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Have you ever read a banned book? Was it a good read?
Some content may be outdated or otherwise problematic. Is banning that content a solution, though?
This week's Action/Adventure Newsletter argues that it's better to discuss and challenge than to ban.
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I don’t know about you, but one big thing I like about winter is that it’s the perfect time of year to curl up with a good story. We tend to be more active during the warmer months, and spend more time outside (I know I do, at least), whilst now’s the time for blankets, books and cosiness.
I’ve recently moved homes, and that meant sorting through my books. I had a lot of them. I’ve found new readers for those I know that I won’t return to, and managed to still fill several bookcases with the ones that I’d like to revisit. There are all my Pratchetts, Kings, Grishams, my Austens, Martins and, of course, all the stories in the Wizarding World. Plus many more. It’s nice to have those old friends. To be able to turn to them when the mood strikes. Each of the books on my shelves come filled with memories of when and where I got them, how I felt the first time I experienced the story, and what was going on in my life when I had that experience.
During the sorting I stumbled upon a set of Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers novels. I loved those novels when I was a child. I, too, wanted to go to boarding school! It sounded fabulous! As I held them, though, I remembered reading that Blyton’s work is now considered to be elitist, sexist and xenophobic. Whilst Malory Towers is about a girls’ school, in her The Famous Five series girls tend to be seen as weak by the boys and the character of George, who I loved because I could relate to her wish to be a boy, was reprimanded for acting ‘just like a girl’ if the boys didn’t like her behaviour. As a child, I didn’t pick up on anything problematic, but I decided to have a look for myself now that I am an adult. I only had Malory Towers at hand, and I do see some problems with it. But they’re also still good fun.
The books are terribly British middle class. This is true. They’re also rather preachy – it is clear that the author had strong views about how a girl ought to behave. One must be sensible, practical, keep one’s emotions under control, have an active, sporty outdoor life and not be silly. Though the occasional prank is okay. These children – because that’s what they are – won’t see their parents for months, but tears when saying farewell is a weakness, and subject to instant negative judgement. Yet, there’s still the appeal of the school, and the friendships, and the adventures the girls have as they navigate this new world and grow up together. I remembered why I used to like them, even if I look at them now with a greater amount of life experience.
We live in a time when it’s not uncommon to cast a critical eye on older works – and not just books but movies and TV series as well. Some providers have removed problematic episodes of series such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Scrubs and 30 Rock. With time, societal morals and standards change, and what was once deemed acceptable is now seen as a no.
Progress is good. I am glad that as a species we’re becoming more aware that the inequalities we’ve created between us are not acceptable, and we need to do better. Be better. And, frankly, some content is ridiculous. Including some that’s created today. I have the occasional peek at the Men Writing Women subreddit, for example, and some people simply don’t have a clue.
Still… I am not in support of banning books or other content that may be outdated, or ignorant, or otherwise not in line with my morals, views and standards. If it breaks the law, sure, but if it doesn’t, there have got to be better ways of dealing with works of art that are out of sync with what’s generally considered acceptable, or with what we personally find acceptable.
If there’s an issue with what we personally find acceptable we can, naturally, avoid the content and make decisions along those lines for any children we have. Issues with older content can be resolved by shedding light on the historic context in which it was created. For example, there can be interesting discussions on culture and history when exploring a novel in an educational setting, and parents can discuss with their children any less-than-great bits when reading or watching content together. Some providers add a disclaimer before showing a movie, similar to other content warnings. It is better to discuss and learn from history than to try erase it.
Any approach to modern problematic content would likely be similar. There are plenty of shows, novels and movies that I pass by because I know that they’re not for me. However much I may object to the content – and sometimes I do, because art can provoke strong feelings – it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t exist. Again, unless it breaks the law. I have read through quite a few political and philosophical texts, as part of my coursework, that made me severely dislike the author(s) (a necessity when challenging and developing your own views and arguments); I try to avoid this when reading for pleasure. Alternatively, content may be discussed, or countered by one’s own content. Banning does not solve anything – the thoughts and feelings behind the art remain, and remain unchallenged.
Art can be a dialogue, just like philosophy and political discourse. It can, and has been, a key factor in positive societal change. To preserve this role, we must stop attempting to suppress it.
NaNoKit
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Action/Adventure: December 07, 2022 Issue [#11694]
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