The second example of censorship: Captain Underpants, a book series that was more or less the only book my friends and I read in second grade, which explains a lot, is being pulled from school libraries across the country. It, along with—no joke, To Kill a Mockingbird and Beloved—is said to contain inappropriate content for children. That inappropriate content is a superhero who flies around in his tighty-whiteys. From the Seattle Times:
No. 1 was a not a story of the bedroom, but the bathroom, Dav Pilkey's “Captain Underpants” books (Offensive language, unsuited for age group), followed by Sherman Alexie's prize-winning “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” (Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit), and Jay Asher's “Thirteen Reasons Why”(Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide). Also on the list, at No. 10, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison's “Beloved” (Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence).
“It's pretty exciting to be on a list that frequently features Mark Twain, Harper Lee, and Maya Angelou,” Pilkey said in a statement. “But I worry that some parents might see this list and discourage their kids from reading `Captain Underpants,' even though they have not had a chance to read the books themselves.”
Damnit, America, wake up. We can't stand for this. Farts and underwear are a part of life. Stop hiding them from our children!
[H/T: ClipNation]
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