The director of the documentary, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in his Own Words, says Amazon removed the film from its video service without any explanation.
What’s worse? The removal occurred early into Black History Month.
Clarence Thomas is the second black Supreme Court Justice in our nation’s history and is known for his conservative and constitutionalist legal opinions.
“Our distributor, who’s the one who made the deal with Amazon, has repeatedly asked them for explanations, but they haven’t given any,” said the film’s director Michael Pack to the Wall Street Journal. “They have the right to pull anything from their site, and they don’t have to give an explanation. So it’s not a contract violation. But many people have complained, and they haven’t put it back up.”
The Washington Examiner explains that the documentary “covers the life of Thomas from his childhood in segregated Georgia, his education at Yale University, and his heated Supreme Court confirmation hearings, which featured accusations of sexual harassment from Anita Hill, a law professor who had previously worked for him.”
Pack says the film, which originally aired on PBS in May 2020, was a success on Amazon’s platform and had—at one point—risen to the No. 1 documentary on the service.
“I don’t think Amazon should get away with doing these things without suffering at least some PR consequences,” said the director. “Deplatforming will go on if people don’t write about it and complain about it.”
‘Oh, the Places You Won’t Go.’ Six Dr. Seuss Books Canceled for Racist Imagery
Six books from the iconic Dr. Seuss series of children’s books will “stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday,” reported by the Associated Press. Dr. Seuss Enterprises told the AP in a statement, “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” said the statement. Books on the chopping block are “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises said the company’s decision was made last year after they “listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academic and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles.”
In 2017 after first lady Melania Trump donated Dr. Seuss books to a school library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the school’s librarian criticized the gift saying many of his works were “steeped in racist propaganda caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”
Arguably one of the most famously well-known and loved Dr. Seuss books is “The Cat in the Hat” which has also come under criticism but the Enterprise says it “will continue to be published for now.” The AP reports how popular Dr. Seuss remains, “earning an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago, the company said.” In 2020 Forbes listed him as the second-highest-paid dead celebrities behind pop star Michael Jackson.
NY Public Library Says it WON’T Cancel Dr. Seuss
The New York Public Library says it will not remove certain “controversial” Dr. Seuss books from its shelves.
Library spokeswoman Angela Montefinise told the New York Post that the library “does not censor books.”
“In this case, the six titles in question are being pulled out of print by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, so the very few copies we have of these titles will continue to circulate until there are no longer in acceptable condition,” Montefinise said.
“In the meantime, librarians, who care deeply about serving their communities and ensuring accurate and diverse representation in our collections — especially children’s books — will certainly strongly consider this information when planning storytimes, displays, and recommendations,” she said.
The books are part of the library’s historical research collection.
According to the Post, the Brooklyn Public Library will also keep the books in circulation, while the Queens Public Library is considering whether to move the books to its reference section but says it stands firmly against censorship.
The Post writes:
The half dozen books by Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, made news this week when the company that publishes the titles for Penguin Random House, said it would no longer publish them.
The six Dr. Seuss books that have come under fire from the leftist woke mob are: “If I Ran the Zoo,” “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
Leftists claim the books are racist due to stereotypical portrayals of certain racial and ethnic groups.
The banning of the books has prompted Universal Studios in Orlando, FL to “evalute” its attractions and park rides inspired by the famous children’s author.
Ebay is reportedly removing listings from those selling the canceled Dr. Seuss books for not following the company’s “offensive material policy.”
The policy allows Ebay to remove listings that “promote or glorify hatred, violence or discrimination.”
Interestingly enough, the Daily Mail points out that Ebay is still allowing copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf to be sold on its website.
We leave you with some Leftist Logic on the Dr. Seuss controversy:
Leftist Logic:
Trust 5-year-olds enough to choose their own gender but don't trust 5-year-olds enough to read Dr. Seuss
????
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 2, 2021
