Never let the facts get in the way of the narrative. That was the lesson of Friday’s edition of “Joy’s Banned Book Club” on ABC’s The View. This edition featured Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mocking Bird, a book that has been removed from required reading lists by liberal school districts because of its use of racial slurs and a “white savior.” But that didn’t bar it from inclusion in a segment designed to go after conservative leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) despite books still being available for purchase.
This “banned book club” was the “brainchild” of co-host Joy Behar as the cackling coven ripped into conservatives like DeSantis with false claims of “erasing history” (particularly black history) and banning the alphabet.
Suggesting the book addressed modern conservatives (and not the racist Democrats it does), Behar opined about the themes of To Kill a Mocking Bird were as “timely-as-ever” since they’re about “racial inequality and the loss of innocence.”
She also noted that the book has “been one of the most frequently challenged books in the United States since its publication in 1960. And it has been labeled everything from ‘immoral to "Improper,’ due to themes of sexual assault and the use of profanity and racial slurs.”
“Recently, the book was removed as required reading for 9th graders in the Mukilteo school district in Washington State. That’s just the latest one,” Behar informed viewers. It was only at this point that she admitted that “controversies surrounding censorship don't only come from the right, left-leaning arguments against the book include concerns that reading racial slurs aloud could make students feel uncomfortable or even threatened.”
According to a list of attempts to remove To Kill a Mocking Bird from required reading lists compiled by Marshall University, all of the incidents since 2002 (when they started keeping track) have had something to do with the liberal argument as Behar framed it.
“I love this segment so much. It's Joy's brainchild. And Joy's the one who taught me the minute they ban the book that's when you order it. Because there’s something in it they don’t want you to know and it's really important to know about it,” racist co-host Sunny Hostin praised the segment.
But that was just another example of the hypocrisy many have come to expect from the ladies of The Views.
Late last month, while claiming she was “oppressed,” Hostin made the argument for censoring books from authors such as Ian Fleming:
That being said, when you think about a book like James Bond – and I'm a huge James Bond fan – in his Live and Let Die book – in that novel, he visits Harlem and he uses the N-word to describe almost every black person he sees there. And in my view, the sensitivity of the edits now say “black man,” “black woman,” “black person.” I appreciate that.
You don't have to call me the N-word for me to understand my oppression. And I think when someone who is oppressed tells you that, I think that you should listen.
The false smear of conservatives was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from JCPenney and Procter & Gamble. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
March 17, 2023
11:47:15 a.m. EasternJOY BEHAR: Well it's time for another installment of Joy's Banned Book Club.
This week's banned book is Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Can you believe that that is banned? A timely-as-ever novel about racial inequality and the loss of innocence, it's been one of the most frequently challenged books in the United States, since it’s publication in 1960. And it has been labeled everything from "immoral" to "improper," due to themes of sexual assault and the use of profanity and racial slurs.
But, you know, it's a great book.
Recently the book was removed as required reading for 9th graders in the Mukilteo school district in Washington State. That’s just the latest one. Of course, controversies surrounding censorship don't only come from the right, left-leaning arguments against the book include concerns that reading racial slurs aloud could make students feel uncomfortable or even threatened.
But the book has also been used by teachers and parents all over the world as a valuable tool for discussing race, justice, compassion, and humanity itself. And the movie is great, too!
SUNNY HOSTIN: And the play was great.
BEHAR: Despite decades of censorship attempts, To Kill a Mockingbird popularity endures. It's been translated into 40 languages and it has sold over 40 million copies worldwide. And in 2007, President George W. Bush himself called the novel quote, “a gift to the entire world and a book that will be read and studied forever.” And who am I to argue with George W. Bush.
As always, our audience will decide for themselves because you're all getting a copy.
[Applause]
HOSTIN: I love that. I mean, I always -- I mean, you're the one -- I love this segment so much. It's Joy's brainchild. And Joy's the one who taught me the minute they ban the book that's when you order it.
BEHAR: That’s when you order it.
HOSTIN: Because there’s something in it they don’t want you to know and it's really important to know about it.
BEHAR: I mean, we’re not talking about schlock books now. We're talking about great novels like this one.
NAVARRO: Classics we’ve all grew up with.
HOSTIN: Whenever I hear about a banned book, I order it now because of you.
BEHAR: Yeah. Good.
