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Bibliophiles of the internet, my name is Adriana & today I'm here to bring you another Top 5 Wednesday video!
And because this book is Banned Books Week, very fittingly, our topic is our top 5 favorite banned books.
Not gonna lie, I was hoping to do a follow-up sketch to the Banned Books sketch I did last year,
because that was so much fun, but I just didn't have the time to put anything like that together.
But I will link the sketch I did last year in the description down below.
When I see a list of banned books, I think it's equal parts hilarious and sad.
It's hilarious because some of the reasons why these books are banned are completely utterly ridiculous.
And it's also incredibly sad, because at the same time,
you know that these are books have been taken out of the hands of children.
And while, to some degree, I understand that some people want to censor what they feel is "inappropriate" material
from children, I think it's equally damaging and dangerous to raise children who are maybe too sheltered.
The things books most often get banned for are things like explicit language, *** content, nudity,
drug use, *** material, anti-traditional values, anti-religious values, whether those are actually founded or not.
And I think all of those are really silly reasons to ban books,
because all of those things, to some degree, are a genuine part of the human experience.
I think to fixate on those aspects, and to weed out "sensitive material,"
and try to get rid of it altogether, is simply irresponsible, because that implies
that those things don't actually happen, that they're not real, or valid,
or that they're not really a part of life, and I feel like that could not be more false.
Personally, I think it's more important for young people to quickly gain a wide and varied worldview,
because the world isn't always happy, and perfect, and fun, and clean cut.
There are other people who live differently, who have different opinions, and lifestyles, and personalities,
and that's okay!
So yes, I think it's both funny and sad that when books hold up a mirror to the world
and they show some of those more sensitive topics,
and when they show some of those more nuanced aspects of the human experience,
people don't like what they see. And they think they can make it go away altogether,
but you CAN'T make these things go away. They still exist!
I for one think it's shameful and unhealthy that some people think it's easier to ban these books
and to get rid of them altogether than it is to actually engage with that content,
and to face that material head-on, and to open a discussion about those sensitive or difficult topics
with their children. The fact that some people are still incapable of doing that is kind of scary.
Anyways, that was my spiel on banned books. Don't get too hype. I'm not trying to say that we should, like,
hand out copies of "Fifty Shades of Grey" to, like, every five year-old who comes into the library.
I'm just saying that it's really important for us to reflect on banned books,
and what those books—and, more importantly, what those bans—say about us and our society,
and our ability and inability to openly discuss difficult things with the next generation.
Basically, banning a book is never the answer. And without any further ado,
let's talk about some of my favorite banned books.
The first book I want to mention—and perhaps the most ironic addition to this list—
is "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.
The fact that this is a banned book is hilarious to me, because this is a book ABOUT banned books...
and then they banned it! What the HELL, world?!
Just to give you an idea of how ridiculous this ban is, I think this book was banned because
one of the books that was banned in this world, and subsequently burned, was the bible.
Honestly, it's been a while since I read "Fahrenheit 451," so I could be completely wrong,
but I think in this world, in this story, ALL books are banned. All books are forbidden and dangerous,
so all of them are banned and burned. It's not just CERTAIN books that are okay and then everything else is burned,
I think ALL reading material is forbidden and burned. So, of course the bible would be burned...
It's a BOOK.
The next book I want to mention is one of my favorite classics, and that is "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger.
I think this book was banned mostly for explicit language, maybe also "drug use" because Holden
likes to smoke cigarettes, and I think it was also banned for *** content,
which I think is hilarious, because while Holden does have an interaction with a ***,
he doesn't ACTUALLY have sex with her. He just kind of pays her to listen to him talk.
I love this book so much! I know a lot of people love to hate this book, but actually I think a lot of the conflicts
that Holden Caulfield faces in this story, and a lot of the things he's struggling with internally,
are incredibly universal and subtle, and overall I think it's a really powerful story.
Next, I want to talk about the "Captain Underpants" series by Dav Pilkey.
The books in this series are consistently at the top of every banned books list,
and that is hilarious to me because there's not really much that's actually inappropriate about the books in this series,
besides the fact that the main hero fights crime in his underwear.
But really, is it THAT different from superheroes who fight crime in spandex? I don't think so.
And I've always thought it was weird because I think he actually has some pretty modest underwear on
that covers a lot of skin, and also Captain Underpants has no distinguishable anatomy to speak of.
So what's going on?
Honestly, I grew up on this series, and I think it's so damn funny and incredible smart.
It's a perfect hybrid between children's book and comic, and I would highly recommend it.
Plus, it's about an older, overweight superhero, which is kind of awesome.
What kind of list would this be if I didn't mention the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling?
Obviously, this book gets banned a lot because some people still think it promotes the use of black magic,
devil worship, sacrilege, the occult, etc. etc.
And obviously, those people have never actually picked up a Harry Potter book.
I think it's kind of funny, because when this book first came out, I did know a lot of people from school
who were from VERY religious backgrounds, and their parents had expressly forbidden them from reading this book
and they did NOT want it in their house. And those kids genuinely believed
that this book was about black magic and devil worship.
And now I know for a fact that some of those kids have gone back now, as adults,
and they've read the entire Harry Potter series, and they LOVED it. And I just can't fathom why any child
would be forbidden from reading the Harry Potter series, which is one of the most empowering,
positive, uplifting series in the world.
Next, I want to talk about "Ready or Not" by Meg Cabot, which is the second book in the All-American Girl duology.
I know for a fact that a lot of Meg Cabot's books have been banned over the years,
including the entire Princess Diaries series. And that's because she likes to write independent,
strong-willed women. She writes feminist women, she writes a lot of progressive stuff
that some people just can't get down with, but I think she's amazing.
And I really wanted to talk about "Ready or Not" specifically because this book was really groundbreaking
when it came out in 2005, and I think it's still relevant now.
This book openly discusses sex and women's health in a way that is so important and so comprehensive
for young readers. It addresses a lot of questions that girls, specifically, have about sex
that never get answered.
Like: How do I know when I'm ready? Is it okay to NOT want to have sex?
How do you discuss having sex with your partner? What kind of protection is out there? How can I get it?
If I have sex will I become a "***"? Etc. etc.
And while that does seem like a lot, I think this book actually tackles that discussion very deftly
and very subtly without making it seem like propaganda. It actually is a well-written story within itself,
and those questions are what the main character, Sam, is grappling with in this book.
And like I said, this book is incredibly important because really it's a call for comprehensive sex education,
and also it offers a lot of information to young girls
that they simply don't have access to through what they know from school.
More importantly, I think this book is still so relevant.
It's 2015, and some schools STILL operate on abstinence-only programs, even though they've been proven
to be ineffective. It's 2015, and people are STILL talking about defunding Planned Parenthood.
It's 2015, and people are STILL so set against abortion, but they're also equally against comprehensive
sex education—and it's like what are you doing with your LIFE?
It's 2015, and *** sex education is practically nonexistent. What the HELL?
It's so important to be educated about our bodies, our health, and our options,
and people don't like this book because it educates girls.
So that was my incredibly lengthy Top 5 Wednesday video and my thoughts on banned books.
In the comments down below, please let me know your thoughts on banned books,
and I would also love to know: What are some of your favorite banned books that you've read?
But that is everything I had for this Top 5 Wednesday video today. Thank you so much for watching.
I really hope that you enjoyed it, and I will catch YOU on the flip-side of the page.
Bye!
♪ [peppy end screen music] ♪