KEY POINTS:
Copies of Tintin in the Congo have been removed from the children's section in Borders' New Zealand bookstores because of allegations the book is racist.
The book has already received similar treatment in Britain and the United States.
Should Tintin be banished to "adults only" sections following racism claims? Here is a selection of the latest Your Views:
12-yr-old
I'm 12 years old, I found this book totally acceptable. This is an outrage! Should all the books written decades ago be taken off the shelves? Many books say the "n" word meaning "black person" and they aren't being taken off the shelves. So why would a book showing black skin be racist? It's the people who say its racist who are being racist. At least this is improving publicity and sales for Herge, because if I ruined sales, I'd sue! (Not in America though, family got sued by someone trying to rob their house for $10 million as he had to live of cat food, as he shut himself in accidentally and the family had no food there. The law system their is in the needing of better juries.
Mama Mia (Auckland)
Never heard such utter rubbish in my life before. Only a US outfit like Borders' can come up with such a load of nonsense that Tintin should be dangerous to kids. You know, I have no respect at all for Borders' US antics, which further list Maori dictionaries as being, would you believe it, foreign dictionaries, in New Zealand, that is. Out of sheer disgust I thus bought the same Maori dictionary at Whitcoulls, which duly listed it under New Zealand books. Borders' should get their acts right or get out of New Zealand altogether, because we do not need silly US regulations and antics forced upon us Kiwis. Instead it would make much more sense to ban stupid, racist John Wayne movies and similar US gunslinging trash movies, as well as right-wing fascist Fox News throughout Australasia.
Peter H
Noddy banned because of Golliwog? Tintin banned because of implied racism? Disney's first family movie starring live actors combined with animated characters (who can forget Brear Bear?) banned because of implied slavery? They were all products of their time and should be celebrated, not banned, as shining examples of how as people we all have moved on and become more tolerant of each other. Film companies in the US have finally realised that huge numbers of movies would never be preserved at all if they listened to the PC purists out there. Companies like Anchor Bay are now releasing these movies uncut but advising watchers before the movie plays that it is a product of a bygone time and should be watched with that in mind. Even some Disney cartoons starring Goofy and Donald Duck are considered very un-PC yet Disney have released them uncut but with a simple explanation preceding the feature. Fantastic! If a person thinks Tintin in the Congo is going to make him/her a racist simply by reading it then he/she is seriously in need of psychiatric help as should they see a lemming jump off the harbour bridge they'll follow it over going by that line of reasoning.
Sam
Of course it shouldn't be banned - it's a product of its time, and one that hopefully we shouldn't revisit. Plenty of historical books have unpleasant racial/sexual overtones, but that doesn't mean they should be banned. I do find it interesting that all the cries of "PC gone mad" seem to imply that it is some form of political censorship, yet Borders is a privately-owned company that can chose what it wants to sell. It is not reacting to governmental pressure, in fact the decision affects all Borders stores in the Pacific.
Phil Wright
And we wonder why we have lost the plot, minority wins again I guess.
Paul H
That's the spirit - burn the books! This has been done many times in the past by righteous people and we are far richer for it.
Another Tintin Fan (Whangarei)
Hmm... trying to find a neutral grey font so as not to upset the PC brigade. Being of Jamaican descent hasn't stopped me enjoying Herges' books either. Idiots.
Larry (New York)
It strikes me that most residents of the 'West', geographical or ideological, have been involved, invested and most importantly influenced by a patriarchal, white supremacist and capitalist world view. All of our institutions from the church to the state to the media that informs us, in some way echo all of these 'pillars' of western culture. It is not particularly shocking or interesting that those raised by this system don't find objection to yet another incarnation of the system's self serving world view.
Pete
Hands up anyone else who has actually read this, and is not basing their, "Ban it!" argument on one article and picture? Just curious.
Kiwibrew
The PC brigade hits again! Soon we won't have the All Blacks because that might upset some people! Stop telling me how to live!
Hyperborean
'Racism'? What is that, anyway, if not the belief that races are not the same. Evidently, they are not - and so the whole concept (as expounded by the left-wing media and its political controllers) is absurd 'double-think', as Orwell suggested. Though quite clearly, certain 'races' (if they exist, or I am allowed to say they exist) do not need comic books to advertise the fact that they are inferior - or superior - depending upon your viewpoint. (Again, if we're allowed to have an opinion that differs from the 'acceptable' norm.)
Brian
This comic book should be viewed from an interesting historic view of the world circa 1931 and how far we have come since then - not as racist propaganda. Where will this PC lunacy end? Next they will be sifting through classic literature and having book burnings - sound familiar?
Kim Hutcheson (Sydney)
It's not the first time such things have happened. Hot cross buns were banned from some schools in the UK for offending non-Christians. The proverb "Eeny meeny miney mo, catch an African-American by the toe" is now sung in American pre-schools. As Einstein said "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
Andy
No, I've never read this one. But putting it where adults should decide whether to buy, and how to explain it makes sense. The early Tintin books give a contemporary Belgian investigative journalist's look at historical issues - Soviet propaganda, American gangaters, Japan's invasion of China. Belgian colonialism bears looking at, too. And they are exciting and funny adventure stories for kids - I've enjoyed most of them!
Alee
I believe it should be put in the adult section at the very least or completely erased from book shops. We have enough racial issues as it is, the last thing we need is racial brain washing to our children through the likes of illustrated characters.
Stubbs (Papakura)
How ridiculous has this generation become. I remember this story from when I was a child and it never fazed us at all. Why can't people just leave things alone in this era. Just too much people taking offence about everything, learn to laugh at yourself every now and then. And yes, I am brown.
Paul (Central Auckland)
A storm in a teacup if there ever was one. Grow up people. Perhaps the screaming leftie who feels this is racist hasn't noticed how long ago these classic books were written, people were not so PC back then, and the books hasn't changed, has it?
Auckland
Would somebody please save these idiots from themselves. They are the ones who are furthering the idea of racism, not to mention assuming to think or parent for us. Those of us with children know that a child wouldn't naturally have that concept - and in order to develop it - it would need to be explained (ie introduced) to them. It's not parents or the Tintin comics that are doing that! Incidentally - have any of them turned on a television recently? Let's not try pretend that books or comics have more influence. We could only wish that were true.
Andrew Atkin
No they should not be banned. Even if some of the material can be interpreted as racist, it's dangerous to allow books to be banned on ultimately subjective grounds. It's the same as the hate-speech thing that Clark tried to introduce - it gives the state the power to regulate what we can and cannot view should they decide to label something as "racist" or "hateful" or whatever. Even if these Tintin books are a bit racist - how much harm do you think they can really do? It's much more important to maintain open communication standards, and not create legal doorways for state intrusion/regulation.
Trent
PC gone mad!
Cam from Tauranga
Look out the PC express is out of control again! For goodness sake, this book was first published in 1931, that's over 70 years ago. Let it go and accept it for what it is, a fictional comic book! No wonder New Zealand is going the way it is!
Susan
Words fail me! Has the world (western) gone crazy. Tintin has given countless children hours of pleasure, and I have never found anyone who has read these books to have any notions of "racism". The real racists are those who seek to condemn books, etc. such as these. I am sickened by the hatred these kind of people must harbour within themselves. Hooray for Whitcoulls.
MDC
It's political correctness gone mad. If parents have control over what their children read - and they should have - there isn't a promblem. The stories were written over 70 years ago and have little relevance in today's world. I'd be more concerned about a lot of other stuff that is out there these days.
Tintin fan
What a lot of PC rubbish. Hello! The Congo are full of people who have black skin. So what! Get over it. So are we going to change the Thompson and Thompson into intelligent police just in case the thin blue line get upset, and shall we stop Captain Haddock from having one too many drinks? This is all just too pathetic for me. Maybe I just might go and buy the book, hey! That's a good idea.
Tintin Fan
I have read this book, and my copy carried a note in the preface drawing the readers' attention to the time period this was written. It states that while aspects of the story would not be acceptable these days, they were acceptable at that time and that should be considered as the reader progressed through the story. I remember when Enid Blytons "Noddy" books were tarred with a similar brush not too long ago. Next will be the Goon Shows being banned as too extreme in the pursuit of the perfect sanitised, vanilla world. Wait until they get into the "classic" literature - they'll have a field day!
Mark (Auckland)
Tintin racist? You gotta be kidding me. It's good to see the PC clowns ruling our lives. First, Noddy wasn't allowed to live with Big Ears, Goolywog seems to be a racist name. Poor Tintin, he all around the world to help people. What about Tintin in China? Tintin in South America etc etc. Also, there is an episode of MASH and the surgeons are treating some patients for Yellow Fever, I think, and they use the term negro, will this episode be edited? Next thing you know they will be wanting to ban Asterix as provokes violence and Obelix is fat.. oops sorry, his chest slipped a bit. Now, I'm going to buy Tintin in the Congo and let my kids and their friends read it. Blue blistering barnacles.
Scott
I am a huge fan of Tintin and have all the books apart from Congo (a deliberate choice). It is basically a glorified animal shoot-em-up with expressions that would be considered racist today sprinkled throughout. The allegations of racism affected Herge greatly in his later years, and he openly expressed regret for the way Africans were depicted in this book, but made the point that he merely was reflecting the 'normal' views at that time. This is a very old book. But I do feel that Herge's caricatures are an integral and delightful part of the Tintin series, whether it be of any nationality, that is part of their magic. The same pouting red-lipped, wide-eyed African face can be found in many later books.
Harry L (Waitakere City)
I note that sales of this particular book have increased 4000 per cent in the UK following the media coverage. Which means it will now be seen by more children than it ever would have otherwise.
Chris (Wairoa)
I totally agree with the decision I would like to see crap like that banned full stop!
Maltz
They must be joking.
Eeyan
More political correctness. PC is blatant censorship. It is a manipulation of the freedom of thought and speech.
Andrew (Wellington)
What absolute nonsense. What's next, banning the yellow traffic light because it might offend Asians?
Fred
Huh?
Graham Hansen
I have read many of these so called racist, violent and homosexual children's stories. I must have been one very stupid child. I thought they were all just adventure stories. I did not realise they had hidden messages designed to alter my perception of life around me. I think some people have too much time on their hands and are far to sensitive for their own well being. Get over it and get a life.
