Family Movie Night
by Karyn Bowman
While preparing for this week’s column, I remembered that it is Banned Books Week.
There are many freedoms we think about on a regular basis, but the freedom to pick and choose what reading material or other mediums of expression we want to consume is something dear to my heart.
Movie Poster Image from IMDb.com
Every year the American Library Association puts out a list of books that have been challenged and it never ceases to amaze me what is being challenged. Books such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Huck Finn, The Hunger Games, and Where’s Waldo.
The problem with with the first two is that they use language appropriate to the time period in which they are set that is no longer deemed appropriate in polite or mixed-race company. The Hunger Games is brutally violent in places. But what these three books and the Harry Potter series points out is the wrongs of bullying, racism, and tyrannical governments. They name the wrongs in our societies, display them for all to see and understand.
Sometimes it is hard for us to look at those ugly aspects. But if we are to become better as a society, we must view them and change accordingly.
Knowing what I was going to write about reminded me of stories my mother used to tell from her growing up years in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The Catholic kids would pay the protestant kids to see the biblical movies of the time because the Catholic Church had forbidden their parishioners from attending. The thought was these movies glamorized the bible stories, sexed them up a bit, and that was not appropriate viewing for anyone.
She talked about seeing Samson and Delilah along with The Ten Commandments. Other flicks from this time include David and Bathsheba, The Robe, Ben Hur, and Solomon & Sheba. In recent times, I have seen protests against The Passion of the Christ and The Last Temptation of Christ.
Poster Image from IMDb.com
While I understand that some of these movies may not portray the picture of the bible as some people may want, I also understand that much – not all- of what is portrayed is fairly accurate for the time period. I, personally, can never watch The Passion ever again because of the level of violence in it but nor can I deny its ability to tell the story well.
When it comes to reading material or movies that kids in your family want to consume but makes you feel uncertain, I suggest reading or watching the movie/TV show first without them around. Knowing what is in that medium helps you direct the conversation as to why or why not you will allow your child to have that material.
In the end, I do not recommend banning books because you make the undesirable into something irresistible. Especially for people like me who want to know what made a book targeted for banning. When I found out Where’s Waldo was on the list because there was ‘reportedly’ a topless woman in a beach scene, I searched through that first book in the series.
I have yet to find her.
Until next week, see you in the Rental Aisle.
Notes from Rumbly Cottage 
Nice post. Laughed about the Waldo search. My mom didn’t like some of the big spectacular films about the Bible – but dad said if you are grounded in real information and facts, controversy won’t bother you – which is pretty true.
Some things, like some movies, are made for entertainment or profit. Good idea to prescreen. Good idea to read/ view things in context of the era and times. Like you say, “ometimes it is hard for us to look at those ugly aspects. But if we are to become better as a society, we must view them and change accordingly.” Everything has a purpose.
Absolutely!
I’ve been retired from the library for three years now and I already forgot this was Banned Books Week. We would always do displays of books that had been banned or challenged somewhere in the US. The Bible always surprised people but the Koran didn’t. I guess it depends on where you put up your display. Stephen King allegedly told a group of students that “if they hear of a book being banned, they should RUN out and read it to find out what it is that people don’t want you to know”
This might be one of the few times I agree with Mr. King.