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| Book Ghoul, going through titles to ban... |
It's
Banned Books Week, a focused week of looking at the books and other media sources that small interest groups want to keep you from reading. Now, I am all for age-appropriate: there is no reason why anyone, no matter the age, should read
Twilight or
Fifty Shades of Grey, (both could cause lasting harm). But Captain, My Captain, CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS?!
In the background, there are groups, cliques, cohorts, and cadres of folks who would like nothing more than all texts to smooth, lack of any conflict, and Sally, Dick, and Jane. I once had a conversation with a woman who would not let her daughters read the Harry Potter series, but did not mind Twilight. My tongue is still scarred from biting it. Sure, sure! Why not? An epic tale of friendship, love, loss, betrayal, honor, heroism, intelligence with a little bit of magic versus a story of horny teen vampires who don't want to overcome their love interests with too much sparkle. Sure. I see. (Great. Now I've just pissed off both Harry and Sparkly Vampire fans. Go Team Jacob!)
Well, these folks perhaps should sit down at a keyboard once in awhile and try to tell one honest story themselves, and see if it does any good. The whitewashing is getting old.
What makes you think you've pissed off Harry fans?
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe the Harry-Jacob slashfic writers.
They are a vitriolic bunch albeit a microscopic niche.
ReplyDeleteDamn just realized I did August 24 not Seprember 24th; I'll fix it later
DeleteOMG! That list of banned books and the reasons ... I just ... okay the fact that the dictionary is on there kind of says it all.
ReplyDeleteBanning books seems to have no boundaries...ridiculous stuff. And as Erinys says, banning only makes the fruit more tempting...oh wait! They banned the Bible, too!
Deleteit's not August 24th?
ReplyDeleteanyway, august be damned, not sure of the day, but how about "Twilight Potter" the mad adventures of a horny witch who lives forever with sparkling eyes? Now that would be a book....
ReplyDeleteRoo: you've given me the idea for my best seller. I'll mention you in my dedication.
DeleteOne of these days, they'll grasp the fact that banning books just makes people want to read them. In the meantime I'm off to find a copy of Captain Underpants to see just what people disliked about him.
ReplyDeleteThere's no cost to challenging a book, even on specious grounds.
ReplyDeleteThe challengers don't care that there are people that want to read them. They just don't want their kids to find them (and maybe ask awkward questions or get... ideas).