Pull out your copy of Lolita folks, it is banned book week! In our vast collection of books here at home, we have a few that make the list each year. Topping it off is “And Tango Makes Three” the true story of two male penguins who adopt a baby chick. Scandalous, I tell you, scandalous!
It’s hardly worth getting into a frothy mix over this book, but the loonies on the right are having a field day with it. The always sane people at World Net Daily write: The American Library Association this week is conducting its annual promotion of a “gay”-friendly agenda to school children across the nation through its highly publicized “Banned Book Week.” Dan Kleinman of SafeLibraries.org told WND he believes the ALA’s list of books “is intentionally and deceptively false and is being used to promote a political agenda.”Linda Harvey of MissionAmerica.org, who monitors homosexual activism aimed at the youth culture, has called “Banned Book Week” a “smokescreen of hypocrisy.”“It’s that special time each year when some in the library profession point an accusing finger at parents, especially Christians or conservatives, who might dare to question the value or appropriateness of certain materials available to youth,” she has concluded.
Yes, because a book about two penguins who love and care for each other and want a family is really horrible stuff. At no point do they talk about the penguins going off to Fire Island for a coke and poppers fueled holiday weekend or show either of the birds in drag and or leather. WTF people?
It’s a story about two birds that happen to like each other and are, as the story says, “a little different” in the way they go about life. If we ban every book that portrays someone who is a “little different” the shelves would be empty. And yes, Sarah Palin, I am talking about your book as well.
Really, who the fuck lives in Alaska? Even the penguins have said no to that mess.It’s a story about two birds that happen to like each other and are, as the story says, “a little different” in the way they go about life. If we ban every book that portrays someone who is a “little different” the shelves would be empty. And yes, Sarah Palin, I am talking about your book as well.
We took Anna to the Central Park Zoo, the hot bed of male penguin lust, and we checked out the exhibit. No mirror balls, no slings, no throws from Target. It smelled and was pretty much a mess, which would lead me to believe that there are lesbian penguins as well. Anna was thrilled to see the famous birds (which, by the way, have since split up) even though we couldn’t tell one from another. But, it made her day to see these animals that have a family just like her family: a little different, kind of smelly, and full of love.
More on banned book week: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/about
The hilarious article at Wonkette that inspired this post: http://wonkette.com/453733/banned-book-week-is-wingnut-cue-to-panic-over-gay-penguin-sexYou can find the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Tango-Makes-Three-Justin-Richardson/dp/0689878451 or at your favorite bookseller that is actually still open.
World Net Daily, why bother?
As always, well said!!
ReplyDeletethe book was very controversial in Poland as well. it's very uncommon that it hasn't been burnt yet :--)
ReplyDeleteIn my den is a poster 'Have you read any hot books lately?" It has the charred remains of 30 banned books in history. Happily I have read most of them. Some of these banned books seem so tame now (example: Richard II by Shakespeare).
ReplyDelete"Topping it off is 'And Tango Makes Three' .... Scandalous, I tell you, scandalous!" Okay guys, let me ask you this. How many times has And Tango Makes Three been challenged in the USA in 2010. Hints from reliable sources, so you can get the right answer:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newslettersnewsletterbucketextrahelping2/890143-477/and_tango_makes_three_tops.html.csp
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/and-tango-makes-three-waddles-its-way-back-number-one-slot-america-s-most-frequently-challe
I will come back to see your answer. Then I'll illustrate one example of how the ALA cynically misleads and uses the LGBT community as a stepping stone to promote its own agenda. Keep an open mind, guys. Things may not be as the ALA wants them to appear. I know I would feel awful if I were misleading the LGBT community and using it as a stepping stone to promote myself, and I was a major, national organization speaking directly to the LGBT community.
Four. 4 times. Not the "dozens" the ALA states. 4 times. All year. Nationwide. Big whoop.
ReplyDeleteAnd the 9th book on the list was an LGBT book that the ALA admitted to the author should not have been on the list but was added anyway to promote the issue. 2 times for that book. And in the same community. And I have a recording of the author saying essentially this.
Expert Larry Magid says in the Huffington Post that making false cries of harassment against the LGBT community only serves to increase actual harassment and increase suicides rates. The ALA has made false cries of harassment against the LGBT community. It is using that community. No regard for the negative implications.
I am hoping someone will take this issue seriously and investigate it thoroughly with an eye toward stopping the ALA from worsening the condition of the LGBT community, if it is doing that, and it may be, in my opinion. Should any commenter do the usual and attack me personally for making that suggestion, that does not make the issue go away, and it will not stop the ALA from further endangering the LGBT community. Actually, it may enable such behaviour.