Good Morning, 1984!
It's starting. Libraries are banning books. Mississippi libraries, in particular, are banning The Daily Show book due to a humorous depiction, involving nudity, of the Supreme Court. "We're not an adult bookstore," said one librarian quoted in the article. Excuse me, but could there possibly be anything to turn anybody on in a depiction of nude Supreme Court justices? The book...
...features the faces of the nine Supreme Court justices superimposed over naked bodies.The facing page has cutouts of the justices' robes, complete with a caption asking readers to "restore their dignity by matching each justice with his or her respective robe."
The book by Stewart and the writers of "The Daily Show," the Comedy Central fake-news program he hosts, was released in September. It has spent 15 weeks on The New York Times best seller list for hardcover nonfiction, and was named Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, the industry trade magazine.
Former English teacher Tara Skelton of Ocean Springs said the libraries shouldn't decide what is in poor taste.
"It just really seemed kind of silly to me," she said. "I don't think the Supreme Court justices have filed any defamation of character or libel suits. It's humor."
How sweet, they're "respecting" the justices by disrespecting the Constitution (that little passage, called "The First Amendment," about the freedom of expression). And isn't it blind stupidity, if you want to prevent kids from reading something, to tell them they can't? (As a blog reader emailed me: "Applying this standard, you have to wonder if this library has also banned human sexuality textbooks.") And, contrary to what the neo-Puritans will tell you, what's horrible, terrible, and tragedy-producing about viewing a bunch of naked middle-aged and old people naked? Especially if it might get kids a little interested in politics and government!
Posted by aalkon at January 10, 2005 8:16 AM
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» Today in "Real America" from Pandagon
• Mississippi libraries are banning America: The Book, for its nude, match-the-justice-to-the-robe, pictures of the Supreme Court. Said one librarian: "We are not an adult bookstore". Or at least not one with a good selection. • A Baptist ... [Read More]
Tracked on January 10, 2005 8:01 PM
» 'No G-Nudes is Good G-Nudes' from Boston Dreams
Apparently, the match the nude justices to the robes page was a bit much. They must have missed Thomas 'TJ' Jefferson's comment on how Halle Berry and how he 'loves the mochachina.' [Read More]
Tracked on January 11, 2005 3:00 AM
Comments
> It's starting.
Oh Please! PUH-LEEZE. Amy, STOP
Posted by: Cridland at January 11, 2005 6:28 PM
"what's horrible, terrible, and tragedy-producing about viewing a bunch of naked middle-aged and old people naked?"
The fact that their scrotums are banging around their ankles. Low hangers never did much for me. I like 'em tight and sweet as a Georgia peach.
Posted by: Lena Shakes her Wonder-Maker at January 12, 2005 8:30 AM