Moomin character removed from Brooklyn library exhibition after racism concern
A Moomin scholar finds the move “absurd”, arguing that the character Stinky is far from racist and the decision likely reflects a lack of familiarity with the Moomin stories.
Yle News 1.8. 16:34 A Moomin character has been dropped from a major exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library in New York after one of the institution’s supporters raised concerns that the character might be perceived as racist.
“One of their supporters had thought Stinky could be seen as a racist symbol,” said Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Moomin Characters, the company that manages the rights to Tove Jansson’s beloved Moomin universe.
The exhibition, which has drawn a young audience over the summer, features illustrations of Moominvalley characters and details about Jansson’s life and work. But Stinky — known in Finnish as Haisuli — was removed from some of the large mural-style displays in the library, although he still appears in the original books on show.
Kråkström told Yle he was informed of the decision via a short email from the library and responded with understanding.
“We replied in a few lines and said it’s fine. We see this as a healthy societal discussion. If such a change is requested, we have no objection,” he said.
He noted this is the first time in 80 years that the character has drawn such criticism.
“Tove Jansson is widely seen as a champion of tolerance, radical acceptance, and inclusivity. But I greatly respect the American sensitivity around these types of conversations,” he said.
The decision was first reported by Finland’s Swedish-language Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper.
It’s not that surprising. America doesn’t have a cultural history with Moomin. It blew my mind to find out how popular the IP is in the rest of the world.
It’s a shame though because I would have loved Moomin and Asterix the Gaul growing up in Texas.
The “Moomin Boom” only really began in the 90’s although the original characters are from like the 1930’s and the author died in 2001.
So only later in her life was it really more commercialised. The original art being rather political. She drew lots criticising Hitler and Stalin among others.
There’s also comic strips of the Moomins doing drugs etc.
But I didn’t know any of that until later in my life. I still reaaaally vividly remember how epic it was when my dad took me to see “Muumipeikko ja pyrstötähti” — “Comet in Moominland”, although that’s a poor translation imo, the direct being “Moomintroll and the tailed star” where “Moomintroll” is not just a description but the main character, who is named Muumipeikko. So like a Finnish person named Finn, essentially. And “tailed star” is just what comets are called in Finnish “pyrstö” = tail (but like that of a fish, not a cat’s tail, not a mammalian whisky tail) and “tähti” = star.
I was very much into moomins as a kid and the themepark is kinda nearby, just 30km from where we lived. Later in life dad actually drove a sort of road-train for them (which takes customers from the parkin lot to the park or the hotel).
But as a kid apparently I got insanely scared in some part of the theme park and just like ran out of a maze, but actually went below a fence, where a kid could fit. And my god mother who was supposed to take me through it came out looking rather scared when I was already standing with my mom. She looked kinda elated when she saw me. Or I may be imagining that I remember that idk, mom having told me the story so many times.
You guys didn’t have Asterix and Obelix either? Oh man.