Banned and Challenge Books: Best Excuses Known to Man

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Throughout time, various people in numerous societies have decided that certain pieces of literature should be banned or otherwise in some shape or form, censored so that it comforms to their perceived societal values. It continues even now, and there is no real end to it, since there are people who cannot tolerate the existance of literature that challenges their narrow perspective on the world.

Now, I present to you, a cross-selection of the best excuses for banning or censoring certain pieces of literature.

I'm taking the information directly from the site and bolding the parts I find amusing.

Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings D.T. Suzuki. Doubleday. Challenged at the Plymouth-Canton school system in Canton, Mich. (1987) because "this book details the teachings of the religion of Buddhism in such a way that the reader could very likely embrace its teachings and choose this as his religion." The last thing we need are a bunch of peaceful Buddhists running around. The horror.

Uh... huh...right... So, what were they smoking and where can I get some?

Where's Waldo? Martin Handford. Little. Challenged at the Public Libraries of Saginaw, Mich. (1989), Removed from the Springs Public School library in East Hampton, N.Y. (1993) because there is a tiny drawing of a woman lying on the beach wearing a bikini bottom but no top. Yes, but did they find Waldo?

Really. I mean, if they can find the woman, surely they can find Waldo... Or were the people banning it perverted old men who wanted to horde the books for themselves so they could masterbate to the cartoon drawing of this topless chick?

Twelfth Night William Shakespeare. Airmont; Cambridge Univ. Pr.; Methuen; NAL; Penguin; Pocket Bks.; Washington Square. Removed from a Merrimack, N.H. high school English class (1996) because of a policy that bans instruction which has "the effect of encouraging or supporting homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative."

There were homosexual references in it? I didn't realise that when Malvolio wore yellow cross-garters that it made him a homosexual... or that there were homosexual nuances to Viola's choice to cross-dress.

The Stand Stephen King. Doubleday; NAL. Restricted at the Whitford Intermediate School in Beaverton, Oreg. (1989) because of "sexual language, casual sex, and violence."

Uhm... but it's Stephan King. He's not exactly know for his upstanding, morally righteous fairy tales. What do you expect?

The Satanic Verses Salman Rushdie. Viking. Banned in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Malaysia, Qatar, Indonesia, South Africa, and India due to its criticism of Islam. Burned in West Yorkshire, England (1989) and temporarily withdrawn from two bookstores on the advice of police. Five people died in riots against the book in Pakistan. Another man died a day later in Kashmir. Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or religious edict, stating, "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses, which is against Islam, the prophet, and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, have been sentenced to death." Challenged at the Wichita, Kans. Public Library (1989) because it is "blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed."

Of course, it also got outrage from the same people whose underwear got in a knot over some drawings of their precious phophet. Get over it! It's just literature... Then again, it does show God having a conversation with Satan... that can't be a good thing. After all, God would NEVER do such a thing and we cannot allow the human mind to think and imagine such things... right.

The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll Jim Miller, ed. Random. Challenged in Jefferson, Ky. (1982) because it "will cause our children to become immoral and indecent." They used to say the very same thing about polyphony.

Oh? So reading a book will but not hearing the music and watching the musicians strut around, caterwauling on stage with strobe lights flashing?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis. Macmillan. Challenged in the Howard County, Md. school system (1990) because it depicts "graphic violence, mysticism, and gore." I'm sure the school system would rather have its children reading something which adheres to "good Christian values." I cannot recommend the works of C.S. Lewis highly enough. The Narnia books, in particular, are great for readers of all ages.

But, ironically, it contains heavily-influence Christian themes within. Its author was a devout Christian and had slipped instances of his faith into his writing.

Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell. Avon; Macmillan. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel was banned from the Anaheim, Calif. Union High School District English classrooms (1978). The novel was challenged in the Waukegan, Ill. School District (1984) because it uses the word "nigger."

Oh, I didn't realise that during the American Civil War, people were politically correct when they referred to their slaves. If you're going to pen a historical novel, accuracies should be taken into consideration, especially in dialogue. If the author uses modern language in the rest of the writing, but time-accurate slang in the dialogue, how is it a problem? People spoke a certain way then, and we speak a certain way now.

Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury. Ballentine. Ironically, students at the Venado Middle School in Irvine, Calif. received copies of the book with scores of words--mostly "hells" and "damns"--blacked out. The novel is about book burning and censorship. Thankfully, after receiving complaints from parents and being contacted by reporters, school officials said the censored copies would no longer be used (1992).

Ironic, isn't it? A book about censorship is censored.

The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies Vito Russo. Harper. Challenged at the Deschutes County Library in Bend, Oreg. (1993) because it "encourages and condones" homosexuality.

Oh, so, it makes it ok to be comfortable with one's sexuality? Gee, isn't that an interesting concept.

For the full list, I highly recommend going to the website. I would've love to put more of them up, but there are far too many amusing ones that I'd be writing my list all day.


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