David Corn, the D.C. Bureau Chief for Mother Jones, read the minutes of the McMinn County, Tennessee, school board that banned Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer-Prize winning graphic novel, MAUS, and he found the comments even dumber than he expected. The school board members were worried that students in middle schools might hear words like “bitch” and “god damn,” they were upset by nude mice, and some had never read the book (maybe all).
Korn wrote:
One of my favorite books is Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Art Spiegelman’s brilliant 1986 graphic novel that recounts his parents’ harrowing experiences during the Holocaust when they were imprisoned in Auschwitz. In the book, Jews are depicted as mice, Germans as cats, Poles as pigs. It is a richly and simply drawn blend of history, fiction, and memoir that captures the story of these survivors, their trauma, and the consequences for their son. The book is a complete artistic success, hailed widely as a masterpiece and awarded a Pulitzer, the first ever handed to a graphic novel. Not to overstate Maus’ significance, its publication legitimized this form of storytelling and marked a historic moment in American literature. In 1992, the Museum of Modern Art mounted an exhibition displaying Spiegelman’s original panels for the work. Two weeks ago, a Tennessee school board voted to ban the book.
The superintendent suggested that it would be possible to redact (delete) eight words and a picture of a woman that board members found objectionable. But that didn’t solve the board’ s revulsion for the book.
Educators defended the use of the book but it was hopeless.
Board member Tony Allman remarked, “We don’t need to enable or somewhat promote this stuff. It shows people hanging. It shows them killing kids. Why does the educational system promote this kind of stuff? It is not wise or healthy.” Julie Goodin, an instructional supervisor who used to teach history, patiently explained to Allman that “there is nothing pretty about the Holocaust and for me this was a great way to depict a horrific time in history.” Allman wouldn’t relent: “I understand that on TV and maybe at home these kids hear worse, but we are talking things that if a student went down the hallway and said this, our disciplinary policy says they can be disciplined and rightfully so. And we are teaching this and going against policy.” Melasawn Knight, another instructional supervisor, took a stab at it: “People did hang from trees, people did commit suicide, and people were killed, over six million murdered… [Spiegelman] is trying to portray that the best he can with the language that he chooses that would relate to that time…Is the language objectionable? Sure. I think that is how he used that language….”
It’s easy to imagine the frustration of the educators up against this. Knight tried again to reason with the board, pointing out that the numerous books taught in the system contain “foul language,” including Bridge to Terabithia, The Whipping Boy, and To Kill a Mockingbird. That was a no-sale. Board member Mike Cochran piped up: “I went to school here thirteen years…I never had a book with a naked picture in it, never had one with foul language…So this idea that we have to have this kind of material in the class in order to teach history, I don’t buy it.” He groused that the book obliquely refers to Spiegelman’s father losing his virginity and explicitly depicts the suicide of Spiegelman’s mother. “A lot of the cussing had to do with the son cussing out the father,” he complained, “so I don’t really know how that teaches our kids any kind of ethical stuff…We don’t need this stuff to teach kids history… We don’t need all the nakedness and all the other stuff.”
A board member read out the lyrics of the song “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” and condemned it for its “sexuality.” He seemed to think that it was a poem, but it is a song.
Corn writes:
I don’t know if the educators present kept a straight face. Cochran was quoting not a poem but the lyrics of the song “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” which was written by Eubie Blake in 1921. Judy Garland had a hit with the tune in 1939. And in 1948, President Harry S. Truman adopted the number as his campaign theme song. Yet for Cochran this 100-year-old song was too racy for a middle schooler. It was obvious how he would be voting.
All 10 board members voted to ban MAUS.
“ I’m just wild about Harry
And Harry’s wild about me
The heavenly blisses
Of his kisses
Fills me with ecstasy
He’s sweet just like chocolate candy
Or like the honey from a bee
Oh, I’m just wild about Harry
And he’s just wild about me
Now, I’m just wild about Harry
And Harry’s wild about me
The heavenly blisses
Of his kisses
Fills me with ecstasy
Say now, he’s sweet just like chocolate candy
Or like the honey from a bee
Oh, I’m just wild about Harry
And he’s just wild about,
Cannot do without,
He’s just wild about me.”
::clutching my pearls::
My Lord!!! You actually posted this filth on the Internet? Not sure that I will ever recover!!!!
I have smelling salts and a fan, if you need them.
Thanks, LG. I have recovered. But now I’m hearing this in my head!
I am convinced that our school board would have done the same thing. The sensible people who ran our school board have now given way to shallow idiots
I think many places have been socially INFECTED by the Anti-Semitic and Racist Christian Identity Ideology – learned in too many White Evangelical churches. Public schools that ban teaching religion, i.e., the First Amendment are being attacked by this kind of hypocrisy. Go ahead, and investigate to understand the -Christian Identity Movement tied to the Aryan Nation, KKK, Influence! This is nationwide including Mid-Pines, CA where this movement started with publications sent to CA prisoners in the 1980s. It created a situation of segregation by race in the CA state prison system.
Christian nationalism is portrayed as exclusively protestant evangelicals. However, Pope Francis warned about Its backing in his church.
Read the Ryan Girdusky interview posted at the Pat Buchanan site.
Girdusky founded the PAC that funds school board members opposed to CRT.
The Capitol on Jan. 6 had rioters from two religions. John Eastman who was on the podium with Rudy Giuliani leads the National Organization for Marriage.
In states like Indiana and Ohio, and probably in states like Minnesota and the Dakotas, the more politically powerful religion is not protestant evangelicals.
Linda, you are correct. Both Protestant and Cathoic churches have promoted these ideologies historically, Robert P. Jones book, “White Too Long” has compelling ressearch that agrees with you. When I wrote this I had the Roy Moore v. Doug Jones election in mind where I heard a prominent Methodist Minister there talk about the the “Christian Identity Infection” having influence in Alabama.
Thank you for the book suggestion.
The Southwestern Indiana Catholic Community Newspaper, in April 2021, posted, “An Insider’s Look…”. The article tells readers where school choice legislation in Indiana originated and who was successful in achieving it.
In some states, Catholic Conferences co-host school choice rallies with the Koch’s AFP.
It is not surprising that most, not all, of the efforts to eliminate certain books from schools and public libraries are mainly in the southern states — the bible belt.
So, with the elimination of more and more books from the schools that are dumbing down the students even more than they have been in the past. Many of these bible belt states have the lowest success rates for students when it comes to learning what they need to know to prepare the for a successful productive life.
The elimination of more and more books will just increase the dumbing down affect and the students, not the bible thumpers, will be the losers.
yes: and perhaps that is the point, truly conservative bible belt parents fighting to keep the kids dependent and local
“I’m Just Wild About Harry”? Really?? I can beat that! Make sure you’re sitting down, in case you’re overcome with a case of the vapors:
“Night And Day,
Under the hide of me,
There’s an, oh, such a hungry yearning
Burning inside of me.
And its torment won’t be through
‘Til you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night,
Night And Day!”
…because that’s not creepy at all!
(to say nothing of the ungodly show it was from: “Gay Divorce”!)
A song by that infamous pornographer, Cole Porter, from the good old days, back when stalking was romantic. Good times…
Not to mention John Wayne’s infamous western, “The Gay Ranchero”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040385/
In an interview on CNN, Art Spiegelman remarked that the board was asking, essentially, “Why can’t they teach a nicer Holocaust?”
This is a sordid episode of censorship, and it certainly reeks of anti-Semitism and social backwardness. While the board members did not make any overtly racist remarks, the tone of those on the board who spoke was one of dismissing the historical significance of the Holocaust. But it is of a piece with the takeover of the Republican party by fascist elements. The Republican National Committee issued a resolution Friday at its leadership conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, officially endorsing Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the 2020 election.
For the first time, the RNC formally called the events of January 6, 2021, “legitimate political discourse” and censured Republican representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for participating in the congressional select committee investigating the coup attempt. The endorsement of an attempt to overthrow the government by Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and III Percenters, aided by a MAJORITY of the Republican Party marks a turning point in the political history of the United States and the capitalist two-party system.
Love the old tunes.
Makes me want to plug in the record player. Or, watch some movies from long ago.
Take care all.
Inside the McGinn Co. School Board Meeting
The meeting began with an attempt to read corrections and amendments to the minutes of the preceding meeting, but since none of the members could read, this was shelved.
A vote was taken on board member Homer Simpson’s proposal to ban purple lunch trays from the cafeterias as being thinly veiled attempted recruitment of students to an un-Biblical lifestyle. The proposal passed 11-0, with one member abstaining by reason of having fallen asleep.
In its most consequential decision of the evening, the board voted unanimously to remand to the local district attorney’s office a recommendation to prosecute “to the fullest extent of the law” purveyors of books containing pictures of naked mice.
The McMinn Co. School Board: “That’s an obscenity!”
correction
The McMinn Co. School Board, that’s an obscenity!
The McEducation of McMinn, a History
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-kids-lose-when-they-dont-read-maus-book-ban_l_61faed53e4b0f8a1b83e9c11?fbclid=IwAR2AWGJKNGlsbir8P7xS7JiUdqO29YiTe4y1DYsZUbqMjO_TT5qNKLohuj0
Interesting article, Bob.
Of course, the Race to the Top’s focus on reading non-fiction in English classes did it’s own damage, taking away literature all over the place.
Glad to see lots of people are fighting back.
John, it was Common Core that de-emphasized fiction and prioritized informational reading.
“Jews Belong in a Conversation about Racism,” posted Feb. 2022, in the Chicago Tribune.
The superb article is written by Liza Lerner whose family left Russia when she was 11 because of the nation’s anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, the article is behind a paywall.
The article provokes questions about why Jewish people are perceived as White, having race-conferred privilege while simultaneously being targeted for acts of discriminatory violence.
Hi Linda – here’s a link without a paywall. Thank you for your kind words. -Liza
https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=2271d528-0f0a-4602-a6e7-70ab6d35af4c&fbclid=IwAR2SSo0sGYhcZz5zEZMWPMSRl6W2z1Hd9SCBCMFPnLyfGv8Qo2luvTAgk6c