Editing Lyrics (Was: Re: Editing literature to conform to current custom)

[harpdreamer]

 --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at c...> wrote:
> 
(Snip)
 
> OK, a very quick aside before I take on some inflammatory issues 
> quite directly.
> 
> I was thinking more about this view that an author's words 
shouldn't 
> be touched no matter what, that they are owed tremendous deference, 
> etc.  I was wondering whether the people who feel that way have the 
> same view of other forms of art.  Two that come to mind for 
> discussion are music lyrics and movies.
> 
> (Snip) 
 
> Similarly, there is a state in the South in the U.S. (Virginia?) 
> that has a state song that does or did have the word "darkies" in 
> the original version.  Would it be wrong to change that lyric on 
the 
> ground that it is offensive to some citizens of the state?  Or 
> should the state retain the racist language on the ground that that 
> is what the original lyricist wrote?

The state is Kentucky (my home state), and the song is "My Old 
Kentucky Home", written by Stephen Foster.  The lyrics *were* changed 
(I'm not sure of the year) to "the young folks". Many people who sing 
the song (usually at UK football games and The Kentucky Derby) 
probably aren't aware of the original words--they don't appear in any 
modern songbooks.  Strangely enough, the enslaved African-Americans 
took the song for their own--it was one of the favourites on 
plantations in Kentucky (we're talking about Central Kentucky--around 
Lexington), as well as in other places.  

Virginia *dropped* their state song ("Carry Me Back to Old Virginny") 
on the grounds that it was too racist.  They *still* have no state 
song to replace it.    
> 
> Lastly, movies in the U.S. are routinely edited for broadcast 
> television in the U.S. to delete offensive language and sexual 
> scenes.  I have heard this is not done quite so much in Europe, but 
> this is required in the U.S.  So does this sort of editing rape the 
> vision of the director and screenwriter, or is it OK?  How is it 
> different from deleting the N-word from Kipling?  

I see red when an "offensive" word is bleeped out of movies.  Sadly, 
even PBS has begun doing this.  I think the difference could be that 
racial slurs are not acceptable any more (unless you live in South 
Carolina...) by the population at large, whereas offensive language 
and sex scenes are acceptable to at least some of the population.  
Don't really know, it's just a guess.

(Snip discussion of the N-word)


>Peace & Plenty, 

Parker  

> Cindy