If you are of a particular age you may remember the Lambada.
If you are not of that age, look it up. Read a book.
The Lambada. The forbidden dance. Lots of hips swaying, bodies thrusting and general gyration. If performed correctly it could make seasoned couples blush. There were some, however, who seemed to believe it could lead to immaculate conception. Well, a conception anyhow.
To no one’s surprise, the Lambada, like all sexually charged and forbidden dances before—and after—was wildly popular. For a time. Then attentions wandered and parental outrage was directed elsewhere.
The cultural episode serves as a reminder what humans forget or disregard: the more you forbid something, the more people want to participate in the activity.
Remember in the early days of the pandemic? Bars were prohibited from operating indoors. Yet there were scofflaws who toasted the forbidding mandate with a beer and a chaser while seated on their favorite stool.
No trespassing signs are trampled, exits are entered and cars parked in no parking.
The more you forbid something, the more people want to do it.
So you’d think the people that want to ban books in schools and public places would learn from history. There may be no greater marketing tool than banning something. Look at the Bible, and the works of Shakespeare, Hemingway, Carroll, and even J.K. Rowling. Those authors and their works live on, while their detractors and would-be banishers languish in history’s dust bin.
Regrettably for book publicists, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation that penalizes school boards for censoring text books. AB-1078 specifically relates to books about inclusion and Black, Latino, LGBTQ-plus and other comunities.No doubt there will be conservatives and zealots fighting to circumvent that law.
In the meantime, the open-minded and reasonable can engage in a small act of rebellion.
In observation of National Banned Book Week, the Chula Vista Library Instagram account has a list of banned books. Check it out, grab one and read a banned book.
It’s only human.
