Greg James has issued an apology after he and Chris Smith made an “ableist” comment about Mrs Twit’s glass eye in a promotional video for their new Roald Dahl spin-off book.
The pair have written The Twits Next Door as part of a new book series commissioned by the Roald Dahl Story Company inspired by the late author’s original works.
Radio 1 DJ James and ex-BBC newsreader Smith also co-write the Kid Normal book series.
In a now-deleted promotional video shared by Puffin Books on Twitter/X, the duo suggest ways of making The Twits more disgusting. Illustrator Emily Jones suggests a glass eye, to which Smith replies: “That’s it. What a disgusting pair of Twits!”
What is there to apologise for?
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIBP) was among those to criticise the video, responding on X: “When there’s positive representation of disabilities in children’s books, children with disabilities feel seen and heard, and their friends and classmates treat everyone the same. There is nothing at all revolting about prosthetic eyes, we think they’re brilliant.”
It was a joke. Grow up and get over yourself, you humourless twats. Jeebus.
Hush. Nobody tell ’em about The Two Ronnies (both male, therefore no diversity), or Dad’s Army (ageist) or Doc Martin (he presumably counts as “neurodiverse” rather than “curmudgeonly” nowadays) or …
Fortunately they are so lacking in humour they probably won’t ever see any of those without being prompted.
Illustrator Emily Jones shouldn’t have suggested a glass eye.
She should have suggested making one of them Trans.
That would have really set the cat among the pigeons. and probably got a whole load of people onside…
If you find a Victorian book of fairy tales you will find it contains tales which are far more bloodthirsty than today’s versions. Similarly there is little blood shown on today’s television series.
You could make an argument that the people who campaign to shield us from reality have done us no good at all.
I’m slightly conflicted. Any kid who has a glass eye has enough on his plate without other kids telling him it’s disgusting as well. The problem is that you can’t protect them from every single problem of this kind and get everyone to tiptoe around every potential insult twenty four seven it’s just impossible. I also don’t think that is healthy to have such a sheltered existence that kids grow up unable to cope with the real world. Elsewhere I came across a discussion, I’ll see if I can find it, about kids arriving at university unable to take constructive criticism without having a meltdown.