If you didn't know, Banned Book Week celebrates all the books that have been banned every year and demotes literary censorship. Why? Because banning books makes no sense.
Books are literally just a bunch of pages of words and pictures. Now, they're more, I know, but what really is interesting is that movies and television aren't banned or censored as much as books, even though they're a WHOLE LOT MORE VISUAL! Also, banning books, thanks to basic human instinct, actually makes people want to read it more than not read it at all.
So banning books is crazy, but there are a number of banned books banned for the most ridiculous reasons that are actually just plain stupid and examine how people delve too deeply into books, children's books especially, looking for outrageous sub-text that isn't there.
Here they are for you folks:
A List of Banned Books For the Most Ridiculous Reasons
Harry Potter (series)
Banned for: promoting witchcraft and sorcery and containing Satanism
J.K. Rowling's massively-popular best-selling series Harry Potter are also some of, if not the, most banned books of all time. Apparently, people have never heard of magic, that and fantasy. It doesn't promote anything, it's just solely entertainment, as are---how should I put this---A LOT OF OTHER BOOKS! And containing Satanism? Where? How? Voldemort? He's just the villain. I don't know what Satanism is to you, but these books contain none whatsoever. Still though, it's already one of biggest, most popular, and best-sold series ever, so it's not like you're going to stop anybody.
Captain Underpants (series)
Banned for: the protagonist wears nothing but underwear, toilet humor
Also one of the most banned books of all time, simply because Captain Underpants is living up to his name and there's myriad examples of toilet humor on every page, because, you know well that there's no toilet humor, even worse than this, in movies and on television. Oh wait. Yeah, this is just ridiculous. First of all, it's a children's book and the humor and the story are orientated towards children (mostly boys) but that toilet humor grows into adults as well, because we never really mature and it makes media and entertainment for older audiences as well. Second, Captain Underpants fights crime, which should bring out a message. Now to stop your children from just wearing underwear, that's your personal problem you deal with on your own parents.
Charlotte's Web
Banned for: talking animals
Animal Farm, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh and others are all banned for talking animals. That's literally the only thing. I don't even want to get into this; I'm just so confused....
Green Eggs and Ham
Banned for: political perspectives and sexual innuendo
Again, people delve too deep into sub-text that isn't there. It's a FREAKING CHILDREN'S BOOK! FOR CHILDREN, TO CHILDREN, BY A CHILD...at heart. Anyway, this is a classic that doesn't need to stir up controversy over different political beliefs (something to do with the two characters in the story, one liking green eggs and ham and the other not, I don't know) and sexual innuendo (don't know where, but someone's a pervert that's for sure).
The Giving Tree
Banned for: sexism
Many believe that this book is sexist towards women, in the sense that apparently, the giving tree is a female and has to do everything she can to give to the young male character to satisfy him, even though he doesn't provide anything back. I can see where they go by that, and I admit, it's somewhat true with the though, but I don't believe it was intended.
And Tango Makes Three
Banned for: homosexuality
Haven't we as a world progressed well enough to accept those who are different? No. Oh well, this fairly modern picture book has been banned due to the fact that it's based on a true story of two male penguins raising a baby they saved at a zoo. What.....? They're just penguins for God's sake! They're cute, they're adorable, they're innocent! They don't need you homophobes hatin' on them. C'mon, homosexuals put up with you, just put with the homosexuals!
Where's Waldo?
Banned for: In the original book, a 1/16th inch-sized picture of a topless women on the beach, as well as other pictures including homosexual and interracial couples, hate groups, Satan-supporters, and other evidence of nudity. God, who has the time to go through these books, with elaborate, detailed pictures that fill up pages, and search for---the topless woman would have to found with a magnifying glass---these pictures. Thank you perverts for, uh, ruining books. We...we really appreciate it.
The Lorax
Banned for: bashing the logging industry
I can't say much. It's just too ridiculous.
The Wizard of Oz and A Wrinkle in Time
Banned for: female protagonists
I've just about given up now...
Are You There God? It's Me Margaret
Banned for: sexuality, profanity, explicit content, religious beliefs
Hmm, let's see. Uh, so this book is about a pubescent girl and, uh, she struggles with what faith to follow and, uh, she has certain thoughts and experiences certain things, and oh yeah, LIKE EVERY GIRL EVER! Okay, so there's details about the girl getting her first period as well as bras and sexual frustrations and other sexual thoughts everyone experiences because it's natural during puberty and also in the process of deciding her faith, it gets somewhat religiously offensive. Even though a lot of kids struggle with what they believe in at a certain point, which is why I personally am agnostic. But, you know, ban a book because it contains things that every girl goes through and a lot of other kids go through (questioning religion).
The Diary of Anne Frank
Banned for: being too depressing
Can we just please get this over with?
Fahrenheit 451
Banned for: political viewpoint
In a book about banned books, what more than to ban the book?
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Banned for: Marxism
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? I see some idiots that think that the author that created me is a Marxist and crams hidden Marxist ideas in the form of a children's book. Idiots that think that the author created Brown Bear is a Marxist and crams hidden Marxist ideas in a form of a children's book, what do you see? WE SEE A MARXIST BOOK THAT NEEDS TO GET FREAKING BANNED FOR ONE OF THE MOST ABSURD REASONS EVER!
Lord of the Flies
Banned for: portraying human and animal on the same level
The whole point of the book, I mean, we are animals, and we act like animals all the time if you think about it so...
James and the Giant Peach
Banned for: talking animals, sexuality, profanity, racism, Communism, etc.
I'm sorry, I've given up. Too many stupid people.
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