Every October, Banned Books Month is celebrated by a swath of society as if they’re bravely opposing intellectual subjugation. As I’ve stated before, I’m all about the power of dissent, this annual celebration takes on quite a different form. While there are some deviations, it’s mostly evolved into a marketing tactic for booksellers, publishers, and authors.
Many books are celebrated in October as being “banned” as they’re offered for sale to the general public. Yes, it’s a complete contradiction, but the prospect of owning “banned” or restricted materials speaks to some, so it’s an effective marketing strategy.
But the fact is such books aren’t truly banned. These marketers get around such objections by pointing out that the materials have been removed or restricted in certain secondary schools.
There’s just one problem: so has the Bible, among other literature.
Why don’t I see the Bible in the “Banned Books” section so prominently displayed at my local Barnes & Noble every October? The answer is obvious: nobody would take that seriously. And yet, it’s been “banned” in the same sense The Handsmaid Tale, Fahrenheit 451, The Diary of a Young Girl, 1984, and others have been.
What’s worse, some organizations use the Banned Book Month to try breaking down barriers to explicit materials from being made available to children through school libraries. They frame the fight as one for intellectual freedom, academic honesty, and moral integrity.
That last one is what really gets me. Putting into schools books which graphically describe sexual acts to children, glorifying in some cases pedophilia and other disgusting (not to mention illegal) practices isn’t an act of moral integrity or academic honesty. It’s instead not only perverse, but I would argue is mass grooming and an effort to gain acceptance of those morally bankrupt ideals which promote such practices.
In other words, while there’s certainly a silly marketing angle in the Banned Books month every year, there’s also a sinister element which is truly disgusting.
For those who feel strongly about actual book bans, I ask this: why aren’t they trying to do something about book bans in countries like China or Saudi Arabia (where the Harry Potter series is illegal) instead of buying a novel by Margaret Atwood, pretending they’re fighting for freedom with such an act?
I suspect it has to do with one of those things being easy and absent of any risk, while the other presents difficulty and potential harm.
Image via Aliya Dalgatova/Pexels
Steven Symes 