WHO BANS BOOKS AND WHY?
COMPILATION AND COMMENTARY
BY LUCY M. WARNER


AS FOR WHO BELIEVES THAT ALL READING AND VIEWING MATERIAL SHOULD BE TOTALLY SQUEAKY CLEAN, I THINK IT IS 1)THOSE WHO FEAR THE THREAT TO THEIR POLITICAL POWER FROM THE INFLUENCE OF AN OPEN SOCIETY; AND 2) THOSE WHO REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT CONSENSUAL SEX WILL LAND US IN HELL FOR ETERNITY. ONLY A CERTAIN (FAIRLY HIGH) PERCENTAGE OF CHRISTIANS ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT. IF YOU CAN’T GET PAST THE FACT THAT “STRETCHERS” LIKE FAIRY TALES ARE FICTION, AND THAT THE STORIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT SOUND A LOT LIKE A FAIRY TALE, IT’S HARD TO MAINTAIN A BELIEF IN THE WORD FOR WORD UNDENIABLE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE. ONE OF THE MISTAKES OF THE FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN FRAMEWORK/POWER STRUCTURE IS THAT THEY TEND TO DEMAND TOTAL, UNQUESTIONING, LITERAL BELIEF IN SOMETHING WHOSE ETHICAL TEACHINGS ARE BY FAR – IN MY AGNOSTIC VIEW – MORE IMPORTANT THAN TRYING VERY HARD TO “BELIEVE” ILLOGICAL THINGS. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THE GOD OF MY UNDERSTANDING WANTS ME TO TRY TO PUT INTO PRACTICE THE COMMANDMENT, “LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.” NOW THAT’S HARD ENOUGH TO DO, BUT IT IS CLEARLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE. WITHOUT IT, NAZISM WOULD BE THE ONLY PHILOSOPHY AROUND. AS FOR ANYBODY WHO DISAGREES, YOU JUST KILL THEM.

I AM ENDING WITH SOME MATERIAL WHICH, I CAN’T HELP SAYING, ALMOST CERTAINLY SHOULD BE BANNED, IF DIRTY/VIOLENT/OVERLY FASCINATING AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICALLY UNHEALTHY MATERIAL SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE AIRWAVES. IT JUST WON’T BE HAPPENING WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, HOWEVER, NO MATTER HOW MUCH DONALD TRUMP THROWS HIS WEIGHT AROUND (AND THERE’S PLENTY OF IT TO THROW), BECAUSE TITILLATING STUFF IS MUCH TOO FUNNY. SOME RACIAL HUMOR FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY. I PERSONALLY USUALLY REFRAIN FROM ANTI-BLACK MATERIAL, BUT IT WILL NOT GO AWAY BEFORE THE END OF TIME.

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT I JUST FOUND ON YOUTUBE FOR A GOOD EXAMPLE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBSrP7ub6VA SHOWS A JUSTIFIABLY POPULAR BLACK AND INDIAN COMEDY TEAM CALLED KEY AND PEALE – MENSTRUATION, PENISES, RACISM, IT’S ALL THERE. WE ALSO MUSTN’T FORGET THE BAWDINESS OF THE MARX BROTHERS AND MOST VAUDEVILLE PLAYERS, AND THE BARD HIMSELF (EXAMINE SOME OF THE PHRASES AND STATEMENTS THAT HE INCLUDED IN HIS PLAYS.) I FINALLY SAT DOWN WITH A COPY OF THE CANTERBURY TALES WITHIN THE LAST YEAR – DETERMINED TO AT LEAST MAKE AN EFFORT TO READ SOME OF IT – AND GOT INTO THE MILLER’S TALE. IT WAS AS LEWD AS I’VE EVER SEEN, UP THERE WITH A TRULY SHOCKING BOOK CALLED “THE STORY OF O.” THAT IS A BOOK THAT INTRODUCED ME TO THE PRACTICE THAT THE RUSSIANS CHOOSE TO CALL “GOLDEN RAIN,” AND HAVE REPORTEDLY USED TO BLACKMAIL DONALD TRUMP. HOPEFULLY THAT STORY REALLY IS “FAKE NEWS,” BECAUSE IT IS A SHOCKING PRACTICE.

WHY DO WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THAT? WHEN SOMETHING IS EMBARRASSING WE TRY TO ELIMINATE IT FROM OUR MINDS BECAUSE THE CONTRAST WITH WHAT WE’VE BEEN TAUGHT IS PAINFUL, BUT SINCE THAT WON’T WORK – WE RELEASE OUR FEAR OF THE VERBOTEN SUBJECTS BY LAUGHING AT THEM. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE AT TEENAGERS’ SLUMBER PARTIES, HANGING AROUND ON THE STREET AFTER DARK BEFORE OUR PARENTS CALL US IN FOR SUPPER, AND ALL HIGHLY INFORMAL COLLEGE DRINKING EVENTS AFTER THE FIRST THREE ROUNDS. WE MUST FORGIVE OURSELVES AND OTHERS FOR OUR INDELICACY, AND MOVE ON. BANNING SUCH THINGS JUST WON’T WORK. THERE IS A BLACK MARKET, AFTER ALL, AND THE EVER FRUITFUL HUMAN IMAGINATION TO CREATE MORE.

THE FOLLOWING CARTOON CLASSIC SERIES, CALLED “WHERE’S WALDO,” LOOKS INNOCENT UNTIL YOU EXAMINE THE DRAWINGS VERY CLOSELY AND DISCOVER WHAT THE MISCHIEVOUS ARTIST INCLUDED IN THOSE CROWDED PAGES. I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED IT, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS ANY X-RATED MATERIAL IN IT. OF COURSE X-RATED HERE IS BASED ON THE STANDARDS OF THE 1950’S AMERICAN MIND. WE ARE THE MOST PRUDISH SOCIETY IN THE WORLD, I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHY I ENJOY LOOKING AT “BAD” THINGS SOMETIMES. I DON’T DO PORN, HOWEVER, BUT LOTS OF PEOPLE DO – COUPLES FOR INSTANCE WHO WANT TO SPICE UP THEIR SEX LIFE. MY OWN PERSONAL GUILTY PLEASURE IS THE TV SHOW, “TWO AND A HALF MEN.”

HERE ARE SOME OF THE SPICY WALDO IMAGES. GET OUT YOUR MAGNIFYING GLASS AND TAKE A LOOK. -- https://www.google.com/search?q=where%27s+waldo+banned+picture&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS725US725&espv=2&biw=820&bih=486&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWi6XO8qnSAhUKSSYKHQKDCq8QsAQIGQ&dpr=1.25

WHEN MY MIND GENERATES SOMETHING LIKE THIS I USUALLY LOOK BACK AT THE ORIGINAL NEWS STORY TO SEE WHAT GOT ME STARTED ON THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT. IN THIS CASE IT WAS AN INTRIGUING HAND WRITTEN SIGN AN ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTOR WAS CARRYING WHICH READS, “WHERE’S WALDEN?” I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE SOME TRENDING CATCHPHRASE ON THE NET, BUT I COULDN’T FIND IT ANYWHERE. WHAT I DID FIND, HOWEVER, WAS “WHERE’S WALDO?”



http://www.umsl.edu/~munsr/proddir/current/2005_10_17.htm

Muns, Raleigh. "Where's Waldo? Not in the libraries because he's been banned"
The Current (University of Missouri-St. Louis) October 17, 2005 (vol. 38, no. 1164), p. 6

According to the American Library Association's "Challenged and Banned Books" web site (www.ala.org), Martin Handford's "Where's Waldo?" was one of the top 100 most banned books between 1990 and 2000. The ALA regularly registers complaints about books as well as actual book bannings and keeps ongoing track of them. Consequently, the ALA releases an annual list of the most banned books in America. The ALA also annually celebrates "Banned Books Week" the last week of September. The Top 10 Banned Books in 2004 range from John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" to the "Captain Underpants" series of juvenile books. I have read the Steinbeck work (or seen the Mr. Magoo cartoon version, I forget) but confess that I have never even heard of "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman" (Dav Pilkey, 2001). I am intrigued.

For those who don't know about Waldo, the books consist of page after page of intricately drawn scenes. The reader must find Waldo amidst the cluttered illustrations containing hundreds of active characters who are NOT Waldo. Since all the people are drawn in miniature it is a true challenge of concentration to pick the dimunitive [sic] protagonist from the legions of other characters. Waldo books are often sold with a magnifying glass to facilitate searching.

So why ban Waldo? What would place this series of books alongside the last decade's other banned titles such as "Daddy's Roommate" (Michael Willhoite, 1990), "Sex" (Madonna, 1992), "Girls and Sex" (Wardell Pomeroy, 1991), and "Heather Has Two Mommies" (Leslea Newman, 1989)? What is it about poor Waldo that got the book banners' panties all in a twist? What mysterious sin in Waldo's background would cause such wrath and ire?

One of my Reference Librarian colleagues, Ms. Frances Piesbergen, did some research and discovered a couple of interesting leads on this infamous Waldo issue. According to the October 2003 "Banned Bookslut" column by Chris Zammarelli (www.bookslut.com), the author claims that one of the Waldo books contains (gasp!) a bare breast. An amazon.com book reviewer, Mr. Sir, wrote: I have looked into it, and it appears that the reason "Where's Waldo" got banned was because it features adult material such as "topless sunbathers," and other adult "hidden pictures."

Despite these claims, I have been unable to find anyone yet who can cite a specific Waldo book, by page number, containing an errant mammary. Avid Waldo hunters are encouraged to forward any such evidence to the Rogue Librarian for inclusion in a future column.

This does make me consider what else might be hidden in the complex world of Waldo. I'm wondering if I'll find pictures of Waldo eating guinea pigs or engaging in cannibalism. What if there are pictures of Waldo flashing the "hail satan" hand sign? Could Waldo be gay? Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it could explain the fury of the book banners. Rumors abound that Waldo was seen in one picture hanging out with Tinky Winky the Teletubby. The horror, the horror!

In my humble opinion, banning books just isn't groovy.


Email Address: muns@umsl.edu
WWW Home Page URL:http://www.umsl.edu/~muns