Selma Blair says son 'can read whatever he wants' amid Dr. Seuss controversy: 'I don't believe in book banning'
Selma Blair is speaking out about the controversy surrounding Dr. Seuss after it was announced that six of the books written by Theodor Seuss Geisel have been taken out of production for "hurtful and wrong" racial and ethnic stereotypes that appear on their pages. While many are saying that it's a case of "cancel culture," Blair said that it's simply an opportunity for parents to re-evaluate the lessons that literature provides children.
"I don’t believe in book banning and I don’t believe this is a case of book banning at all. I believe it’s still available, it’s still there, I don’t think things need to be totally whitewashed and I don’t think it’s cancel culture," the actress told Too Fab. "I mean, everyone’s gonna look for flaws in everyone else but I don’t believe this is a political thing. It’s just as we grow and evolve."
"Things can be prefaced with, 'It’s a different time. How weird, does it feel weird looking at it?' Whatever it is, it’s all a conversation," she explained. "I don’t think it’s the greatest loss. There’s still children’s reading in tons. I don’t like book banning but choosing not to reinforce something, yeah. I think that’s right."
According to Deborah Caldwell Stone, director of the American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom, the opportunity to critically evaluate children's book offerings is a good one. "In the end, we think that this is an opportunity for discussion — that this decision by Dr. Seuss Enterprises can be seen as a way for adults to think critically about Seuss books, to make a decision whether or not to share those books with the children in their lives and to engage in discussions with children and adults both about race and racial prejudice," she told Yahoo Life.
As for those who call the issue one of politics, Blair said, "I think we’re all just starting a war that’s not there. I think his own family, from what I understood, and the publishers decided that times change."
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