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Jilly_in_VA

(10,890 posts)
Tue Aug 8, 2023, 03:47 PM Aug 2023

Florida schools plan to use only excerpts from Shakespeare to avoid 'raunchiness'

Teachers in a Florida county are preparing to use only excerpts of works by William Shakespeare, rather than whole plays, as part of an attempt to conform to hardline rightwing legislation on teaching about sex .

“There’s some raunchiness in Shakespeare,” Joseph Cool, a reading teacher at Gaither high school in Hillsborough county, told the Tampa Bay Times. “Because that’s what sold tickets during his time.”

But, the newspaper said: “In staying with excerpts, the schools can teach about Shakespeare while avoiding anything racy or sexual.”

The legislation at issue is the Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly known as the “don’t say gay” law for its clampdown on teaching about LGBTQ+ and gender issues.

The act was signed in March 2022 by Ron DeSantis, the hard-right Republican governor who is now running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and expanded in April this year.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/08/florida-schools-shakespeare-sexual-material

So fucking stupid I don't know what to say....

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Florida schools plan to use only excerpts from Shakespeare to avoid 'raunchiness' (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA Aug 2023 OP
Get thee to a nunnery! dchill Aug 2023 #1
Next they will clothe nude statues and drape paintings of nudes in museums. Not sarcasm. nature-lover Aug 2023 #2
attaching the drapes with rusty roofing nails. n/t royable Aug 2023 #3
They did that 20 years ago. Remember John Ashcroft? iscooterliberally Aug 2023 #6
Thanks for the link! I didn't know about this. nature-lover Aug 2023 #7
It's hard to believe that this was over 20 years ago. iscooterliberally Aug 2023 #8
Been there, done that. carpetbagger Aug 2023 #9
Don't worry. Once the kids find out ... perfessor Aug 2023 #4
No worry, they will go online to get a compilation of the risque lines. John1956PA Aug 2023 #5

iscooterliberally

(3,010 posts)
8. It's hard to believe that this was over 20 years ago.
Wed Aug 9, 2023, 09:11 AM
Aug 2023

I remembered how absurd it was at the time. Anyway, you're welcome!

carpetbagger

(4,782 posts)
9. Been there, done that.
Thu Aug 10, 2023, 10:28 PM
Aug 2023

Earlier this year a charter school principal in Tallahassee got fired after the email to parents announcing that art history would show Michelangelo's David didn't go out in time.

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/27/1166079167/tallahassee-classical-michelangelo-david-principal-fired

perfessor

(288 posts)
4. Don't worry. Once the kids find out ...
Tue Aug 8, 2023, 04:11 PM
Aug 2023

… that the raunchy parts have been scrubbed, they’ll head to the library to check out the originals.

Oh wait …

John1956PA

(3,374 posts)
5. No worry, they will go online to get a compilation of the risque lines.
Tue Aug 8, 2023, 04:19 PM
Aug 2023

In ninth grade, our literature class studied Romeo and Juliet from a textbook having all the sexual references deleted.

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