Roald Dahl books rewritten: It's not 'woke' to think bullying isn't funny anymore

The past is a different planet, and the recent ‘censorship’ of Roald Dahl’s work, where the physical and mental characteristics of certain figures has been removed, exemplifies this.

Dahl’s books were some of the first I ever read. I was a socially awkward, overweight kid who had no interest in football, and copped my fair share of abuse at school. Dahl set off a life-long love affair with reading and I very much doubt I would be a journalist without his work.

It’s natural for people to have a knee-jerk reaction when their nostalgia is threatened, and I was no exception. I was annoyed they – whoever the shadowy ‘they’ is this time – were going to change works I love so much.

Thankfully, as journalists, we’re taught to guard against knee-jerk reactions, unless you aspire to hosting a talk radio show. Such reactions are rarely correct – gut feelings don’t understand context.

Undated handout file photo of author Roald Dahl. The latest editions of Mr Dahl's children's books have been edited to remove language which could be deemed offensive. References within the classic children's books relating to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race have been cut and rewritten, the Daily Telegraph reported. Issue date: Saturday February 18, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story ARTS Dahl. Photo credit should read: PA/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The context here is the humour of Dahl’s generation was bullying, and that joke just isn’t funny anymore. How would a child discern between making fun of fictional characters for being ‘fat’, ‘ugly’ or ‘crazy’, and making fun of real people? It undoubtedly spills out into the schoolyard, and unfortunately sometimes into adulthood.

Some people want the world to be uniform. Some people want us to all look the same, dress the same, talk the same, and will at best mock – and at worst victimise – anyone who is different. That’s the humour on which much of British culture was based in the 20th century.

The sitcoms of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s weren’t funny because they were racist, homophobic and nearly always misogynistic. These topics aren’t now taboo – lots of modern entertainment deals with race, sexuality and feminism – it’s that we no longer believe in punching down.

Much of the humour of the past was making fun of people for being different. Today we make fun of people for being the same. I much prefer it this way.

It's not 'woke' to think bullying isn't funny anymore. It takes guts to be different, and cowardice to pick on others for doing so.

I think the weird kid who was picked on for reading Roald Dahl would agree.