PROSPECT HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY removed the “Moomin” cartoon character Stinky from the youth wing of its summer exhibition, “Tove Jansson and the Moomins: The Door is Always Open,” Yle News reported. After a supporter flagged potential racism, the single image of Stinky was removed to avoid being potentially misconstrued by young fans. The exhibition, which is on view until Sept. 30, retains Stinky in other areas, and the character remains in books which can be checked out from the library.
Moomin Characters CEO Roleff Kråkström called it a “healthy societal discussion,” while Moomin scholar Sirke Happonen deemed it “absurd,” arguing the decision “likely reflects a lack of familiarity with the Moomin stories.”
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