I may have mentioned the troubled history of this children's classic in the past, but I've just discovered this article detailing the controversy.

When Dahl published CATCF in 1964, he had described the Oompa Loompas as pygmies from Africa (and were portrayed as such in the accompanying illustrations). When the book was released in the States, there was a fair bit of controversy about this depiction - the black Oompa Loompas working (happily and without questions) for a white boss (Willy Wonka) and singing chant-like songs as they go about it. In short, it suggested slavery to some people (the article follows up on this). Dahl insisted that he meant for the Oompa Loompas to be nothing but fantasy creatures, but later agreed to change the description.

The movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, came out before Dahl had revised the book. The producers knew about the controversy, so they themselves remodelled the Oompa Loompas into munchkin-like people with green hair and orange skin. In Dahl's revised edition, released in the early 70s, the Oompa Loompas were officially changed into white-skinned, impish characters with wavy hair from "Loompa Land" (Tim Buron says he has based the Oompa Loompas in his upcoming adaptation of the book on this description)

I remember first having had Charlie and the Chocolate Factory read to our class in primary school - and I vaguely remember the teacher having read something about Mike Teavee thinking the Oompa Loompas were made of chocolate. When I read the book for myself, shortly afterwards, I wondered why that bit of dialogue was nowhere to be found. Now I realise that I was reading one of the later paperback editions while the teacher had read to us from the first edition.

It's quite spooky when I think about it now. The name "Oompa Loompa" does sound mock-African, in a way, and those songs they sing the the book (not the shortened versions of the film) do sound like chants. Yeesh...

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