Hundreds of Parents Change Plots of Classic Fairytales Because they are Politically Incorrect, Study Claims
Parents are changing the plots of classic fairytales when reading them aloud because of violence and political incorrectness, a new survey has found.
Traditional fables such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Gingerbread Man and The Three Little Pigs were deemed the worst offenders, with parents likening some of their endings to horror films.
The poll, which was commissioned by musicMagpie, included 2,000 parents and revealed that one in four took creative liberties when sharing fairytales with their children to suit their beliefs and ideologies.
Meanwhile, another 16 per cent confessed to banning them altogether.
While these classic tales might seem playful and innocent on the surface, a closer look at the plot lines and characters reveals some problematic traits.
For example, in Little Red Riding Hood, the child is eaten alive by a wolf, only to be saved by a hunter who cuts her out of the animal’s stomach with an axe.
The Three Little Pigs also reaches a rather gory conclusion, with the pigs murdering a wolf and eating it.
Lest we forget The Gingerbread Man, whose protagonist is also eaten by a fox.
Biscuit or not, it’s an ending that’s hard for parents to swallow, with one in three labelling it as “too cruel” in the survey.
However, deeper analysis into some of the nation’s most popular tales unveiled even further issues with regards to political correctness.
One in four parents found it inappropriate that Cinderella has to do all of the cleaning in her home while another 25 per cent argued that Sleeping Beauty poses a consent issue, given that Prince Charming kisses the princess while she is asleep.
Meanwhile, 27 per cent believe that Pinocchio encourages children to tell lies while one in four claim that The Ugly Duckling, in which an abused duckling is only accepted by society after he has grown into a swan, advocates body-shaming.
“Some of these stories have been around for generations – many would have been read to mums and dads when they were children,” explained Liam Howley, marketing director at musicMagpie.
“But times have changed and there are many elements to these classic tales which for some don’t really fit into society as they once did.
“Not only that, but when you think about the storylines, some can be considered very scary for little children.”
Article Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/fairytales-parents-change-plot-politically-incorrect-children-reading-red-riding-hood-cinderella-a8346966.html
Image Source: https://img00.deviantart.net/55a8/i/2013/338/9/a/fairytale_dreaming_by_ravenmaddartwork-d6wp9p6.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Plot (n.) ~ the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence
2. Fable (n.) ~ a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral
3. Deem (v.) ~ regard or consider in a specified way
4. Ideology (n.) ~ a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy
5. Problematic (adj.) ~ constituting or presenting a problem or difficulty
6. Gory (adj.) ~ involving or showing violence and bloodshed
7. Protagonist (n.) ~ the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text
8. Unveil (v.) ~ show or announce publicly for the first time
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What was your favorite fairytale when you were growing up? Why did you like that story?
2. Do you agree that fairytales could sometimes be problematic and that they could convey incoorrect lesson to children? Discuss your answer.
3. Do you think that fairytales should be ｕpdated and my them politically correct? Explain your opinion.
