Comments on: I Don’t Want to Blow You Up

By: MaryContrary

MaryContrary — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:42:49 +0000

This is completely insane. I wonder at the mentality that even devised this. Imagine walking up to a child with a bandana over your face and saying, “Hi! I don’t want to blow you up.” If it were my kid and I were standing there, we’d be gone…away from you…quickly. I’d call the cops. If my husband were there as well he’d stay behind to be sure you didn’t follow. Probably by rendering you unconscious. For goodness sake! Forget Muslim, terrorists, racism and all that stuff and look at this objectively for half a second! How will a child respond to this?! What are you thinking?

By: louiecypher

louiecypher — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:51:05 +0000

The de facto in the U.S. is rarely a tolerant, stereotype-free society. name one society that is?

France & Cuba. Johnny Depp and Sean Penn are never wrong

By: DR1001

DR1001 — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:00:08 +0000

but it seems the racial divides and emphasis on race is more obvious in the US

By: melbourne desi

melbourne desi — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:51:19 +0000

The de facto in the U.S. is rarely a tolerant, stereotype-free society.

name one society that is? The US is no more or no less tolerant that other societies. The target of intolerance is rather close to one's heart and hence the angst. Otherwise it is pretty much standard behaviour around the world.

By: AR

AR — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:33:14 +0000

I agree with #6, this book can make good satire, but I hope it stays as far away from our kids as possible.

the same could be said about Fox News/CNN

By: TigerYogiji

TigerYogiji — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:37:44 +0000

Is this an early April Fool’s Day joke?

By: Camille

Camille — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:57:59 +0000

agreed. Most children are open-minded enough to not hold stereotypes unless their attention is drawn to them or they are taught them (by parents and the like). In the latter case, I bet no one's going to be buying them these books.

Totally disagree. Kids are like sponges -- they absorb what's around them unless someone is intervening in some way. The de facto in the U.S. is rarely a tolerant, stereotype-free society.

By: Blue

Blue — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:17:18 +0000

To me it sounds like a satirical book suited for adults, then a coloring book for children.

Like Strong Bad's "diversity" book? ^__^

By: Randomizer

Randomizer — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:16:01 +0000

P.S. There's a broken link .. the second link in the article (...fair amount of attention good and bad) points to an NYT gif image, which seems to def be a mistake.

By: Randomizer

Randomizer — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:58:51 +0000

I’m quite shocked…. What was the need for such a disturbing title and the repeated references to being blown up on every page, on a book aimed at children? They could have gone for a title like ‘Meet your neighbors’ or something that would have accomplished whatever they wanted to accomplish without equating those people on the cover to people that might blow you up. And no, adding a ‘Don’t’ in the title far from hides the association.

Why stop with this book… let’s have a series of books, featuring african-americans, latinos, jews, desis and let’s have titles with the worst stereotypes associated with them with a convenient negation like ‘Not’ or ‘Don’t’ before them, repeated on every page. I agree with #6, this book can make good satire, but I hope it stays as far away from our kids as possible.