Guest guest Posted February 20, 2002 Report Share Posted February 20, 2002 I agree Susan... I used to love Curious George as a meat-eating kid. As an adult vegan with issues regarding zoos and animal captivity, I was so disappointed in rereading it with my 7 year-old daughter. I cannot support the story. It is outdated and biased against animal rights. Don't forget about the part when the man in the yellow hat leaves George alone in his house and " curious " George calls the fire department by mistake. As a result he gets thrown in a small jail cell with nothing but a wooden bunk as punishment. Nice, huh? Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 24, 2002 Report Share Posted February 24, 2002 This critique of Curious George books is killing me. You've really got to be kidding. Didn't you ever read anything as an adult that was not completely realistic? Yes, George is a monkey, lives with the man with the yellow hat and experiences all kinds of madcap adventures, but it's a fantasy. If you want to take an overly literary view of these stories you could say that George is really a little boy who does silly things like getting lost in New York City, but that the author portrayed him as a monkey because kids would be more intrigued by him. Afterall, children do like to look at animals and often give them human traits in their own play. I can't tell you how many times my son has pretended to be a lion or a dinosaur. Does this mean I should discourage this behavior? Does this mean I should throw out all of my kid's stuffed animals because they are sitting on shelves and lying in his bed? Or maybe I should build a jungle in his room so they can lounge in more realistic environment. I guess we should ban the Cat in the Hat, too. Give me a break. Does this also mean as adults we should not read books that feature characters who hunt, eat meat or have pets? If that's the case, then we should never read American classics like Huckleberry Finn because Huck fishes during his trip down the river and kills a pig to fake his own death. I'm a vegan and so is my two-year-old son. We love animals. We are for animal rights, but I also understand when an author is using a literary device to create a story. You'd be better off reading all kinds of books to your children and discussing with them what you like and don't like about them. I don't know, but the idea of banishing a book for any reason bothers me. It smacks of the same closed-mindedness that some meat eaters have toward vegetarians. Julie - <Zebramoon9 Wednesday, February 20, 2002 3:41 PM About Curious George... > I agree Susan... > > I used to love Curious George as a meat-eating kid. As an adult vegan with > issues regarding zoos and animal captivity, I was so disappointed in > rereading it with my 7 year-old daughter. I cannot support the story. It is > outdated and biased against animal rights. > > Don't forget about the part when the man in the yellow hat leaves George > alone in his house and " curious " George calls the fire department by mistake. > As a result he gets thrown in a small jail cell with nothing but a wooden > bunk as punishment. Nice, huh? > > Lisa > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2002 Report Share Posted February 25, 2002 i wholeheartedly agree with you, julie! i'm vegan, too and my daughter and i love to read curious george. if there were something i found questionable about george's actions i'd simply discuss it with her. but she's a kid and for her reading about a monkey is fun and that's about it. i don't think she takes it to the same level. i think you can get too carried away and end up not wanting to watch or do anything. that's not much fun. heather At 01:53 PM 2/24/2002 -0500, you wrote: >This critique of Curious George books is killing me. You've really got to be >kidding. Didn't you ever read anything as an adult that was not completely >realistic? Yes, George is a monkey, lives with the man with the yellow hat >and experiences all kinds of madcap adventures, but it's a fantasy. If you >want to take an overly literary view of these stories you could say that >George is really a little boy who does silly things like getting lost in New >York City, but that the author portrayed him as a monkey because kids would >be more intrigued by him. Afterall, children do like to look at animals and >often give them human traits in their own play. I can't tell you how many >times my son has pretended to be a lion or a dinosaur. Does this mean I >should discourage this behavior? Does this mean I should throw out all of my >kid's stuffed animals because they are sitting on shelves and lying in his >bed? Or maybe I should build a jungle in his room so they can lounge in more >realistic environment. I guess we should ban the Cat in the Hat, too. Give >me a break. Does this also mean as adults we should not read books that >feature characters who hunt, eat meat or have pets? If that's the case, then >we should never read American classics like Huckleberry Finn because Huck >fishes during his trip down the river and kills a pig to fake his own death. >I'm a vegan and so is my two-year-old son. We love animals. We are for >animal rights, but I also understand when an author is using a literary >device to create a story. You'd be better off reading all kinds of books to >your children and discussing with them what you like and don't like about >them. I don't know, but the idea of banishing a book for any reason bothers >me. It smacks of the same closed-mindedness that some meat eaters have >toward vegetarians. >Julie >- ><Zebramoon9 > >Wednesday, February 20, 2002 3:41 PM > About Curious George... > > > > I agree Susan... > > > > I used to love Curious George as a meat-eating kid. As an adult vegan >with > > issues regarding zoos and animal captivity, I was so disappointed in > > rereading it with my 7 year-old daughter. I cannot support the story. It >is > > outdated and biased against animal rights. > > > > Don't forget about the part when the man in the yellow hat leaves George > > alone in his house and " curious " George calls the fire department by >mistake. > > As a result he gets thrown in a small jail cell with nothing but a wooden > > bunk as punishment. Nice, huh? > > > > Lisa > > > > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at ><http://www.vrg.org>http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful >for families go to ><http://www.vrg.org/family.>http://www.vrg.org/family. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2002 Report Share Posted February 25, 2002 Well said Julie! Elisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2002 Report Share Posted February 25, 2002 That was beautifully said, Julie! Karen > > Julie & Chris Boehning [jcboehning] > Sunday, February 24, 2002 1:54 PM > > Re: About Curious George... > > > This critique of Curious George books is killing me. You've > really got to be > kidding. Didn't you ever read anything as an adult that was > not completely > realistic? Yes, George is a monkey, lives with the man with > the yellow hat > and experiences all kinds of madcap adventures, but it's a > fantasy. If you > want to take an overly literary view of these stories you > could say that > George is really a little boy who does silly things like > getting lost in New > York City, but that the author portrayed him as a monkey > because kids would > be more intrigued by him. Afterall, children do like to look > at animals and > often give them human traits in their own play. I can't tell > you how many > times my son has pretended to be a lion or a dinosaur. Does > this mean I > should discourage this behavior? Does this mean I should > throw out all of my > kid's stuffed animals because they are sitting on shelves and > lying in his > bed? Or maybe I should build a jungle in his room so they can > lounge in more > realistic environment. I guess we should ban the Cat in the > Hat, too. Give > me a break. Does this also mean as adults we should not read > books that > feature characters who hunt, eat meat or have pets? If that's > the case, then > we should never read American classics like Huckleberry Finn > because Huck > fishes during his trip down the river and kills a pig to fake > his own death. > I'm a vegan and so is my two-year-old son. We love animals. We are for > animal rights, but I also understand when an author is using > a literary > device to create a story. You'd be better off reading all > kinds of books to > your children and discussing with them what you like and > don't like about > them. I don't know, but the idea of banishing a book for any > reason bothers > me. It smacks of the same closed-mindedness that some meat eaters have > toward vegetarians. > Julie > - > <Zebramoon9 > > Wednesday, February 20, 2002 3:41 PM > About Curious George... > > > > I agree Susan... > > > > I used to love Curious George as a meat-eating kid. As an > adult vegan > with > > issues regarding zoos and animal captivity, I was so disappointed in > > rereading it with my 7 year-old daughter. I cannot support > the story. It > is > > outdated and biased against animal rights. > > > > Don't forget about the part when the man in the yellow hat > leaves George > > alone in his house and " curious " George calls the fire department by > mistake. > > As a result he gets thrown in a small jail cell with > nothing but a wooden > > bunk as punishment. Nice, huh? > > > > Lisa > > > > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the > VRG website at > http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for > families go to > http://www.vrg.org/family. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2002 Report Share Posted February 26, 2002 I have to admit that it is easy to get over critical at times. Speaking for myself, I have been reevaluating my life, my views, my ideals, etc over the past several years (of which becoming a vegetarian was part of this reevaluation) and as such I have been looking at many things in a different way and trying to decide how they fit in my life. At times it has caused me to be over critical of things (such as curious george books). It is a fine line sometimes between being tolerant of different viewpoints and yet not supporting something which is in opposition to your values. I certainly do not support banning any books, however, I also think that as a parent I should make a consciuos decision to read or not read books to my very young child in order to help develope her ideals until she is old enough to choose for herself. , Heather Jill Coy <hjillcoy> wrote: > i wholeheartedly agree with you, julie! i'm vegan, too and my daughter and > i love to read curious george. if there were something i found > questionable about george's actions i'd simply discuss it with her. but > she's a kid and for her reading about a monkey is fun and that's about > it. i don't think she takes it to the same level. > > i think you can get too carried away and end up not wanting to watch or do > anything. that's not much fun. > > heather > > > > > At 01:53 PM 2/24/2002 -0500, you wrote: > >This critique of Curious George books is killing me. You've really got to be > >kidding. Didn't you ever read anything as an adult that was not completely > >realistic? Yes, George is a monkey, lives with the man with the yellow hat > >and experiences all kinds of madcap adventures, but it's a fantasy. If you > >want to take an overly literary view of these stories you could say that > >George is really a little boy who does silly things like getting lost in New > >York City, but that the author portrayed him as a monkey because kids would > >be more intrigued by him. Afterall, children do like to look at animals and > >often give them human traits in their own play. I can't tell you how many > >times my son has pretended to be a lion or a dinosaur. Does this mean I > >should discourage this behavior? Does this mean I should throw out all of my > >kid's stuffed animals because they are sitting on shelves and lying in his > >bed? Or maybe I should build a jungle in his room so they can lounge in more > >realistic environment. I guess we should ban the Cat in the Hat, too. Give > >me a break. Does this also mean as adults we should not read books that > >feature characters who hunt, eat meat or have pets? If that's the case, then > >we should never read American classics like Huckleberry Finn because Huck > >fishes during his trip down the river and kills a pig to fake his own death. > >I'm a vegan and so is my two-year-old son. We love animals. We are for > >animal rights, but I also understand when an author is using a literary > >device to create a story. You'd be better off reading all kinds of books to > >your children and discussing with them what you like and don't like about > >them. I don't know, but the idea of banishing a book for any reason bothers > >me. It smacks of the same closed-mindedness that some meat eaters have > >toward vegetarians. > >Julie > >- > ><Zebramoon9@c...> > > > >Wednesday, February 20, 2002 3:41 PM > > About Curious George... > > > > > > > I agree Susan... > > > > > > I used to love Curious George as a meat-eating kid. As an adult vegan > >with > > > issues regarding zoos and animal captivity, I was so disappointed in > > > rereading it with my 7 year-old daughter. I cannot support the story. It > >is > > > outdated and biased against animal rights. > > > > > > Don't forget about the part when the man in the yellow hat leaves George > > > alone in his house and " curious " George calls the fire department by > >mistake. > > > As a result he gets thrown in a small jail cell with nothing but a wooden > > > bunk as punishment. Nice, huh? > > > > > > Lisa > > > > > > > > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at > ><http://www.vrg.org>http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful > >for families go to > ><http://www.vrg.org/family.>http://www.vrg.org/family. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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