Politically Correct Bedtime Stories
https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=2181
General Information
Source:
Creator:
NBC Today Show
Jack Ford
Resource Type:
Copyright:
Event Date:
Air/Publish Date:
08/14/1994
08/14/1994
Copyright Date:
Clip Length
Video News Report
NBCUniversal Media,
LLC.
1994
00:02:02
Description
Discussion with author James Finn Garner, who has updated and rewritten classic fairy tales and bedtime
stories such as "Cinderella" and "Rumpelstiltskin" to make them politically correct.
Keywords
Politically Correct, Fairy Tales, Stories, Bedtime, Children, "Snow White", "Cinderella",
"Rumpelstiltskin", Language, Racist, Sexist, Violent, Message, Oppressed, Educators, Teachers, OverSensitive, Satire, Humor
Citation
MLA
"Politically Correct Bedtime Stories." Jack Ford, correspondent. NBC Today Show. NBCUniversal Media.
© 2008-2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1 of 3
14 Aug. 1994. NBC Learn. Web. 21 March 2015
APA
Ford, J. (Reporter). 1994, August 14. Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. [Television series episode].
NBC Today Show. Retrieved from https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=2181
CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE
"Politically Correct Bedtime Stories" NBC Today Show, New York, NY: NBC Universal, 08/14/1994.
Accessed Sat Mar 21 2015 from NBC Learn: https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k12/browse/?cuecard=2181
Transcript
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories
JACK FORD, co-host:
On SUNDAY EXTRA this morning, politically correct fairytales. Many of the stories we heard as
children have some, quote, "problems": racist or sexist language, outdated ideas or too much violence.
But trying to fix them in these days of political correctness can be just as much of a problem. Joining us
this morning is the author of the book, "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories.” How and why did you
decide to write this book?
Mr. JAMES GARNER: I came up with the idea after reading about a educators group--an educators group
that advised teachers not to read "Snow White" and "Rumplestiltskin" because they're inherently sexist
and—and would warp our children beyond recognition, so.
FORD: So you're number four, I believe, on The New York Times best-seller list--on the list for about
eight weeks, and yet you had a real tough time getting it published.
Mr. GARNER: Yeah. We went through almost 30 publishers to get this published. Everyone seemed to
enjoy reading it, but everyone thought it was kind of a trend, and I knew it wasn't a trend. It was a social
fact that this book could--could do well.
FORD: Let me read a passage, one of my favorite sections in the book. It's--it's from your Cinderella
version, and it's talking about the—the ball that starts off--the entire story of Cinderella. And it reads,
"The prince was celebrating his exploitation of the dispossessed and marginalized peasantry by throwing a
fancy dress ball."
Mr. GARNER: Mm-hmm.
FORD: How did you decide what stories needed changing and how you'd change them?
Mr. GARNER: Well, they all could use changing because they're--they're of a time- they're of 100 or 200
years ago. But I decided to take the ones that were familiar to us so people could tell what I was pulling
apart and switching around, and I had to be able to change the endings so that the traditionally oppressed
groups--say the wolf or the troll or whoever, the ogre in the story--they came out on top.
FORD: Do you think we're going to see a change--a lessening of this--the intensity of political
© 2008-2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2 of 3
correctness?
Mr. GARNER: I think it's--it's a pendulum thing. It's--our sensitivity is way too--way too tight right now,
and I think if people just lighten up a little bit more--humor is a very important social pressure valve—a
release valve, and there are a lot of things going on in the country in the next 20 years, and I think it will
be a great time to be alive. We have to be able to laugh with each other and at ourselves.
© 2008-2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Page 3 of 3