Ash Champlain 

Dylan Haugton 

English 160

November 17, 2022

Intro/topic 

First main point ||P

Second main point ||P

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Conclusion

The Banning Of Captain Underpants

The 12-part comic book series Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey is one of the most banned books in America due to unethical reasoning such as partial nudity, offensive language, and teaching kids poor behavior towards authority.

Into, first paragraph- why children’s comics and books are important to childhood and why taking that away is wrong. 

Second paragraph explain why captain underpants being “partially nudity” is only because it’s his costume and its not Wrong it’s called comedy…. Take a joke. 

Third explain how the book teaches kids good values not poor behavior and it is someone to look up to 

 

Over the past few decades, the book Captain Underpants has been challenged by libraries and schools over multiple reasons. The book has been challenged multiple times for offensive language, modeling bad child behavior, and challenged for having two characters in a same-sex relationship. The 12 part series is for kids ages six to eight, but of course anyone is allowed to read them. ‘Offensive language’ has been the largest reason for challenging or even banning the book. There are supposedly humorous jokes with the ‘offensive language’; mainly potty jokes and bad words such as calling their principle “that old guy” and “mean old Mr.Krupp.” There is not a single page in any of the books that contain bad or inappropriate language. The biggest controversial reason that challenged the book was the two characters in a same-sex marriage. In 2019, Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot featured a same-sex or gay couple. The entire series during this time was challenged for encouraging disruptive behavior amongst children. The book follows two protagonists, George and Melvin, who are very misbehaved and pull countless pranks on the teachers and their school’s principal- as that is part of the main humor within the comics. Comics like Captain Underpants are supposed to be for children, include stupid humor and jokes that little kids can understand, and allow kids to use the pictures to help their imagination. It’s an easy-read kind of book, as most comics are, for kids who like stupid humor. 

 

“In chapter 4, the two protagonists of the series – George Beard and Harold Hutchins – refer to their school principal as “that old guy” and call him “mean old mr.Krupp.

The hero in these comics only wears underwear, “in Chapter 17, captain underpants slings his underwear at the evil dr. Diaper in an attempt to defeat him and then covers himself with a barrel.” There is no real nudity within the book, unless the captain underpants’ chest counts. According to complaints from parents and faculty of schools, there is “extremely graphic violence” within the book. Of course there is violence, yet it’s not real gore/bloody, nor is said ‘violence’ realistic. There are so many examples of the two protagonists being mischievous and misbehaving as they are portrayed as pranksters within their school. 

The end of the twelfth book, Captain Underpants and The Sensational Saga Sir Stinks-A-Lot, a few panels show Harold and George grown up, revealing Harold became an artist with a domestic partner named Billy. Arborwood Elementary School in Monroe, Michigan, decided the book was suitable for children between the ages 2-4. This book is suitable for children ages 6-8- and can be read by anyone older of course- according to the parent-teacher organization, and if a kid wanted to purchase the book, the parent needed to be involved.

There were different opinions from parents. “One parent, Sheridan Watkins, said: ‘I think this kind of age a parent should be involved with them because they’re so young that they maybe need to be explained what this is about.’” Another parent disagreed, “‘If you’re in this world, they should know about that regardless,’ she said.”

“Pilkey responded to earlier attempts to ban his book in a 2014 essay for the Huffington Post. “There are some adults out there who are. Not amused by the things that make most children laugh, and so they try to stomp these things out,” he wrote. “As grown-ups, we need to respect our children’s rights to choose what they want to read.” 

 

Why are Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants books so consistently banned when they contain nothing objectionable? Because they teach children to challenge authority.