"Looking for Alaska"... and Why It Shouldn't Be Banned
I stayed up late last night reading "Looking for Alaska" and then I spent the morning and afternoon finishing it. I stayed in my pajamas until after noon and even postponed my morning shower until I had read every last word of that book. And now I have to say: Wow. I mean, wow wow wow. Yes, there were times when I just wanted to put it down, and parts that I wished weren't there, but it is a book about teenagers. There's probably going to be stuff there that you'd rather not read about. I think I have a crush on John Green's brain. I mean, honestly. He understands teenagers in a way that, I, a teenager, don't. I don't know how and I don't know why, but with every book he writes John Green hits the nail of adolescence right smack on the head.
A lot of schools have banned or want to ban "Looking for Alaska". I completely understand their reasoning: there is smoking, drinking, sex, language, and drug references- all involving teens. And yet I don't think that the solution to America's problems regarding the teenage population can be solved by sheltering said teenagers. Teachers are incredibly naive, if not plain stupid, to think that high schoolers would read anything that they didn't already know about in "Looking for Alaska". And contrary to the popular belief of the Board of Education pricks that want to get "Looking for Alaska" banned, John Green is not promoting sex, drinking, and alcohol by including them in his book. At least that was not the impression I got from reading it. If anything, I had even less of a desire to do any of the three. And yeah, all of the characters cuss excessively, but that doesn't make me want to do it. I wasn't a cusser before reading the book, and I'm not going to be now. If a cusser picks up "Looking for Alaska", they're going to keep cussing after reading it. If a non-cusser picks up "Looking for Alaska", they are going to keep being a non-cusser after reading it. Books can change people, sure, but they are not known for immediately altering habits acquired over large spans of time. Plus, I am under the impression that the kind of people who read books like "Looking for Alaska" are fairly thoughtful, mature people, and not the type to read about characters making bad decisions and decide to do it themselves for the heck of it. Of course, I've been wrong before.
Here are some of the reasons why I don't think that John Green was promoting sex, drinking, and smoking in "Looking for Alaska":
1. Alaska says, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." A character clearly acknowledges that smoking can lead to death.
2. Miles- or Pudge, as he is known to his friends- repeatedly talks about how difficult it is to run now that he has become a smoker.
3. The characters do drink- but there are huge, horrible consequences.
4. The sex is awkward and gross and not glorified at all.
5. The characters are not happier because of the smoking, drinking, or sex.
And also because of this video:
Day Fifty-Nine Song Recommendation: "Kill Your Heroes" by AWOLNATION. No music video for today.
Happy Monday!
-SE Wagner
A lot of schools have banned or want to ban "Looking for Alaska". I completely understand their reasoning: there is smoking, drinking, sex, language, and drug references- all involving teens. And yet I don't think that the solution to America's problems regarding the teenage population can be solved by sheltering said teenagers. Teachers are incredibly naive, if not plain stupid, to think that high schoolers would read anything that they didn't already know about in "Looking for Alaska". And contrary to the popular belief of the Board of Education pricks that want to get "Looking for Alaska" banned, John Green is not promoting sex, drinking, and alcohol by including them in his book. At least that was not the impression I got from reading it. If anything, I had even less of a desire to do any of the three. And yeah, all of the characters cuss excessively, but that doesn't make me want to do it. I wasn't a cusser before reading the book, and I'm not going to be now. If a cusser picks up "Looking for Alaska", they're going to keep cussing after reading it. If a non-cusser picks up "Looking for Alaska", they are going to keep being a non-cusser after reading it. Books can change people, sure, but they are not known for immediately altering habits acquired over large spans of time. Plus, I am under the impression that the kind of people who read books like "Looking for Alaska" are fairly thoughtful, mature people, and not the type to read about characters making bad decisions and decide to do it themselves for the heck of it. Of course, I've been wrong before.
Here are some of the reasons why I don't think that John Green was promoting sex, drinking, and smoking in "Looking for Alaska":
1. Alaska says, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." A character clearly acknowledges that smoking can lead to death.
2. Miles- or Pudge, as he is known to his friends- repeatedly talks about how difficult it is to run now that he has become a smoker.
3. The characters do drink- but there are huge, horrible consequences.
4. The sex is awkward and gross and not glorified at all.
5. The characters are not happier because of the smoking, drinking, or sex.
And also because of this video:
Day Fifty-Nine Song Recommendation: "Kill Your Heroes" by AWOLNATION. No music video for today.
Happy Monday!
-SE Wagner
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