The original product is changed for the benefit of those who, for one reason or another, are not mature enough to handle it, but as long as it doesn’t affect the original, is there a problem?
Well, the point is that it does affect the original. Something else from Wittgenstein: "One age misunderstands another; and a petty age misunderstands all others in its own nasty way."
This is Bowdlerization, pure and simple.
ReplyDeleteThe original is almost always better, warts and all. Because even if it makes us cringe at times, it reflects its own time, and thus can teach us about history and culture.