I read this story today and couldn’t decide whether to laugh hysterically or feel rather indignant at this very stupid person’s utter lack of any sense of humour. You will recall I wrote quite a while ago how I found Andy Riley’s Bunny Suicides extremely funny. I actually cried with laughter at some of the pictures of the poor little animated rabbits finding new and extreme ways to top themselves. Some might say I have a warped sense of humour but I thought, perhaps, they were funny to everyone. Apparently I was wrong.
This woman in Oregon not only threatened to burn the book (can we say fascist?) but then went on a crusade to ban it from the library! My favourite bit is her remarks on why the book is inappropriate:
“Suicide itself is not for school-age children,” Anderson said in October. “Adults, I guess if you want to look at it if you’re that demented. (But) not for kids.”
Ok, ok, I don’t wholly disagree that this book isn’t for children; but I love that she thinks you have to be demented to want to find it funny. Well, I guess I’m demented then because I love it. I think you could also chalk it up to British humour. The current advertising campaign for the much-loved Cadbury’s Creme Egg follows a similar vein of the bunnies. The tag-line is ‘Here today, goo tomorrow’ and there are various adverts showing the eggs melting themselves and hurling themselves at walls. Each time the goo from the the egg leaks as though it were its blood and guts. I’m pretty sure that is what the advertising people were going for and it’s a very good campaign.
Basically this woman from Oregon should shove it up her ass. The book is funny for people who actually have a sense of humour. It is not intended to offend nor is it offensive. She obviously just doesn’t get it so she should leave it for others who do.