Confusion

[molly_elizabeth]

Okay, still confused about something in the "Horton Hears A Who" movie. I've heard that some people use the line "A person's a person no matter how small" to claim that Dr. Seuss was against abortion. And though it's Horton who says that, I wonder if the kangaroo lady was meant to poke gentle fun at the fundies. She was described as being one of those self-appointed arbiter of proper behavior or some such, and though she didn't believe Horton and kept saying "if you can't see it or hear it, it doesn't exist," her character was basically that of a fundie. Because by golly, you're wrong and she's right and woe betide anyone who disagrees with her!

So I'm not sure if they were trying to say something, and if they were, no idea what it was they were trying to say. Or I could be reading things between the lines, things that aren't there. Hence the confusion.

Comments

[kengr]

I've heard that some people use the line "A person's a person no matter how small" to claim that Dr. Seuss was against abortion.

That's reaching.

Asimov told of the literature class he once took where they covered one of his books. In a discussion, Asimov disagreed with the professor's analysis of what he had been trying to say and why.

He gave his viewpoint and ended with "I should know, I'm the author."

The professor came right back with "What makes you think that you know anything about it just because you wrote it?"
(both quotes are approximate).

[molly-in-fay.livejournal.com]

For them or for me?

[molly-in-fay.livejournal.com]

"I should know, I'm the author."

LOL! Amen!

The professor came right back with "What makes you think that you know anything about it just because you wrote it?"

o_O?

[kengr]

If this puzzles you, you haven't had enough exposure to academics. Especially literature department types.

[molly-in-fay.livejournal.com]

Wait, so he was SERIOUS? o_O

[kengr]

The professor? Yep!

[molly-in-fay.livejournal.com]

What an idiot!

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

I meant the professor is an idiot, in case that wasn't clear.

[kengr]

Not necessarily. Arrogant, yes. Stupid, no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction

That's but one of the ways in which he could be more or less correct (I'm inclined towards less, but I'm not an academic)

[tbuitenh.livejournal.com]

"if you can't see it or hear it, it doesn't exist"

That sounds more like the atheist type of fundie.

[molly-in-fay.livejournal.com]

Aye. Maybe it was poking fun at fundies of all kinds?

[acrolinz.livejournal.com]

According to wikipedia:
The book (most notably Horton the Elephant's recurring phrase "a person's a person, no matter how small") has found its way to the center of the recurring debate, in the United States, over abortion. Several pro-life groups have adopted the phrase in support of their views. Geisel himself did not approve of these groups co-opting the phrase, nor does his widow, Audrey Geisel, who "doesn't like people to hijack Dr. Seuss characters or material to front their own points of view." [5] According to Geisel biographer Philip Nel, Geisel threatened to sue a pro-life group for using his words on their stationery.

[molly-in-fay.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear they opposed that nonsense.