British comedian-actor Ricky Gervais has taken aim at the perpetually aggrieved who are offended at some of the language used in Roald Dahl’s books and want to censor the celebrated children’s author.
Publisher Puffin has been under fire over changes to many of Dahl’s most famous classics to remove words such as “fat” with the issue prompting a fierce debate, as Breitbart News reported.
Plenty of people have been happy to challenge the publisher for caving in so quickly to a loud, woke minority.
Gervais joined them Friday when he took to social media to poke fun at the censorship as he described its supporters as “fragile” and “easily offended.”
The creator of The Office further questioned whether his stand-up shows would be changed after his death to remove words like “fat” and “ugly” as well as various ither profanities.
In an expletive-laden Twitter post, he wrote: “This is me pondering whether they’ll change any of the words I’ve used in my work after I’m dead, to spare those who are fragile and easily offended.
“Words like ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’. And ‘c***’ and ‘f**k’. And ‘fat, ugly, greedy, pathetic little stupid f**king c***’. Stuff like that.”
In a later tweet, he shared a selfie of himself in an unflattering pose as he quipped: “I’ve changed my mind. I think we should ban the words ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’. No reason.”
This is not the first time Gervais has stepped up in the name of freedom of speech.
In 2019 he said his award-winning mockumentary series, The Office, would likely not have been able to have been made today as “outrage mobs” would take things out of context and shut it down.
He pointed out freedom of speech is a liberty that applies to everyone regardless of their viewpoint.
Gervais is not alone in pushing back against woke moralists.
Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom spoke out Friday at the launch of her new charity imploring authors to resist censorship to roar “like a pride of lions.”
Speaking at Clarence House, a royal palace in London, Camilla said: “… thank you, on behalf of book lovers and book clubs everywhere, for sharing your talents with us and for everything you do to promote literacy and a love of literature.
“Please keep doing so and please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination. Enough said!”