCOCEAN II বলেছেন...

Actually Dorfman isn't really Chilian. Nor american. he was born in Argentina of Russian Jewish Parents. He family moved to NYC at the age of two, then moved to Chile to "Escape JOe mccarthy in 1954."

He did Grad work at Berkely, then returned to Chile to work for Marxist Allende, then after Pinochet took over, lived in Paris, Holland and later returned to the USA. He's buddies with Roman Polanski.

Left unsaid in several Newspaper articles? He and his parents were communists. In any case, he aint French, and he isn't someone I care to read.

mikee বলেছেন...

"The houses looked like toy houses, and the people looked like ants."
That is my favorite line from the original Curious George story. I just like it.

mikee বলেছেন...

"The houses looked like toy houses, and the people looked like ants."
That is my favorite line from the original Curious George story. I just like it.