Recently, a parent in Columbia County asked that “To Kill a Mockingbird” be removed from the school district’s shelves. The concern – that the book about racism might be too racially charged for local students. There was, as expected, both uproar and outrage. But I was happy. Happy to see it happening. Happy that, despite the book being a bona fide American classic, someone was standing up and stating that it should be hidden away from what would probably be the fifth generation to read the book. I love a good book banning. Actually, I love all sorts of bannings. I love calls to burn rap records. I love movies yanked from distribution over questionable content. Bannings, for me, are where it is at.
Before I am banned, let me explain.
When the anonymous Columbia County parent set sights on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” I didn’t hear any chorus of approval. I did hear some premature outrage at the school district, but setting that aside, outrage at the idea of killing “Mockingbird” seemed to be the prevalent response. People talked about how much they love the book and how important the novel was to them. They threatened to purchase and distribute copies. In the local community, a book published more than 60 years ago was enjoying more action than it had in decades. People were reminded of why it was beloved. They were reminded why it was important. They were reminded why it deserved to be read.
All because someone wanted to ban it.
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This is not, of course, unique to either Columbia County or “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It happens all the time all over the world. When I lived in England, Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange had not screened in the country in more than 20 years. I, however, had a copy. It was the forbidden fruit – a real cinematic grail. Everyone wanted to see it, and having done so, whether they enjoyed it or not, it became a badge of honor.
So I say let’s embrace the occasional ban. Let people demean and deny great creative works. History shows calls for their removal rarely work. What they do accomplish is to encourage focus and discussion – which is really the entire point.
Here’s a few other things that have caught my attention…
Spoon – Lucifer On the Sofa: After 10 excellent albums and 30 years, it would be easy for an act like Spoon to rest on its laurels and deep catalogue. What the Austin-based band did instead was record its masterpiece. Both a cohesive album and a collection of killer standalone songs, Lucifer is the work of a band that understands that great music must feel both composed and spontaneous. After a few albums spent exploring electronic sounds and instruments, Spoon has reconnected with its rock band heritage, letting sharp shards of guitar and deft drumming form the foundation for songs about everything from the duality of man to sentimental odes to the glory days of radio. It may be the best record of the year thus far.
Big Bug: It’s been a long time since Jean-Pierre Jeunet, riding high on the success of movie such as “City of Lost Children” and “Amelie, “made his mark as cinema’s brightest visualist. A few missteps – I’m looking at you, “Very Long Engagement” – and lost opportunities meant feature films became fewer and farther between. It seemed unlikely that he would ever get the opportunity to make the kind of imaginative movies that marked the beginning of his career.
That said, his latest – a French farce wrapped in a retro-futurist take on “The Terminator” – feels like a return to form. The film, currently streaming on Netflix, is a deep satire featuring an ad hoc family unit literally trapped in suburbia by the technology it has depended on for too long. The result is a beautiful, funny and often thoughtful movie that twists expectations. A hidden quirky gem well worth investigation.
Steven Uhles has worked as professional journalist in the Augusta area for 22 years, and his Pop Rocks column ran in The Augusta Chronicle for more than 20. He lives in Evans with his wife, two children and a dog named after Hunter Thompson.
