Theodor "Ted" Owens defended the reputation of his great-uncle Theodor Geisel amid criticism that a museum mural based on a 1937 Dr. Seuss book contained a "jarring racial stereotype."
Owens, 61, who was close with Geisel until the author's death in 1991, said that complaints over an illustration of a Chinese man with chopsticks is "a lot of hot air over nothing."
"In 1937, China was as far from the U.S. as you could get. It was not culturally connected. It was an exotic distant land. What he did was shorthand," Owens said in an interview from his New Mexico home. "Would drawing someone from Holland wearing wooden shoes now be offensive? I don't know."
Owens disagrees with Dr. Seuss Enterprises' decision to soon remove the "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street" mural from The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield after criticism from three children's authors.
"Taking down the whole mural to me seems extreme," Owens said. "I think it's a lot of hot air over nothing -- and that comes from someone who knew him for years."
He added, "What was (Geisel's) intent? It was not to be racist about people from a different land. His books are about being inclusive."
Owens recalled a 1978 visit to Geisel's home where the author discussed his decision to change the phrase "Chinaman" to "Chinese man" and remove the yellow color from the character's skin tone in subsequent editions of his 1937 book. (The museum mural reflects his revisions.)
"It was the first time he had changed one of his books. 'Chinaman' was acceptable in 1937, but by 1978 that was not the case," Owens said. "Art and humanity are always evolving."
He added, "1937 was a long time ago, and Ted Geisel is not here to defend himself."
Owens, who was named after Geisel and had the classic book "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" dedicated to him, called the criticism of his great-uncle a "big uproar about nothing."
The artwork was described as "deeply hurtful" by authors Mo Willems, Mike Curato and Lisa Yee in an Oct. 5 letter to the Springfield Museums.
The decision by Dr. Seuss Enterprises to remove the mural has sparked an uproar, with Mayor Domenic J. Sarno calling for the mural to remain in place.
On Saturday afternoon, restaurateur and real estate developer Andy Yee, the son of Chinese immigrants, and his business partner, Peter Picknelly, offered to buy the mural and find a new home for it if necessary.
Yee and Picknelly said on Monday have not heard back from the museums or Dr. Seuss Enterprises on their offer, but have heard rumors the answer is no.