"Child-proofing Harry Potter" - Mother writes about how she edited HP for her child.
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My Girlfriend was only allowed to see censored versions of Winnetou (German Wild West movies for children). Her father would edit them on two VCRs. Any violence was cut out. I don't know if it did any good for her.
She now works in a kindergarten and alters classic Grimm Fables, so that no one gets hurt, dies or says cruel things (like "bring me her kidney"); This is by request of the parents.
Edit: oh, and the parents banned Disney. Apparently it makes you dumb because it's American. God, I hate Germany.
She now works in a kindergarten and alters classic Grimm Fables, so that no one gets hurt, dies or says cruel things (like "bring me her kidney"); This is by request of the parents.
Edit: oh, and the parents banned Disney. Apparently it makes you dumb because it's American. God, I hate Germany.
I had that happen to me in a Tekken game actually. She was button-bashing though. At one point she wasn't even looking at the screen. lol
Wolf Akela
Member
She should have picked a different book.
Chamber of Secrets is already a bit dark for 5 year olds. Azkaban has Dementors and omens. Goblet onwards have murder.
Chamber of Secrets is already a bit dark for 5 year olds. Azkaban has Dementors and omens. Goblet onwards have murder.
Lufiaddict
Member
Does Ron ejaculate quietly in this version?
I was about to say "they should just watch the Disney versions then" but oh well... Also funny how they seem to value German culture over American while censoring the former.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
This is ridiculous. Just say no to your kids, people.
what
What about her screams 'warped sense of morality' to you? I feel you're being really hyperbolic here.
I can just imagine her kid recounting his favorite parts with friends when he gets older :
Kid's friend A: yeah and my favorite part is when snape got dumbledore. Totally didn't see that coming.
Kid: yeah when he got him to pee on himself by casting the most powerful tickle spell was one of my favorite parts too. Still don't see why he had to resign though. I mean I understand he was embarrassed but it was a powerful tickle spell. No one would have been able to withstand that.
Kid's friend A: uhhhh... *confused look*
Kid's friend B (aware of the kid's mother's tomfoolery) : *leans in to A and whispers * Just go with it, dude.
Kid's friend A: yeah and my favorite part is when snape got dumbledore. Totally didn't see that coming.
Kid: yeah when he got him to pee on himself by casting the most powerful tickle spell was one of my favorite parts too. Still don't see why he had to resign though. I mean I understand he was embarrassed but it was a powerful tickle spell. No one would have been able to withstand that.
Kid's friend A: uhhhh... *confused look*
Kid's friend B (aware of the kid's mother's tomfoolery) : *leans in to A and whispers * Just go with it, dude.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
You have the right idea, and I like the ending, but I don't think the mother would allow a pee joke.
as seen on gaming side when folks messed with zelda and other creative works, it's fine when you edit or mod works for your children.
no problem here!
well i don't approve, but many see it is okay i believe.
interesting story.
no problem here!
well i don't approve, but many see it is okay i believe.
interesting story.
Wouldn't want to encourage peeing
Willkiller
Banned
Well, she seems insane
peanutbutterlatte
Member
I wouldn't be surprised if she just told him the series was two books long. Too much murder to censor in the later ones.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
See, here's where it differs for me at least: that dad was clearly making one minor edit in order to give his daughter a female role model, while this mom is sheltering her kid from not only great literature by butchering entire books, but is also setting up some resentment down the line.
It's like when DFA delayed because they had no more money, and Wasteland 2 delayed because they were done with the game but wanted to add back in the stuff they cut. Different situations entirely.
I think she's actually getting a kick out of it. She's basically writing fan fic for her son. People love to write that drivel... It's just most don't pawn it off as being the original.
jim-jam bongs
Member
it's true, i see now that death and other complex concepts were at play here, and ultimately different situations.
chamber of secrets does get.. at least darker. so that's a good stopping point at least.
bengraven
Member
The kid's only five. In a couple years he'll be old enough to read it on his own. *shrugs* Unless she blacks out the edition he reads, I don't see an issue here.
He's a bit young for it, so using terms like "edit" and "censorship" are kind of unnecessary. Then again, she's propogating those terms here, which is also ridiculous. Christ, you know how many times I've told my five (then 3 or 4) year old versions of Star Wars or the Hobbit but just left out the hands being cut off and monsters dying?
He's a bit young for it, so using terms like "edit" and "censorship" are kind of unnecessary. Then again, she's propogating those terms here, which is also ridiculous. Christ, you know how many times I've told my five (then 3 or 4) year old versions of Star Wars or the Hobbit but just left out the hands being cut off and monsters dying?
Wowfunhappy
Member
Well, I do legitimately think that Harry Potter really isn't a great series for a 7-year-old, much less a 5-year-old. Forget violence or whatever, they just aren't old enough to understand and thus enjoy the books to their fullest potential.
Black Door
Banned
In a couple of years he'll be too busy to read because he'll spend every waking moment arguing with his helicopter mom
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
Chamber of Secrets is really dark for a 5 year old.
She should find something a bit lighter.
She should find something a bit lighter.
ComputerMKII
Banned
I want to read her edited version of the Marquis de Sade's works.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Its asinine. She's doing something selfish - she wants to introduce HP to her kids so badly for self-gratification that she's willing to ruin the plot for the kids.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
That's what I'm saying - she's being selfish by not just waiting until they're old enough to handle the story.
The child plead with her and her husband because he wanted to read the book. I don't get "selfish" from that.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I wanted to watch the Terminator when I was 5.
brandonh83
Banned
Honestly I don't blame her. I think some aspects of the plot can be very sensitive and even very scary to people. By the time I got to the Goblet of Fire book, I was so attached to Harry that one of the last chapters had me almost violently shaking in fear and I was incredibly nervous. I get that not everyone is going to have this effect but I thought it was truly unnerving. If I were a lot younger it might have warped me. The books are a lot more serious and adult than people may think.
It's selfish because, rather than staying strong and sticking to their plan, they gave into the kid's whining and compromised on what was seemingly the best course of action just to quit his complaining.
Part of being a good parent is knowing when to say no and standing by that.
I don't blame her for thinking that the HP series is too much for a five-year-old to handle. I doubt I'd introduce a five-year-old to HP if I was in her situation. But reading her kid a bowdlerized version of the story, even if he really wants to read it, is not doing him any favors. For one, she's giving him a hacked-up and idiotic version of the story. Two, she's setting him up for some really awkward and embarrassing conversations with friends when he tries to talk about the books. Three, she's not just taking out dark stuff, but adding clumsy and awful morality lessons like the broomstick thing that intrude on the actual story and the points its trying to make.
Metaphoreus
This is semantics, and nothing more
It's Harry Potter.
Why are so many people so opposed to what she's doing? Sure, she could just read something else to her kid, but what's wrong with reading this and changing minor details here and there?
Also, I'd hate to attend kindergarten at NeoGAF Elementary School: "Today, you sons of bitches, we're going to learn about three of the ways in which you might be murdered someday. Also we'll talk about child rape. Grow up, assholes, this is reality."
It's like everyone wants to make their own little Ender Wiggins.
Count Dookkake
Member
Someone should edit the poor kid's mom.
At 5 I had a pretty good understanding that people die. Kids are not stupid and censoring these things out isn't going to magically make them think that death does not exist. Harry Potter is not some extreme story with detail descriptions of rape and murder. People keep thinking kids will break down by the mere mention of death are ridiculous.
God Dayumm
Banned
Never understood the need to censor bad words or light violence to children. Are there studies regarding their effects of young children? I grew in a house where you could hear a variety of insults everyday, some which I didn't understand but I knew they were insults, yet I rarely said any bad words at school and to this day I hardly insult anyone
dinazimmerman
Incurious Bastard
I wouldn't have minded at all. Maybe I was an exceptional child (doubt it), but I'm pretty sure I knew that people were murdered and raped when I was 5. I wasn't any less happy or childlike or "innocent." Facts cannot hurt a child's development.
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
Sure didn't.
Every time I mention this someone brings this kinda thing up.
Listen, I live in America. You can show kids people getting mowed down all day long and nobody bats an eye.
You show 'em Michaelangelo's David and you're a pedophile.
That's the way it is. I don't personally think showing children nudity is that big a deal past a certain age but it's more trouble than it's worth and actual sexuality is a completely different issue.
I didn't think twice about allowing my oldest to watch Event Horizon and that has nudity, but it isn't sexuality.
I explained to them that Slasher flicks are just modern morality plays and what lessons they're intended to impart
Doctor Decimate
Member
..........give him something else to read?
ftfy
Pretty much. That one scene she described editing completely destroys the message of the scene and replaces it with one that isn't quite as important. Just give the kid something else to read.
God Dayumm
Banned
I like this way of thinking and I'll be using this argument everywhere
Yeah, and those are some of my best childhood memories, too.
Even when talking cartoons, the ones that were burned into my mind, were the ones involving more adult themes.
Valley before time, Dumbo, Secret of Nihm, All dogs go to Heaven and so on.
Still, to each their own.
And if you did, you would've been fine, most likely.
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