Reading is NOT political!

[@mintymag]

I was real confused for the first 30 seconds 😅

[@WillowTalksBooks]

😇

[@emilyerdmann7553]

It took me even longer. I thought that this was just her breaking point. 😂

[@badger-1984]

Obviously reading isn't political. That's why books never get banned

[@carl_oak]

Lol the sarcasm!

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Ooph! That one hit 👏👏👏

[@newhorizons1]

😂 Dracula was just a Bitey man 😂

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Nomnomnom 😌

[@oscarshedwick4862]

I do want all of classical horror to be summed up in 1 to 2 lines now.

[@DarkDragonaire]

First 30 seconds: Confusion Rest of the Video: Ahh there we go

[@WillowTalksBooks]

😇

[@odile8701]

God, I felt those last few seconds in my damned soul

[@jenniferlee9135]

Trying to laugh at the monumental levels of absurdity...only to be hit with dread reality. This is so spot-on for so many of us living in the United States right now. Thank you Willow!❤

[@David-sg1yi]

@@jenniferlee9135 agreed

[@luckynumberme3188]

I didn't think any of the facetious descriptions could take me out more than describing Babel as a book about "going to Oxford and having fun with your friends while you're still young", but describing Grace of Kings as "Swords and fighting and cool guys doing cool stuff" laid me flat on the floor

[@maiiau]

Most horror is just about scary places. The Haunting of Hill House is about a scary house. Tell Me I'm Worthless is also about a scary house. The Bog Wife is about a scary bog. The Southern Reach series is about a scary Florida. Frankenstein, however, is about a scary GUY. Slightly different.

[@jacforswear18]

Body horror is strictly about how poop and blood is yucky, duh!

[@niccc9476]

thank you for making this video. i've had the worst day and this gave me a chuckle

[@WillowTalksBooks]

I’m really sorry to hear that! Hope I cheered you up a little bit 💜

[@katblack394]

Just a book about a bitey man - that one got me 🤣😂🤣

[@readandre-read]

This was great. And you sold me on Dracula.

[@Readatrix]

When I tell you I looked at the numbers of people on various social media platforms who identify as readers, and I took comfort. Sure, a LOT of them underlined they read for fun, but learning things and picking up what the author is putting down IS fun. And, okay, they mentioned turning off their brains, but they didn't mean missing the obvious, just not delving deep. And this last week or so has stripped me of comfort and I've seen 1,000 very pretty girls standing before bookshelves of the kinds of fantasy focused on revolution and taking on the government saying their books aren't political. And another thousand people trying to get them understand the MANY ways books are political, only for that to be rejected. So many of the "reading isn't political" people are also in the "politics aren't a reason to end friendships" faction, but what's clear is reader had a big divide between then for longer than we'd realized.

[@badfaith4u]

Fun bitey man! 🤣😂😅😆😁😄😃😀 That was hilarious.

[@jacforswear18]

You got me Willow, I was briefly shocked and horrified by the title! 😅 Beyond the content of books, the ACCESS to literature is also political. Hell, being able to read is political in a world where “developed” countries have majority national literacy below the 6th grade level. It’s all political baby!

[@VikiCookie]

You scared me a little bit there at the beginning.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Sorry! The dangers of irony 😬

[@LilMorphineAnnie]

🤣Amazing. I'm tempted to send this to a couple of particular people just to watch the confusion on their faces

[@WillowTalksBooks]

😈

[@chantellemilosevic8583]

Hahahaha something about Dracula being about 'a really bitey man' was my favourite part. PS: I'm saving this book for when I plan to be in Transylvania next year. I was always excited, but now I can have a giggle too as I will probably be thinking about this video the entire time. 🤣

[@Elyse2158]

😂 You are a gift to us all! Thank you for being the absolute best

[@jtru0]

The sarcasm. Beautifully done. ❤

[@JadeCryptOfWonders]

I’m sure Ursula K Le Guin’s The Dispossessed has no political content whatsoever, just fun sci fi times.

[@GentleReader01]

People with tragic genetic weirdness make a living as best they can without benefit of strong male authority figures.

[@roma-teclea]

I freaking love you so much. So. Much.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

🥰

[@biscuitbunny9230]

You almost got me! LOL! At first I was confusion lol.....Then I kept listening and was like...there it is!!! 😂 This is why I love this channel.

[@natcatsbookishcafe3799]

I literally just posted a reel on my insta about reading being political and then I pop into KZbin and see this!! I was like 🥴🥴🥴 but then I was like 😂😂😂. Great video!

[@cyndie88]

This isn't a book about fascism, it's a book about eyeballs 🤣🤣🤣

[@ellies6563]

😂 had to share this straight away

[@rachel1021]

Your joke videos never fail to make me smile and laugh 😂

[@RoundSeal]

My favourite book is War of the Worlds! It's a really fun story about aliens and not at all about anti-imperialism/colonialism 🙂

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Absolutely! Wells was in no way critical of British imperialism. He just liked the colour red and spoopy aliens!

[@juliarangelr]

obviously it’s not political! so what if women weren’t allowed to be taught how to read and go to school? those days are gone now!! hmmm, wait….

[@ellenmadebookclub]

I think I’m missing out on the bitey men. Sounds fun!

[@Amoscrts]

I love the bitey man book! It’s a favorite “non-political “ book!

[@morganaverena]

As always, you're amazing!!! Hugs from Brazil ❤

[@PlomiennyJacus]

everything is political, thanks for attending my TED talk

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

Excellent satire. It makes me wish I could tell the themes of the books I read better.

[@scal2025]

And here I thought 1984 was a book about drinking gin. Clearly my literary analysis skills need work.

[@themusicsnob]

lol I love this so much. I have been thinking about how reading isn’t enough political action and us readers need to be doing more (many of us are), but also wtf people don’t think reading is political…

[@barbarablonsky7521]

Lmao, Willow…..I was listening to you while I was cleaning……I had to stop and make sure I was hearing you correctly……👍👍👍. You made take notice👍

[@frei2304]

Dracula is about average airnbn shenanigans that everybody goes through its supposed to be quirky relatable fun obviously

[@BookishTexan]

Well done! 🍿

[@wiebkeh.4394]

Thanks for the laugh! Though, seriously, the ever rising number of people who apparently don't know what an allegory is, has me worried.

[@k.huelle]

I love you so much!!!🔥

[@jennifers4142]

I saw Banjo Biblioteca’s video on this topic right after yours. I think you’d like it!

[@gamewrit0058]

Thanks for the recommendation. Watched and subscribed to Banjo today!

[@Gen-yh1jz]

This was an awesome video, Willow😂😂❤

[@TimeTravelReads]

Take a bow. I saw a teacher on Booktube say that she wasn't allowed to teach entire novels. She could only teach how to respond to excerpts during standardized tests. I wonder how many Gen Z kids were taught that the fictional is based on the real, and how to relate the two?

[@WillowTalksBooks]

What?! Oh my god…

[@srtadevoralibros]

You are amazing ❤❤❤

[@givemeprimelaughter]

Ok I just watched your Gaiman video then decided to watch a few more to get a feel for your channel. This is my second video and YEAH. SUBSCRIBING !!!

[@danielaweberdani]

what a subtle example of what books can't do to a reader's wits! 🙃⚘

[@spreadbookjoy]

But no one reads any more Willow - haven’t you heard?

[@LadyMarianArt]

You're amazing

[@Barryislarge]

Sorry but if you read, you're probably a woke college student 🙄 we like our maga party free of lefty notions like education and literacy!

[@markhnk]

I think many of the "reading is not political" folks actually tend to read fiction with a certain political ideology themselves (for example, in the SF community, readers who mostly read military SF but complain about all that left-wing political stuff, because "political" always seems to mean "left"). So I think many of them are not too dumb to see the politics of a book; they are just lying about it. It's only "too political" if it's not their politics.

[@jacforswear18]

It’s all very “I love Rage Against the Machine” as quoted by Paul Ryan 😂

[@gamewrit0058]

Exactly. 👍

[@kathybryar06]

I knew but I came anyway and was entertained 😁

[@sandramiele1816]

Brilliant!!!😂

[@TiggerTellsTales]

I just have to disagree…Babel is clearly about silver bars and my confusion about those bars 😂 Great video!!

[@The_hexgames]

Had me in the first half, not gonna lie 🤣🤣🤣

[@JamesA-b8p]

Great topic.Willow! I agree with you (kinda). However, it does seem to me that certain authors do exercise a degree of polemics, wether in its story arc or more specifically its characters. My main hangup is my inability to read later era Stephen King. I can't get past his anti-conservative inserts. If that's my failure to recognize 'fun' in fiction than so be it. Me bad.

[@notlikejane]

I've never seen something as meaningless as reading. No politics, no substance, no ethical commentary. Can't see why anyone does something so trite, in any case.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Not me making a totally tongue-in-cheek video and then panicking about whether or not this comment is also tongue-in-cheek 😭

[@notlikejane]

@WillowTalksBooks Bless. I will save the fear and add a big /S down here in the comments.

[@chickwithbricks]

A book about eyeballs 😂👁️

[@hellobortoli1171]

Lafontaine was the best at this game, he was just talking about cute animals

[@bex262]

love when you troll!

[@WillowTalksBooks]

😇

[@TheFran2555]

If I hadn't deleted TikTok at the beginning of the year, I would have done it now with these senseless conversations.

[@jcrunolfson1971]

Brilliant satire. 🤣

[@LittleBrisby]

thinking of banned books 😥

[@Faeryunknow]

Yeah, I almost disliked and unfollowed, then checked the comments. Dangerous way to name/start a video.

[@mikedahuman]

Trchincally books about Politics are these days arent Actually about politics, they are opinions.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

In the words of my bigoted father every time he is bigoted, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.

[@poe.and.theholograms]

Forming and voicing an opinion is a civic power, though: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZCopqeZnpyUmc0

[@susan_brehm_art]

😍😍😍

[@jamesbest9038]

All art is political, especially when consumed in a capitalism.

[@tovezuiderveen4234]

Ok, hear me out, what about very bitey women?

[@ChronicVillainy]

Bitey man 🤣

[@shesagift1]

😂😊😊😊

[@gamineglass]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@SanchiaSaru1]

I am dying of laughter watching this just to keep my sanity, because of how bat-s*** crazy my country has gotten with these takes, like...hello, have you not read the bible where a majority of the messaging got the author crucified? No? You say its about a man with a massive following, who was just super popular, and built club establishments to teach people to live with a list of pre-requisites to join them, and he was a sacrifice because we were cancelled. LMAO, and WTF 😅 we are so F-ed, the irony.

[@OlenskasBibliotek]

😂

[@Chipelin]

Hmmm....I think I disagree with you here, Obviously "books are political". This is a point so obvious It's not worth commenting on. However, reading by itself isn't a radical act. Yes, especially in times of crisis, it's important to read and study. If for know other reason than to help nourish the next generation of radicals. However, reading should not be person's only or even main avenue for radical action. Those young kids aren't going to show up on your doorstep by themselves!

[@Marz3006]

The ability to read is inherently political. The level of radicalism may not be what it was historically and I agree it’s not the ONLY radical act in modern times, but the act and ability to read remains and will continue to be radical.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

Very nicely put!

[@Chipelin]

@@Marz3006 Extremely fair point. However, I'm a bit weary of people congratulating themselves for the ability to read on a platform to which they wouldn't have access to without that ability.

[@parkerbrown-nesbit1747]

​@@Chipelin, there's a huge difference between just reading and understanding (and analyzing) what you've read.

[@Chipelin]

@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 I mean...I guess, I'm less quick to discount even a basic surface read as "Just reading" Somebody wants to read "Of Mice and Man" for fun - more power to them. Assuming they're real and not made of straw.

[@Ichithix]

The logical part of my brain: "I see what you're doing here." The emotional part of my brain: *screaming for three minutes and eleven seconds* I haven't had enough coffee for this level of violence.

[@merchuegrandmasterthortono8159]

Orwell’s 1984 is definitely political, but not in the way you’re claiming. There’s a reason that piece of trash and the even worse Animal Farm have been forced on generations of high school students by the education system: they’re anticommunist garbage. There’s a reason that the Central Intelligence Agency funded the film adaptations of Orwell’s work, and it’s because his writings are exactly what you would expect from a man who kept lists of names of suspected communists that he gave to the British secret police. Yes, 1984 is political, not because it speaks out against injustice or critiques power, but because it has been used as part of the CIA’s campaign of psychological warfare against the American people since as far back as when Orwell was still living. 1984 is nothing more than a anti-Soviet propaganda screed.

[@kendonfahr8337]

Sorry, but I must intervene. You're a former English teacher. So am I. And I'm a liberal who - in a moment of desperation - joined the Tories in 2019. (I've since left.) There's a difference between subtext and text. This distinction seems to have been eroded in the last decade. It's fine to read fiction to determine what the themes are - but it's folly to publish fiction to promote particular ideas. The first is called Art - the latter is Propaganda. That's why our side of the aisle is losing across the democratic world - people are tired of being told what to think and feel about political issues. Liberals are still bearable. Leftists are done.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

It’s folly to publish fiction to promote particular ideas?! Then what the hell did you do when you were presented with books like War of the Worlds, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, Frankenstein, Northern Lights, Lord of the Flies, Death of a Salesman, or any other number of explicitly politically thematic books and plays that we often teach at school? Just tell your students it’s all propaganda and that the left is doomed? Charming.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

This comment has really gotten under my skin. It comes from the most white masculine place of privilege I’ve ever seen. What would James Baldwin say to this? Or Toni Morrison or Ursula Le Guin or any number of great writers who created art from a place of oppression and the fight for something better? You’re saying everything they did was propaganda and that the left is done? Yeah, that’s some privilege tory talk for sure.

[@WillowTalksBooks]

This comment has got me LIVID! #books #politics

[@Albinojackrussel]

I'm really confused. You'd already had several years of Tory rule by 2019. If Britain under them made you desperate, why on earth did turning to them feel like the solution?

[@jjcrazi]

That’s an ideology and a half… lol

[@Fifoldora]

❤❤