Original Where's Waldo / Wally snuck in a topless woman, causing an uproar

[Garth Gator]

 

 

The classic puzzle book series Where’s Waldo? (or Where’s Wally? in the UK) may seem like innocent fun, but one particular illustration has caused quite a stir over the years.

 

Hidden within the book’s whimsical, overcrowded pages, a beach scene from the original 1987 edition of the book contains a detail that’s been anything but hard to spot—especially for concerned parents in the US. The perky controversy involved a topless woman, sunbathing on the sand, who reacts in shock as a child drops an ice cream cone on her back.

 

 

This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment eventually became the focal point of a public outcry. In 1992, a mother in New Hampshire, while piecing together a Waldo puzzle with her daughter, discovered the image. Her complaint set off a chain reaction, leading to the puzzle’s removal from store shelves and igniting a media firestorm. And Walker Books, the publisher, found itself in hot water over the inclusion of such content in a book aimed at young readers.

 

Cultural differences seemed to play a significant role in the reception of this scene.

 

In the UK, where the book originated, the topless sunbather barely raised an eyebrow. Nudity is generally less taboo in British culture, and the image was seen as a harmless background detail. However, when the book crossed the pond to the more conservative United States, it faced a different reception. The scene was deemed inappropriate for children, landing Where’s Waldo? on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of the 1990s.

 

Later reprints of the book feature an altered version of the scene. The sunbathing woman now sports a bikini top, making the illustration less contentious for American audiences. 

 

 

• https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/76872/waldos-topless-beach-scandal 
• https://www.bustle.com/articles/46383-14-insane-scenes-from-wheres-waldo-that-you-completely-glossed-over-as-a-kid 
• https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/08/the-history-of-wheres-waldo/ 
• https://www.elpl.org/blogs/post/banned-book-week-wheres-waldo/ 

 

Opening image: Shaiith | Dreamstime.com