R.L. Stine accuses publisher of altering 'Goosebumps' books without permission
FOX Business host Kennedy joins 'America's Newsroom' to discuss author R.L. Stine's claims that references to weight, mental health and ethnicity were censored from 'Goosebumps' books without permission.
Amid controversy that he allegedly removed references to weight, mental health and ethnicity from his classic "Goosebumps" books, R.L. Stine pushed back by tweeting that any alterations were done without his permission.
"The stories aren't true. I've never changed a word in ‘Goosebumps.’ Any changes were never shown to me," he wrote Monday.
The edits made in the name of inclusivity included changing the description of an alien characterized as having "at least six chins" to being "at least six feet six" tall. Another alteration condensed the description of an African-American character formerly described his ethnicity by name and compared his walk to that of "rappers on MTV videos" to succinctly describe his "brown skin" instead.
The changes also came on the heels of edits to other popular books, including some by "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" author Roald Dahl and the man behind the "James Bond" series, Ian Fleming, but the changes to Stein's books were formerly thought to be self-imposed.
‘GOOSEBUMPS’ AUTHOR R.L. STINE REPORTEDLY SELF-EDITING BOOKS FOR ‘MORE INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE’
Jacob Lessard reads the book "Goosebumps" to a group of cats at the Animal Refuge League Wednesday, October 7, 2015. (Photo by Gabe Souza/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
FOX Business host Kennedy sat down with "America's Newsroom's" Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino to weigh in.
"These are works of art," she said of the books, asking, "What do you think about going into a museum in Holland with a file and just sawing down some of the brushstrokes on a Van Gogh [painting]…?
"It's the same thing… maybe every once in a while, people should be offended, they should be challenged, maybe they should read how people were described back when we used more descriptive words."
R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps rings the NASDAQ Opening Bell in celebration of Halloween and "Goosebumps" at NASDAQ on October 30, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Scholastic told Fox News Digital in a recent statement that the revisions were made in attempt to keep the language consistent with modern audiences, writing, "For more than 30 years, the Goosebumps series has brought millions of kids to reading through humor with just the right amount of scary. Scholastic takes its responsibility seriously to continue bringing this classic adolescent brand to each new generation.
"When re-issuing titles several years ago, Scholastic reviewed the text to keep the language current and avoid imagery that could negatively impact a young person’s view of themselves today, with a particular focus on mental health."
Kennedy said of the statement, also given to The New York Times, that "the path to hell is paved with good intentions."
I’VE READ ALL THE JAMES BOND BOOKS AND WRITE FOR A LIVING. CENSORING THEM IS JUST PLAIN WRONG
A person dressed as a pumpkin monster poses at the premiere of the film "Goosebumps," in Los Angeles, California October 4,... DANNY MOLOSHOK October 18, 2015 (Reuters)
"You're worried about someone's body image if they read a description of another person as a bowling ball? That might be entertaining," she said. "I'm much more worried about the ‘for you’ stuff that comes up on TikTok and Instagram, about the reels instructing young women how to develop eating disorders.
"That's much more destructive than trying to soften the language of an author who wrote something 20 years ago."
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Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.