Monday, November 28, 2005

The Goodnight Moon debate

Have you heard about it? There's a debate about Harper Collin's decision to edit a former photo of Clement Hurd, the illustrator of Goodnight Moon. He is shown in the original photo with a cigarette in his hand. They want to remove the cigarette from the photo.
Personally I think it's rediculous to edit the photo of Clement Hurd, removing the cigarette from his hand. Sometimes people just go to far. I seriously doubt that one small photo of Hurd with a cigarette in his hand will make children yearn to smoke, or give them the message that it's a desirable thing. I can hear it now..when a teen is caught years later smoking a cigarette...
"Mom..it's all your fault. Ever since you read Good Night Moon to me years ago, I've been waiting to get my hands on a cigarette. "
I don't smoke, and I would advise anyone not to smoke, but I think they went too far in this case. I'd bet anything it was a boardroom decision by a 'legal expert'. I'd even venture to say that the art directors and folks working there are rolling their eyes behind the scenes. There are probably all sorts of funny comics pinned up on bulletin boards and at the coffee pot areas concerning editing photos and the whole situation.
Here's a website where you can vote on whether Harper Collins should edit the photo or not.

1 comment:

purple_kangaroo said...

That's ridiculous. The photo looks really wierd with his hand out holding something, and nothing in it. I think editing the photo is taking things too far.