Author Stephen King was mocked on social media after making an inaccurate statement about his books being banned in the entire state of Florida.
“Florida has banned 23 [of] my books. What the f***?” He tweeted last week.
The post, which was viewed by nearly 19 million people, was harshly criticized by those who pointed out that none of King’s books have been entirely banned in Florida.
In reality, the state enacted a law in 2022 that restricts “sexually explicit material” in school libraries, to make sure children are only able to access age-appropriate content.
Florida has banned 23 pf my books.
What the fuck?— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 31, 2024
One user commented, “Babe, elementary school kids don’t need to be reading ‘The Shining.’ It’s not personal. It’s parenting.”
Another user clarified, “Not ‘banned.’ Removed from the eyes of kids. Appropriately placed.”
“That’s what happens when you write a book that includes an orgy with a bunch of CHILDREN you sicko,” they added.
“The orgy chapter in It isn’t really appropriate for 10-year-olds,” someone else agreed.
“Sounds like you’re in Misery,” one person quipped about his 1987 book.
Previously, King faced online criticism when he encouraged children to seek out and read books that had been taken off school library shelves.
Hey, kids! It's your old buddy Steve King telling you that if they ban a book in your school, haul your ass to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don't want you to read.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 18, 2023
“Hey, kids! It’s your old buddy Steve King telling you that if they ban a book in your school, haul your a** to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don’t want you to read,” King tweeted.
Nick Frietas, a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, agreed with the backlash, saying,
“I’m not sure Stephen understands how creepy this is, considering the materials that are being restricted are openly pornographic.”
Libs of TikTok added, “Periodic reminder that when they accuse us of ‘banning books’ they’re referring to graphic books containing pornographic content. Stephen King wants your kids to have access to these books in school.”
The post included several of the books that have been banned, including “Gender Queer,” which describes sexual acts alongside explicit illustrations.
Another of the titles in the post, “This Book Is Gay,” instructs readers on how to set up profiles on Grindr and other hook-up apps.
In response to the alleged removal of hundreds of books from school libraries, six major publishers have filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida.
Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, and Sourcebooks have claimed that the 2022 law infringes upon First Amendment rights to free speech.
Many books, including Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, amongst others, have been removed from school libraries since the law went into effect in July 2023.
Modern novels by King, Margaret Atwood, and young adult writer Judy Blume have also been taken off the shelves.
Rick Scott spent $160 million of his own money to win in Florida. That should tell you something; he basically bought his Senate seat.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 5, 2024
The groundbreaking lawsuit targets the extensive book removal mandates of House Bill 1069, which required school districts to establish a system for parents to contest any content they considered inappropriate or pornographic.
Dan Novack, vice president and associate general counsel of Penguin Random House, stated, “Florida HB 1069’s complex and overbroad provisions have created chaos and turmoil across the state, resulting in thousands of historic and modern classics, works we are proud to publish, being unlawfully labeled obscene and removed from shelves.”
“Students need access to books that reflect a wide range of human experiences to learn and grow,” he added.
“It’s imperative for the education of our young people that teachers and librarians be allowed to use their professional expertise to match our authors’ books to the right reader at the right time in their life.”
The lawsuit argues that the book bans violate previous Supreme Court rulings regarding the assessment of works for their literary, artistic, political, and scientific value while considering potential obscenity.
However, Florida officials described the lawsuit as a “publicity stunt” and said that they have not outright banned any books.
Sydney Booker, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education, remarked, “There are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools.”
“In Florida, pornographic and inappropriate materials that have been snuck into our classrooms and libraries to sexualize our students violate our state education standards,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in March 2023.
“Florida is the education state and that means providing students with a quality education free from sexualization and harmful materials that are not age-appropriate.”