One of the latest immortal icons to get the attention of the cancel culture crowd is Theodor Seuss Geisel, much better known as Dr. Seuss.

The beloved author whose children’s books have sold hundreds of millions of copies has come under fire for his racist and ethnic depictions in a half-dozen of his early books.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the company which publishes his books, announced on March 2, also known as Dr. Seuss Day and National Read Across America Day, that it was ending publication of the books that are no longer socially acceptable.

Three of them are among some of the most popular of Seuss’ bountiful portfolio - “If I Ran a Zoo,” “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “McElligot’s Pool.”

In its announcement, the company, a division of Random House, said, “These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

This decision has touched off a nationwide outcry, primarily that this move to sanitize history is going too far.

Even municipal governments are weighing in on the controversy, which in itself has triggered backlash from residents who argue that they should be concentrating on more important issues, such as taxes and improving the lot of residents.

Jim Thorpe Borough Council voted earlier this month to recommend that the six books remain on the shelves of the Dimmick Memorial Library. Councilman Jay Miller voted against the motion, saying if anyone is offended by a Dr. Seuss book, don’t read it. I agree with Miller’s view that council was not elected “to deal with this type of stuff.”

There is confusion as to whether the books are banned - they are not. The publisher is removing them from further publication. What action local libraries take is up to them. Dimmick library director Kara Edmunds confirmed that the library board will decide a course of action.

According to The Associated Press, books by Dr. Seuss brought in an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago. Geisel is second on the list of highest paid dead celebrities, only behind singer Michael Jackson.

The Dr. Seuss controversy is among dozens as the sports and business worlds reexamine how they use various images and their implications. Much of it was inspired by the killing last May of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the protests that it provoked.

As critics scoured his past works, they found that prior to writing children’s books, Geisel had drawn racist ads and political cartoons that depicted blacks as savages in grass skirts, Asians with slits for eyes and turban-wearing Middle-Easterners.

Almost immediately after the announcement, eBay noted an incredible run-up in prices for the six discontinued titles, with some of the books that were previously being sold for less than $10 now fetching close to $900.

“Cancel culture” is a relatively new term which refers to the practice of reassessing support for public figures and companies after they have said or done something considered offensive. It also involves reviewing practices and policies and even rebranding products which by today’s standards have become offensive or unacceptable.

Those of us of, shall we say, the mature generation know only too well that there were things we did, said or believed years ago that would not fly today.

Once beloved products, such as Aunt Jemima pancake syrup, Uncle Ben’s Rice, Eskimo Pie and Land O’Lakes have all undergone name or concept changes, and others are under consideration.

Some have said that what is going on today is beyond ridiculous and needs to stop. It’s part of history, which shouldn’t be scrubbed but which should be considered as a learning opportunity.

Others insist that the movement has not gone far enough and needs to be sustained to get the country and our citizens to confront racial and ethnic intolerance.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.