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Texas teacher fired for showing Anne Frank graphic novel to eighth-graders (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 9 months ago by floofloof@lemmy.ca to c/usa@lemmy.ml
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[-] BaconIsAVeg@lemmy.ml 52 points 9 months ago

The graphic novel, written by Ari Folman and illustrated by David Polonsky, adapts the diary of 13-year-old Anne Frank, who wrote while hiding in an annexe in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Eighth-grade students were reportedly shown a section of the graphic novel where Frank reflected on her own genitals and wanted to see a female friend’s breasts, according to KFDM.

So basically exactly like all of the 13 yr olds in the class, who are probably taught at home how their body parts are shameful.

[-] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 5 points 9 months ago

Were they specifically shown just that part? Or was it part of reading the entire thing? I could see how the first scenario would be a bit odd and would like more context but if it's just in the book they were reading then this article is kind of misleading.

Also agree with you that this is totally normal thing for 8th graders to think about... the book was written by someone their own age for fucks sake.

[-] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 12 points 9 months ago

From an interview with David Polonsky, the illustrator:

In illustrating those more sensitive pages, Polonsky says he took great care to make sure nothing was too explicit for young readers.

Frank's musings about vaginas are illustrated with a black and white swirl, inspired by painter Georgia O'Keefe's famously vaginal flowers, he said. When Frank ponders female nudes, Polonsky draws her walking through a garden surrounded by Greek sculptures.

"I took inspiration from Anne's own world. She was really into Greek art and sculptures," he said. "I decided to show the nudes through classical marble sculptures, which I believed six years ago would be a mainstream thing that wouldn't be too controversial."

The illustrations from the book.

Georgia O'Keefe's famously vaginal flowers

This book was out for six years before it became a "problem". Real "someone think of the poor children" bullshit moral panic that is thinly disguising its fascism.

[-] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 1 points 9 months ago

That would have been my assumption but I always like to get as much detail about situations like this as possible in case something is being misrepresented to push a particular agenda. Looking at your links I have to agree with you.

[-] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 4 points 9 months ago

Without the illustrations to show that it's age appropriate it's easy for people to assume the worst.

this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2023
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