Posted on 07/15/2007 3:09:19 AM PDT by VU4G10
LONDON (AFP) - Sales of a Tintin comic book have rocketed since Britain's Commission for Racial Equality claimed it was racist, a newspaper reported Saturday.
Sales of "Tintin in the Congo" have shot up by 3,800 percent after the CRE watchdog claimed it contained potentially highly offensive material, said The Daily Telegraph.
The comic has reached number eight on Internet retailer Amazon's most popular books list, the broadsheet reported.
A CRE spokesman accepted that its interjection could have sparked the rise in sales.
"It is a delicate balance but because we had a complaint from a member of the public we felt we had no choice," he said, according to the newspaper.
Borders, a British chain of bookstores, said Wednesday it had yanked copies of "Tintin in the Congo" from its children's sections following the CRE saying that it "beggared belief" that they should sell the comic.
"This book contains imagery and words of hideous racial prejudice, where the 'savage natives' look like monkeys and talk like imbeciles," a CRE spokeswoman had said.
"How and why do Borders think that it's okay to peddle such racist material?"
The CRE said it was contacted by a Borders customer last month who saw the book on sale in London.
"Tintin in the Congo", which first appeared in Belgian newspaper Le Vingtieme Siecle as a comic strip in 1930-1931, is part of the series "The Adventures of Tintin" by the Belgian author and illustrator Herge.
But its tale of boy reporter Tintin's trip with his dog Snowy to what was then the Belgian Congo is seen as controversial by some because of its depiction of colonialism and racism, as well as casual violence towards animals.
Herge later said the book was merely a reflection of the naive views of the time. Some of the scenes were revised for later editions.
Gotta love liberals, a little part of history you don’t like?
No problem, just rewrite it!
One complaint by some idiot and they have to dance on the head of a pin. Now, let's say I went in and complained that Marx was racist and advocated genocide of the small nations of Europe. Would the book store pull the works of Karl Marx? Don't think so.
They only do such things, that go along with their ideology. Saying TinTin is racist is plausible to the multi-culti bookstore, but Marx advocating genocide, even though Marx's followers carried out genocides just doesn't meet their smell test.
Such are the pretzels you must twist yourself into, once you go down the path of political correctness. Just laugh at them.
Tintin and Snowy battle the demimondes of the Quartier St Roch! Tintin discovers Captain Haddock's "little black book" and sneaks off one night to investigate the forces of darkness. All new adventures and hyjinx with the gang ensue!
"Pickled herrings! Where's my blackbook?!?"
The tyranny of the minority strikes again.
It was fun to talk about it yesterday. Probably will be again today.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1865845/posts
I think I’ll contact Borders and tell them that, as a Christian, I’m deeply offended by the Koran’s insulting and degrading reference to me as an infidel, and that therefore I demand they remove this offensive material from all of their stores immediately!
...how far do you think that one will fly???
I hope he writes his thesis on how to use a libwatch group to make money. :o)
A tip. Anything you can find at Amazon (books, music) can be found at half.com if you want to buy it cheaper from a private party. You get to pick the condition of the book/music and even the price, by catergory. Hope it helps you.
Love it.
Tin-tin in the Congo has risen to #6 on amazon.co.uk since you posted
Thanks, I went there and ended up ordering an audio book!
FReepers HElping FReepers is what it's about.
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