(Jewish Group) What to Know About Children's Author Roald Dahl's Controversial Legacy

[Behind the Aegis]

To many, Roald Dahl is the genius behind some of the world’s most beloved children’s books, including Matilda, James and the Giant Peach and The BFG. But since his death in 1990, a dark side of the author’s personal life has raised questions about his life’s work and legacy.

Dahl’s collection of fantastical children’s stories have brought joy to millions of readers for decades, and continue to inspire new adaptations and reboots. In January, Warner Bros. announced that it had set a release date of March 17, 2023 for Wonka, a movie prequel to Dahl’s 1964 book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that will center on “a young Willy Wonka and his adventures prior to opening the world’s most famous chocolate factory.”

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Despite Dahl publicly admitting he was anti-Semitic in an interview shortly before his death at age 74, in addition to a number of reports of his alleged misogyny and racism, for a long time it seemed that the immense popularity of his books, and their accompanying adaptations, overshadowed concerns regarding his reputed prejudices.

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Later that same year, he doubled down on his statements in an interview with the British magazine New Statesman. “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity, maybe it’s a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews,” he said. “I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.”

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[AZSkiffyGeek]

1. Watching the Witches remake and comparing it to the original

I never noticed the blatant anti-semitism in the original. The remake does work to tone it down quite a bit, but hook-nosed, children-eating outsiders who control all the world's money? OUCH!

[Behind the Aegis]

2. It is amazing how ingrained anti-Semitism really is.

Not that long ago, here at DU, someone posted a cartoon that so many people loved as it skewered the former administration. However, when I saw it, I was a bit taken aback because all of the Jews were drawn with big noses. There was one non-Jew who had a huge schnoze, but in real life, his nose is Karl Malden big. That type of anti-Semitism flies over the heads of most and I would almost guarantee the artist didn't even think about it!