The following is a transcript of Todd’s daily commentary. Click here to sign up for an AD-FREE version of Todd’s daily columns.
Hello Americans, I’m Todd Starnes. Stand by for news and commentary next.
The publisher of “Gone With the Wind” has added a trigger warning to it’s latest edition of Margaret Mitchell’s beloved novel.
Pan Macmillan says the Civil War novel romanticizes the Old South and is basically racist and stereotypical.
“The text of this book remains true to the original in every way and is reflective of the language and period in which it was originally written. We want to alert readers that there may be hurtful or indeed harmful phrases and terminology that were prevalent at the time this novel was written and which are true to the context of the historical setting of this novel. Pan Macmillan believes changing the text to reflect today’s world would undermine the authenticity of the original, so has chosen to leave the text in its entirety.”
Well, if the book is that offensive, why publish it at all? Would it not also be triggering for a publisher to make money on the sales of a novel they consider to be racist?
I wrote about the attacks on “Gone With the Wind” extensively in my book, “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.” There are efforts afoot to erase anything book, painting or film that offends the Left. Click here to read my book.
As I wrote in “Culture Jihad,” the film adaptation has come under fire in recent years. HBO Max pulled “Gone With the Wind” from its streaming service after the death of George Floyd.
A spokesperson for HBO added that “Gone With the Wind” is a “product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society. These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible.”
And a number of theaters refused to broadcast the movie – even though it set a record for Academy Award nominations and wins. 13 in all and eight – including Best Picture.
Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Oscar – thanks to her portrayal of the character Mammy.
A moment in cinematic history that should be celebrated — not erased.
But this is modern day woke America — where common sense is gone with the wind.