Pretty Baby (1978)

February 12, 2019 by Banned Library in Movie

Our librarian goes back to the brothels of New Orleans Storyville for the story of a little girl learning to be a little girl despite growing up very fast.

Banned

1978 - Argentina - labeled by the Videla regime as "pornographic"

1978 - 1983 - South Africa - banned due to apartheid restrictions

1978-1995 - Ontario, Canada - banned by the film board but overturned in 1995

Sources

Malle, Louis (dir.) Pretty Baby. Paramount Pictures, 1978.

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"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kids (1995)

January 29, 2019 by Banned Library in Movie

Our librarian talks sex, drugs, murder, and rock and roll as we follow a bunch of jerks around New York City.

Banned

1995 - South Africa - Banned for two years and only unbanned in 1997 on appeal with a no-under 16 age restriction.

Sources

Clark, Larry (dir.). Kids. Shining Excalibur Productions, 1995.

Detrick, Ben. "'Kids,' Then and Now." New York Times. 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2019 from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/23/fashion/kids-20th-anniversary-chloe-sevigny-rosario-dawson.html

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"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

High School DxD (2012)

January 25, 2019 by Banned Library in Movie

In a fight between angels, demons, and fallen angels stands one horny teenage jerk who keeps getting himself in trouble.

Banned

2014 - New Zealand - Listed as "objectionable" on the grounds that it "tends to promote and support the sexual exploitation of young persons. All of the young female characters are highly sexualised and fetishised. They are relentlessly depicted as nude or in limited sexualised clothing. Focus is made on their breasts and youthful bodies in such a way as to titillate and arouse the viewer. Their youthfulness is emphasised by the high school setting, their school uniforms and their engagement in high school activities. Episodes are separated by photo stills of the female characters sexually posing, reminiscent of adult pornographic material. The credits feature these characters performing strip tease. The scenes are constructed wholly for the sexual benefit of the viewer. The main purpose of this treatment is to reinforce the notion that young persons are sexually desirable and available. It encourages and legitimises the pursuit of young persons as viable adult sexual partners"

Sources

Office of Film and Literature Classification. "Annual Report 2014." 2014. Retrieved 2018 January 20 from https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/assets/PDFs/2014-OFLC-Annual-Report.pdf

Yanagisawa, Tetsuya (dir. et al). High School DxD. 2012.

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"Dances and Dames." Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

September 13, 2015 by Banned Library in Chapter Book

A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet)

By Madeleine L'Engle

What would happen if you took Lovecraft and made him believe in the power of love? That's the heart and soul of this book, traveling across the stars on the wings of math, facing horrible abominations and alien figures, and finding out the universe ain't so bad after all. While my first reaction as an adult is to reject the ending as too neat, too concise and optimistic in how easily little Meg defeats the monster and saves her family, I see how a young child would love it. Thinking back, I do not remember much about the story when I first read it in sixth grade, but the love of math and the ideas of science that it implanted in me has always stuck. A quick, fun read, this book holds up as a fun entry for children but lacks a strong narrative for adults. Kinda gotta love a big, furry, tentacled, blind creature named Aunt Beast, though.

Banned

#22 on the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000 from ALA, #90 for 2000-2009

Jerry Falwell Ministries claims it undermines faith and religious beliefs and contains offensive language

1985 - Florida - Challenged but retained at Polk City Elementary where a parent believed it promoted witchcraft, crystal balls, and demons

1990 - Alabama - Challenged at the Anniston schools for sending mix signals about good and evil, as well as a parent complaining the book listed Jesus Christ with other artists and thinkers.

1996 - North Carolina - Challenged but retained by the Catawba Count School Board in Newton after a parent requested for undermining religious beliefs.