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‘Y’all Gotta Stop This’: ‘The View’ Co-Hosts Criticize The Removal Of Offensive Words From Books

[Screenshot/Rumble/The View]

Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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“The View” co-hosts criticized the removal of offensive words from old books and art forms during Monday’s panel.

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. is rewriting and removing language deemed offensive from Ian Fleming’s legendary James Bond novel Casino Royale before its re-release in April to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its publication. This is happening as Roald Dahl’s children’s books are simultaneously being reprinted to remove sensitive language and content.

“Y’all gotta stop this, okay?” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said. “Just put a disclaimer on it that says listen, this book was written at this time or put out the original and what you have done because kids should have the right to read how people thought so that they know how to make the change. But you know, they try to do this with Mark Twain as well because they were so concerned that the n-word was in the book, well that’s how they did it! That’s what it was. We don’t want people doing it today and you don’t see it as much. That’s how people learn.”

Co-host Sara Haines said the art should be released in its original form to make people feel uncomfortable and learn from the past. Co-host Ana Navarro added that removing offensive language allows the political right to attack the left, and invoked Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rejection of an advanced placement (AP) African American history course that contained elements of critical race theory (CRT) and queer theory.

“When you’re doing that kind of thing, it lends itself for folks on the right to say, ‘this is what wokeism is all about, you’ve got to be anti-woke, let’s pass an anti-woke act.” Let me tell you what I’m concerned about. I’m not concerned about you editing out words from a book, I think that’s stupid. I’m concerned about you editing out black history studies from AP courses in Florida. And I think it should make us feel uncomfortable.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin played devil’s advocate by cheering on the publishers for editing out the n-word from the James Bond novel because her “oppression” can be understood without that word. (RELATED: ‘Your People Didn’t Come!’: Whoopi Goldberg Shuts Down Sunny Hostin For Saying Her Family Received No Reparations) 

“When you think about a book like James Bond — and I’m a huge James Bond fan — his Live and Let Die book, he visits Harlem [New York] and he uses the n-word to describe almost every black person that he sees there. In my view, the sensitivity of the edits now say ‘black man, black woman, black person,’ I appreciate that. You don’t have to call me the n-word for me to understand my oppression and I think when someone that is oppressed tells you that, I think you should listen.”

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said removing the n-word from literature will lead children to be unaware that this type of language was used in a derogatory way while depriving them of the racial context behind the books. Goldberg agreed, and decried the erasure of novels such as “Gone With The Wind,” so kids can learn the history of racism.