Christmas comes tomorrow, and with it much talk of one of the most famous babies of all time. The FBO, however, is concerned with a disturbing trend in 'baby books' of dropping any article or modifier for reference to a -- emphasis 'a' -- baby. Examples include:
* 'caring for baby'
* 'adjusting to life with baby'
* 'dressing up baby'
This is wrong and offensive. And tragically yet more ammunition for the small-scale anti-baby movement out there. What's wrong with saying 'your baby,' 'my baby,' 'our baby,' even 'the baby' on occasion?
Do we ask 'you have sister in Cleveland, don't you?' or 'you have a sister in Cleveland, verdad?'
Why should it be any different for a baby?
In dropping the modifier, such baby books as Humble Bumble's Baby Journal: A Keepsake Journal for Baby's First Three Years are openly mocking foreigners who speak English as a second or third language -- and not used to modifiers as 'the' or 'a.'
Meanwhile, some book titles use a modifier on the covers -- eg The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know about Your Baby from Birth to Age Two -- then sneakily drop the modifier with all references in the text. This is even worse.
The FBO asks these baby-book publishers to apologize and make edits, and reminds us -- everyone --to modify all babies as yours, or theirs etc.
FBO Admin
Mobile/Semi-Permanent HQ -- Brooklyn, NY
1 comment:
Thanks for your article, FBO. This has been problem for long time.
Post a Comment