Reading ‘Green Eggs & Ham’ as an LGBT Narrative to Piss off Dr. Seuss

The truth is, no matter how much you love his books, Dr. Seuss had a misguided approach to teaching life lessons about tolerance, individuality, and standing up for what you believe in. Many of the most beloved Dr. Seuss stories, that have been read to generations of children, are actually peppered with problematic subtext:

The Sneetches was originally anti-Semitic until Random House republished it in 1961, and still the rewrite clearly promotes conformity as a solution to oppression. Even the fun-loving Cat in the Hat is based on minstrelsy blackface performances, in which Dr. Seuss actively participated. Tons of Dr Seuss illustrations, especially the ones in If I Ran the Zoo perpetuate offensive stereotypes, from Chinese characters with bright yellow skin, to African characters wearing grass skirts, and Arab characters riding camels. Nevertheless, because Dr. Seuss and his books were a product of their time, and because publishers have already edited out as much text and illustrations as possible while still preserving the integrity of his work, children today continue to read these books. That is why it’s so important to reclaim the narrative, to read Dr. Seuss books in such a way that their lessons are no longer just a product of Dr. Seuss’ time.