Beethoven – His Life and the 6th Symphony

Welcome to the Hidden History of Music.  This program dives deeper into the life and times of some of the greatest composers in history. What were their early lives like? What made them the person they became? What was the inspiration behind the music? There are so many questions that are traditionally hidden from our view and uncovering and answering those questions are what this program is all about.

In this episode, I will look closer at one of, if not the, greatest composers of all time. I will take a closer look at Beethoven and also look at his composition  “ Symphony No. 6 in F Major ‘Pastoral’, Op. 68”, commonly known as the “Pastoral Symphony,”  The music in the background is from that symphony, it’s the first track the “Allegro non troppo”  Ready?

First stop on our journey back in time is Bonn, Germany and the date is December 16th, 1770. The day the Maestro was born.

What type of world was Beethoven born into? Bonn in 1770 was actually a large city with a population of over 300,000. The city was renowned for not only being a center of political influence and power. It was also very much one of Germany’s and Europe’s leading spiritual and trading centers. At that time Germany was a part of what was the Holy Roman Empire and Bonn was the ecclesiastical principality of the region. It was ruled by a bishop and was very much under the control of Rome. Beethoven’s family was employed by the principality, and that gave them a certain level of status and prestige among the population.

One of the most interesting things about Beethoven’s family was that while his Grandfather was a respected musician, his father, Johann while being an accomplished singer was also an alcoholic. His goal or ambition was to turn his son Ludwig into a child prodigy like Mozart. In order to do so, he often made Ludwig practice for hours on end. His methodology was not one of encouragement but instead harsh and demeaning. In spite of, or maybe because of, Beethoven did display an incredible talent from an early age. He worked with and learned from professional musicians such as Christian Gottlob Neefe who taught him how to play Bach’s “Well Tempered Clavier”. it was occasions such as this that clearly showed Beethoven’s talent and helped others to recognize his almost unlimited potential.

He began to realize his potential when he was 12 and published his first composition. This was a set of keyboard variations, that was entitled  “Nine Variations on a March by Ernst Christoph Dressler for piano (C minor) WoO 63.” This clearly displayed his unique talent, because he had started working on it while he was only 10.

Finally at the ripe old age of 22, he moved to Vienna. At that time Vienna was the international capital  of music. He moved there in order to study with Joseph Haydn. As is often the case when two brilliant and talented people try to work together, especially when one is trying to teach or serve as a mentor, tensions will arise between them. The Haydn – Beethoven relationship was no different. Even though there was friction between the two, the Lichnowskys, one of Vienna’s most prominent families, took notice of Beethoven and he was able to gain their support. During this time, he began to establish himself as one of the most brilliant pianists, and he was most noted for his ability to improvise. It was also during his Vienna days that he composed the first two of his piano concertos. Both of which clearly showed how much both Haydn and Mozart had influenced him. The two pieces, ‘1st String Quartets” and “Symphony Number 1” clearly showed glimpses of his powerful and truly innovative style. Unfortunately, this was also the time when he began to experience difficulty hearing. As was and is the case with hearing loss, it continued to grow worse over time. He realized that it was incurable around 1802, at which time he wrote to his brothers telling them of his despair and how he thought of committing suicide. His letter is known as the “Heiligenstadt Testament”, and while it was indeed dark and foreboding, he continued to compose because his music and his art were his sole reason for living.

It was during this time that he composed some of the works he is most known for including:

“Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)” in 1803. This was initially dedicated to Napoleon, but he changed the dedication due to his disillusionment with Napoleon’s raw ambition to create an empire.  In 1804 and 1805, he composed, The Waldstein and Appassionato Piano Sonatas” and then in 1807 – 1808 he composed both hie famous “Symphony No. 5” and the focus of this episode, “Symphony No. 6”

Commonly known as the “Pastoral Symphony,” the 6th Symphony clearly displays how deeply Beethoven loved nature. The notes take the listener on a journey through the countryside and is often thought of as one of, if not the, earliest examples of what is known as programmatic music. Programmatic music is music that tells a story or in many cases actually helps the listener hear extra-musical ideas. While it was mostly composed during the 1807-1808 time period, there are some of his papers that suggest he was working on it as early as 1802.

He premiered the piece in Vienna on December 22nd, 1808, at the same time as he premiered his 5th, Symphony.  The composition is most notable for each of its 5 movements, evoking an image of various aspects of the natural world. The movements are:

Allegro ma non troppo – “Awakening of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival in the Countryside”. When listening to this piece, the audience is given a calm and joyful, almost playful introduction to nature.

Andante molto mosso – “Scene by the Brook” – if you’ve ever sat by a brook or creek and listened to the water flowing by while birds sang in the nearby trees, you’ll recognize the feelings this gives you. In fact, if you listen carefully, you will hear how the woodwind section of the orchestra imitate the calls of nightingales, quails, and cuckoos.

Allegro – “Merry Gathering of Country Folk” – Takes the listener back to those days of a family or group picnic, A gathering of friends and family mostly in rural settings.

Allegro – “Thunderstorm” – Living in the country, hearing the sounds of thunder as they interrupt an otherwise idyllic outdoor gathering. 

Allegretto – “Shepherd’s Song – Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm” Once the storm has passed, the air is cleaner, the birds resume singing, and nature returns to a state of relaxation and peacefulness.

The Pastoral Symphony was truly groundbreaking in how it clearly laid out a program that people could follow and understand. It also was a foundation for other composers such as Berlioz, Liszt, and Wagner, each of whom expanded on the concept of telling a story through symphonic music.  In addition to individual composers, most music historians believe that it also served as an important influence on the Romantic movement, when composers such as Mendelssohn (Scottish and Italian Symphonies), Mahler, and Richard Strauss began to incorporate themes inspired by nature into their music.

The Pastoral Symphony is one of Beethoven’s most beloved compositions. The way he wove the elements together, with its lyrical beauty, a truly unique storytelling approach, and the emotional depth it display that has helped to make it a timeless masterpiece.

Even though many consider the 5th and 6th to be masterpieces, they were not the culmination of his work. From 1808 through 1815, he continued to compose. This period has been labeled his “Heroic Period and Masterpieces”  and despite his hearing loss many music historians believe this might have been his most creative period. Perhaps his most famous concert was the one he gave in Vienna in 1808, when he featured the premier of both his “5th and 6th Symphonies” the “Choral Fantasy”, and other works.

Some of his notable works that he produced during this period include: 

In 1812, “Symphony No. 7” also known as “the apotheosis of the dance” It derived this name due to its rhythmic drive.  Also, in 1812 “Symphony No. 8” – this is a very playful, light-hearted symphony, which when you consider his hearing loss is very special.

Then in 1814, he revised “Fidelio” which was originally composed in 1805 This is his only opera, in which he emphasized the overall themes of freedom and justice.

His life from 1815 until his death in 1827, could be considered a life of personal struggle but also a time in which he still produced important works.  It was during this time that he produced, ”Symphony No. 9 (“Choral”)” This work included the famous “Ode to Joy,” and it was one of the first times a choir was included in a symphony.

Beethoven’s health continued to deteriorate and eventually he succumbed from liver disease in March of 1827. He was 56 and his funeral was attended by an estimate of over 20,000 people.

Beethoven’s influence on the musical world cannot be overstated, that is why 200 years after his passing, his music is still performed in all parts of the globe.

The post Episode 1 – Beethoven – His Life and the 6th Symphony appeared first on Ashby Navis & Tennyson Media Publisher.

Welcome to the Hidden History of Music. This is a new podcast from Ashby Navis and Tennyson Digital Media Publishers

Have you ever thought about the lives of the greatest composers of all time? Have you ever wondered if there were any untold stories about them, maybe stories that  have slipped through the cracks? Think for a moment about the genius of Beethoven, the brilliance of Mozart, the innovation of Bach, what inspired them? Did they have to overcome any obstacles, we know that Beethoven lost his hearing, what about the others? What struggles did they overcome? And what secrets are hidden in their masterpieces?

Welcome to The Hidden History of Music, a brand-new podcast where I will take you beyond the notes and into the lives of history’s greatest composers. Each episode, I’ll explore the fascinating stories of these musical legends and put a spotlight on one of their most iconic works, together we will begin to unravel the mysteries behind the music you love.

Whether you’re a lifelong classical music fan or just starting to explore the genre, The Hidden History of Music will change the way you hear these timeless pieces.

Join us every week as we uncover the passion, drama, and hidden genius behind the world’s greatest music. Subscribe now on [Podcast Platform] and be part of the journey!

The post Introduction to the Hidden History of Music appeared first on Ashby Navis & Tennyson Media Publisher.

Examples of censorship taking place around the globe and here in America.

I was planning on looking at how some school districts are intent on insuring that students don’t really learn actual history but instead learn a sanitized and often incorrect version, but I need to do some more research on the subject,  because it’s far more detailed and nuanced than I originally thought. So, in today’s episode I’ve changed things up and want to take a look at a couple of other areas.  I will take us on a tour of the world to list some of the religious books that are banned in various countries. Then I want to look at some of the States here in the U.S., one where it’s a crime to give students books and some of the laws and proposals that are currently out there that could, and one that does, turn librarians into criminals. There are many Examples of censorship taking place around the globe and here in America.

Let’s go around the globe and find out whose religious books are allowed where.

Since those who profess to be Christians make up the largest percentage of Americans, I thought I’d start with The Bible.

In the hermit kingdom of North Korea: The Bible is completely illegal to own or import, and distribution can result in imprisonment or execution. However, to be fair, Islam is also banned in North Korea and the punishment for participating in that religion is also punishable by imprisonment or death.

In a country that is theoretically an ally, Saudi Arabia: The distribution of non-Muslim religious materials, including the Bible, is illegal. if someone is caught with a Bible, they could face imprisonment, deportation, and in some cases, even the death penalty, as distributing non-Muslim religious materials like Bibles is considered illegal and can be seen as an act of apostasy or blasphemy depending on the circumstances.

Maldives: It is illegal to import Bibles, and all citizens are required to be observant Muslims. if someone is caught with a Bible, they could face imprisonment, as the country strictly enforces Islamic law and prohibits the propagation of any religion other than Islam; meaning publicly possessing or distributing a Bible is considered a criminal offense

Brunei: Bibles are banned from being imported, and Christians must be careful with electronic versions of the Bible.  According to our State Department, “The constitution states that while the official religion is the Shafi’i school of Sunni Islam, all other religions may be practiced “in peace and harmony.”  According to the constitution, the Sultan is the head of “the official religion” and is advised by the Islamic Religious Council “on all matters relating to the Islamic Religion.”  The Sultan may, after consultation with the Religious Council, make laws in respect of matters relating to the practice of Islam.  The government enforces the Sharia Penal Code (SPC), which states offenses such as apostasy and blasphemy are punishable by corporal and capital punishment, including stoning to death, amputation of hands or feet, or caning.”

Well, those must be outliers, right? Far from it, in Iran: Selling Bibles is illegal.  In Morocco: It is illegal to distribute Bibles or religious literature.   Libya: It is illegal to import or distribute Bibles, or to practice evangelism. In both the  Sudan and Yemen, It is illegal to own a Bible.  But those are all theocracies, religious practices and books are allowed in the secular west and elsewhere, right?

Not exactly, unlike Christianity and Judaism, Islam isn’t formally recognized in Italy. This means that mosques cannot receive public funds, Islamic weddings have no legal value, and Muslim workers aren’t entitled to take days off for religious holidays. Angola and Slovenia have banned Islam. China and Japan have both disallowed Mosques. Uzbekistan criminalizes activities by unregistered religious groups and designates certain Islamic groups as extremist and prohibited. Members of illegal groups can be jailed for up to five years, and members of prohibited groups can be jailed for up to 20 years. The common theme among all of these is the censorship of ideas or beliefs that the rulers or in some cases the majority of the population do not agree with.

As for the United States, we’re beginning to see the foundation for this same type of punishment for ideas spring up and be accepted by those who are afraid of what they are hearing. In 2022 Missouri took the first step towards criminalizing book distribution. Let me be clear, we all want to protect our children from harm. We all want to make sure that children have a chance to be children. The problem comes when politicians, who are seeking power, decide to paint the issue with a broad brush and do not understand, or who willingly neglect to understand that there’s a huge difference between an 8-year-old and a 16-17 year old.

The Missouri law  makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail or a $2,000 fine for School librarians and other educators to give students access to books that contain any sexually explicit images. Regardless of the student’s age or parental permission. In what I, as a writer, see as strange,  the law does not apply to written descriptions of sex or sexual acts; only photos, drawings, videos and other visual depictions are prohibited. So, a book can contain the most graphic, lurid, and explicit language and as long as the students are reading it and not seeing it, then  it’s ok.  After passage of the act, between July and December of 2022 12 school districts in Missouri banned 315 books, with the Wentzville School District banning 220 of those.  Not to be outdone, other states and politicians have jumped on the let’s ban everything bandwagon.

This is seen in how book challenges and outright bans have reached levels not seen in decades. “Concerned citizens” have flooded Public and school libraries with complaints. Politicians, and right-wing organizations such as Moms for Liberty are all complaining about what they view as the moral decay of America. And many lawmakers are considering implementing new legal punishments, such as lawsuits which cost a fortune to defend and fight, unrealistic and punitive fines, and in some cases, (see Missouri) even imprisonment. Why? For distributing books some regard as inappropriate, for others. They have set themselves up as the modern morality police for the United States. They are the 21st century version of the old Comstock folks or the U.S. version of the “Mutawa”,  which is the Saudi Arabian religious police. The official name is “Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice”. That is exactly what these groups are trying to become, they want to be your conscience.

Some people think I’m exaggerating when I talk about this issue, the reality is in 2023 lawmakers in more than 15 states introduced bills that if passed, would subject librarians or libraries to harsh penalties.

Utah for example, has enacted legislation that grants the state’s Attorney General power to enforce a new system of challenging and removing any books that are considered “sensitive” books from schools. The law also creates a citizens panel (which won’t be made up of neutral or educated citizens, but political cronies) to monitor compliance and violations.

In April of 2024, Idaho’s Gov. Brad Little signed a bill that empowers local prosecutors to bring charges against public and school libraries if they don’t move “harmful” materials away from children. Now supporters do say that technically this isn’t book banning, it is book relocation, and they’re correct. However, the fact that charges can  be brought against the librarians, who may not agree that a book is “harmful” is what makes this especially onerous.

Will some of these laws be overturned by the courts, probably, many of them go too far. But in other instances, the courts that will be making the decisions if a law is constitutional or not are very socially conservative, so the ultimate result is very much unknown. The trend towards more censorship rather than less is clear. Conservative news media platforms realize they have an audience who fears change and they are happy to profit from that fear by promoting only the most sordid of stories. As long as they can make money, and politicians can grab power, they will continue to go after the low hanging fruit.

I think that’s going to do it for this episode.

 Remember everything that happens in the United States happens because of politics and the selection of books for libraries and schools are always influenced by politics.

As with all of my work, I approach things from the perspective of a historian and the interdisciplinary perspective, in that, I believe there are no simple answers to the questions we face as a society. I’ll talk with you next week, until then, read what you want to read and encourage others to do the same.

Peace y’all

Join me out in the cyber world Facebook BluSky Have information to share about Book Bans in your community, Contact me

The post Episode 4 – Examples of censorship taking place around the globe and here in America. appeared first on Ashby Navis & Tennyson Media Publisher.

A look at some of the books that have been banned in the past.

In the last episode I spoke about the reasons why people want to ban certain books. It turns out that people want to ban books because it offends them. The reality is, in all cases of book bans, the people who want to ban certain books want to do so for one of two reasons. Either they are afraid of the ideas being expressed or they have a lust for power and control. One such example of that is:

The Chinese emperor Shih Huang Ti is often considered to be one of, if not the, most innovative rulers of all time. He is reported to have introduced wooden houses, carts, and boats. He is also credited with the introduction of the bow and arrow as weapons of war. There are those who say he invented script and introduced the concept of coins. He is said to have buried alive 460 Confucian scholars to control the writing of history in his time. In 212 B.C., he burned all the books in his kingdom, retaining only a single copy of each for the Royal Library and even those were destroyed just before his death. His ego, something that is pretty common with almost everyone I’ll mention in today’s show, let him believe that if all previous historical records were destroyed, then history could be said to begin with him.

Born approximately in 43 BC, Publius Ovidius Naso now known to us as Roman poet Ovid is often considered one of the finest poets to have ever lived. He is regarded as one of the “big 3” in Roman poetry, along with Virgil and Horace. He is probably best known for his romantic poetry and his work managed to get him exiled by  emperor Augustus to Tomis, the capital of what was the newly-organized province of Moesia, on the Black Sea, where he died while in exile. One of his first works the Amores (The Loves), had an immediate success and was followed, in rapid succession, by the Epistolae Heroidum, or Heroides (Epistles of the Heroines), the Medicamina faciei (“Cosmetics”; Eng. trans. The Art of Beauty), the Ars amatoria (The Art of Love), and the Remedia amoris (Remedies for Love), all reflecting the brilliant, sophisticated, pleasure-seeking society in which he moved.  Even after almost 1500 years his poetry proved to be controversial by some. All Ovid’s works were burned by Girolamo Savonarola in Florence in 1497.

Savonarola, was a Florentine religious fanatic with a large following, he was one of the most notorious and powerful of all censors. He is best known for instigating the great “bonfires of the vanities” which destroyed books and paintings by some of the greatest artists of Florence. Due to his popularity, many popular songs were denounced, and some were turned into hymns with new pious lyrics. In a master moment of irony, in May of 1498 Savonarola who hung from a cross and burned to death. Simultaneously all of his writings, sermons, essays, and pamphlets were destroyed. As for Ovid, his work still proved controversial, and an English translation of Ars Amatoria was banned by U.S. Customs in 1928.

Morality and religion often comes into play when people decide to ban  or burn books.

In 640 AD, the caliph Omar burned all 200,000 volumes in the library at Alexandria in Egypt. Why? In doing so, he said: “If these writings of the Greeks agree with the Book of God (the Koran) they are useless and need not be preserved; if they disagree, they are pernicious and ought to be destroyed.” The citizens did receive one benefit from his decision. When he had the books burned, it provided six months’ fuel to warm the city’s baths.

Western religious leaders are often some of the most intense opponents of books and publications they disagree with. Between 1524–26 several thousands of copies of William Tyndale’s English translation of the New Testament were printed in Germany and smuggled into England. Once discovered the bishop at London’s Roman Catholic church ordered that they were to be publicly burned. In those days, church authorities in England insisted that the Bible should and would be available only in Latin. This ensured that only they would be able to read and interpret it, they feared that if the ordinary person was able to read the scripture, they might lose control. In 1536, as a result of a plot masterminded by the English, Tyndale was arrested in Belgium, tried for heresy, and strangled and burned at the stake near Brussels. A few of his translations were burned with him. Today, only three original copies of Tyndale’s New Testament survive.

The Roman Catholic Church had always put out a list of what books they considered safe for their followers. This tradition dated back almost to the earliest days after Constantine made the church an official government body. About 70 years after Tyndale in 1559 Pope Paul IV established the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. For more than 400 years this was the definitive list of books that Roman Catholics were told not to read. It was one of the most powerful censorship tools in the world.

Remember in the last episode I spoke about after the Civil War,  around 1870, a government official named Anthony Comstock convinced Congress to pass a law prohibiting the mailing of “pornographic” materials. Under the Comstock Act the definition of pornography was really about as vague as it could be, pornographic included books such as anatomy textbooks, doctors’ pamphlets about reproduction, anything by Oscar Wilde, and even The Canterbury Tales. Who was Anthony Comstock? He was a veteran of the American Civil War where he fought for the Union. Around 1872, he started working with the Young Men’s Christian Association in New York City. Yes, he worked with the YMCA, now this was well before the Village People made the YMCA famous among the disco crowd. He was one of the most powerful American reformers, and over 40 years he was one of the leading voices in a crusade against what he considered obscenity in literature and in other forms of expression.

When we consider forms of expression, it’s important that we understand that in today’s world we are also talking about videos and even to a lesser degree music.

In 1934 the Catholic church created, the National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency. This was a Catholic group started by the Archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas. It’s stated purpose was to identify any and all objectionable content in motion pictures. Members were asked to pledge to patronize only those motion pictures which did not “offend decency and Christian morality”. The concept soon gained support from other churches and spread to other denominations. While condemnation by the Legion would often hurt a film’s chances for success because it meant that a significant number of Catholics plus their Protestant allies would avoid attending any screening of the film. As is the case with almost every form of condemnation or prohibition the blacklisting often backfired when it was found that they helped draw attention to those films. This attention usually resulted in the film being more successful than it would have been on its own merits. One film I remember from my youth  as being listed as objectionable, was the John Wayne, Stewart Granger, and Capucine movie, “North To Alaska” because it was a John Wayne movie, I wanted to go see it, my parents though refused to allow me to go, because the Legion of Decency labeled it as objectionable. That is just one example of how we view films has evolved over time.

Those who propose book bans and those who implement them are close to any viewpoint other than their own and they are incapable of explaining why they’re beliefs make more sense.

I think that’s going to do it for this episode, next week, I’ll look deeper into one of the other reasons people want to ban or censor books and that is how those books discuss  history and race.  Remember everything that happens in the United States happens because of politics and the selection of books for libraries and schools are always influenced by politics.

As with all of my work, I approach things from the perspective of a historian and the interdisciplinary perspective, in that, I believe there are no simple answers to the questions we face as a society. Until then, read what you want to read and encourage others to do the same.

Peace y’all

You can always connect with us by using this form

The post Episode 3 – Banned In The Past appeared first on Ashby Navis & Tennyson Media Publisher.

This is episode 2 – Why People Want to Ban Stuff. In the last episode I spoke about what I see as part of the reason people give for being able to ban books. Not the reasons as to why they want to ban them, but the reason why they think they have the right to demand that a book or video or audio program be banned.

Book banning or censorship is an issue that people are very passionate about. This emotion runs high on both sides of the issue, there are those who vehemently oppose book bans and censorship and those who are staunchly in favor of them. Since it is emotional, many people are unwilling to actually discuss their reasons for banning and even fewer are willing to compromise on the subject.

So why do people want to ban books? When it comes to a private citizen or a group of citizens wanting to have books banned most often the reason given can be found in several categories. Morality, race relations, or History. In fact, some historians believe the first book ever banned on a national scale in America was Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Southern states, who were to become the Confederacy barred the book from stores not only for its pro-abolitionist agenda, but because it brought the entire debate about slavery into focus and caused people to have angry debates about the subject. Many historians also think that the book helped provide a catalyst for the Civil War.

People become upset over what they consider to be lapses in morality, or challenges to the way they were raised and their beliefs. In America that is most often a book or video that deals with sexuality. America has traditionally been seen as a nation that is more likely to block books and videos that are sexual in nature. Many believe that is due to the United States having Anglo-European roots with their conservative moral viewpoints, rather than Latin roots with their more liberal attitudes. Historically America has in fact, practiced censorship in one form or another.

After the Civil War,  around 1870, a government official named Anthony Comstock convinced Congress to pass a law prohibiting the mailing of “pornographic” materials. Under the Comstock Act the definition of pornography was really about as vague as it could be, pornographic included books such as anatomy textbooks, doctors’ pamphlets about reproduction, anything by Oscar Wilde, and even The Canterbury Tales.

These bans, or “comstockery,” as the practice became known, continued into the new century. But by the 1920s, shifts in politics and social mores led booksellers to see themselves as advocates for people’s right to read whatever they wanted. One very interesting fact about the Comstock Act, is that Congress has never repealed it.  In 1971 Congress did remove the law’s provisions related to birth control, and in 1973 after Roe V. Wade, the act’s provisions against abortion were not enforced. However, in 2022 when  the ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe, the Comstock Act once again  came back into law. Many legal scholars have labeled the Comstock Act a zombie law, because while parts have been invalidated by the courts, Congress has never repealed it. 

Under the act booksellers fought to be able to provide what people wanted to read, and were for the most part successful, especially with the ruling in 1933, in The United States v. One Book Called Ulysses case, that helped usher in a new era of legal interpretation of the First Amendment. However, at the same time, a new technology and way of expressing ideas had come into being. Movies, and almost immediately they became a target for the censor.

From 1930s to 1968 Hollywood operated under what was known as “the Hays Code”. The code was eventually replaced in 1968 with the Motion Picture Association of America film ratings which are still used in the US today. Why did the Hays Code come into existence? The code dealt with the exact same issues as the Comstock  Act – Morality.

Specifically, politics and local views on what should and should not be seen by the public. The Hays Code specified what content was acceptable and unacceptable for films for public audiences in the US. One of its founding principles is that “No picture should lower the moral standards of those who see it.” Now this code was not imposed on the film industry by the government or any government agency, the code was adopted by the film industry as a matter of self-defense, in order to make certain that they would be able to distribute films across the nation. Why was this an issue? Because of local community bans and censorship.

According to film industry historians, before the code was established, many states and communities had their own film censorship boards. Those boards often decided what was acceptable or unacceptable for their audiences. This meant that US studios producing films for national audiences risked bans in large markets over questionable content.  It’s important to remember that only 10 years earlier, Prohibition was established outlawing the purchase of alcohol which gave birth to what we call The Roaring Twenties, which many saw as a time of loose morals. This tightening of the moral code regarding drinking also extended to legislators passing film censorship bills and decency laws. In 1921 alone over one hundred film censorship laws were put forward. In 1930 The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (later the Motion Picture Association) decided it was better to police themselves than to try to wade through complex and constantly changing state and local decency laws, so the code was adopted and enforced beginning in 1934.

Films were prohibited from showing things such as excessive displays of drinking liquor, adultery, sex scenes, sex perversion, sex hygiene and venereal disease, scenes of childbirth, vulgarity, obscenity , profanity, nudity, dances suggesting or representing sexual actions or emphasizing indecent movements, and any mocking of religion. If a person was born in the 40s, 50s, and part of the 60s, that is the code we, I’m a boomer, grew up with. When you listen to almost any person who is proposing certain books be banned or censored, you’ll most likely find they discuss or mention something in one of the morality topics.  Some who propose banning books do think they have the best interests of society at heart.

However,  it’s important to remember that when a person shows up at a city council meeting and demands that certain books be banned, it is highly unlikely they have ever even read any of the books. What has happened is they have been influenced by a news network, people on social media, and others who all have a vested interest in the issue. They have been living in what we call an echo chamber where the only voices they hear are those who are scared of the same things that frighten them. They live in a world where everyone who is different is evil and  the media knows they can earn enormous profits by playing on those fears.

I think that’s going to do it for this episode, next week, I’ll look deeper into one of the other reasons people want to ban or censor books and that is how those books discuss  history.  Remember everything that happens in the United States happens because of politics and the selection of books for libraries and schools are always influenced by politics.

As with all of my work, I approach things from the perspective of a historian and the interdisciplinary perspective, in that, I believe there are no simple answers to the questions we face as a society. Until then, read what you want to read and encourage others to do the same.

Peace y’all

The post Episode 2 – Why People Want To Ban Stuff appeared first on Ashby Navis & Tennyson Media Publisher.

The Forbidden Word…Exploring Book Censorship

Hello folks, welcome to The Forbidden Word…Exploring Book Censorship. , I’m Hank Wilson, your host and this is episode 1, an introduction to myself, the show, and what I hope to accomplish with it. Before I start talking about our subject, allow me to introduce myself I am a historian, an author, a retired minister. I have written 12 books, I work with a digital media publishing company, and I have written and published over 200 mobile applications. My work is distributed internationally, and I have a vested interest in people being able to express their thoughts and beliefs without anyone or any organization telling them what is ok to say, write, or believe and what is not ok to say, write, or believe. I have also had companies decline to publish several of my apps because they deemed them too controversial, so I am familiar with being told you’re banned.

The  books I have written are in the categories of Texas History, Human Communications Education, Historical Fiction, Agricultural Education, and Religion (specifically Spiritual Self-Help). I host the Hidden History of Texas podcast, which you can find at arctx.org and I run my own ministerial website which is located at ctcministry.org and I think that about covers it. If you want to know more about me, there is a contact form on the ashbynavis.com website and also links to my other sites. Now to the matter at hand, what this show is all about.

 During each episode of “The Forbidden Word…Exploring Book Censorship” I will be discussing the world of book censorship, or as we know it today, book banning and censorship in general. Censorship of books, social media posts, internet access, and video programs has become a topic that is causing much rancor and divided communities and even families. It is a part of the greater issue of trying to control what people say or write.

In this program, I will ask and hopefully answer questions about the entire concept of censorship or as it is in reality the prohibition against the free expression of ideas.

What’s the history of book bans? What types of books have been banned? What countries ban books? Why do people and governments want to ban books? What current battles over books are taking place around the globe and maybe even in your own hometown. As with all of my work, I approach things from the perspective of a historian and the interdisciplinary perspective, in that, I believe there are no simple answers to the questions we face as a society.

In order to truly have a conversation about book censorship (book banning) or censorship in general, we have to agree on what we mean by censorship? I think we all can generally agree that it means to prohibit or control what people hear, read, or view. It’s a way governments and powerful organizations try to control individuals in order to create a uniform way of viewing and thinking about issues and life in general.

 It’s not a new concept, it’s been practiced by governments for centuries. Every nation has its own set of laws and rules when it comes to how they control their citizens. Secular totalitarian governments such as China and Russia try to control what type of communication reaches their citizens. Religious governments try to block anything that might cast doubt about the dominant religion. Secular European governments try to control by limiting words and ideas they think might ‘offend’ another. Technically, the United States does not have or allow any suppression of free speech or the expression of ideas by the government. In fact, such prohibitions themselves are expressly forbidden by the Constitution of the United States. In article 1 of the Bill of Rights (which are actually the 1st 10 amendments to the Constitution) it says. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

And the phrase ‘freedom of speech’ is at the heart of what causes confusion. That is the phrase you hear people yelling whenever another person tells them not to say something. The amendment only says, that “Congress” can’t tell us what to say or not to say. Private media companies can and do limit what they print, social media sites can and do limit what people are allows to write. And that word “congress’ is where some communities and activists believe they can ban books from public libraries and also from school libraries. You see, according to what are call ‘strict textualists’ those that believe you have to interpret the Constitution exactly as written. So in their minds, if the city council or the state want to tell you what to say or write or publish, they are within their constitutional rights.

On the other side of the argument are those who believe that the word Congress can actually be interpreted to mean any governmental body, including city councils, county commissioners, or state legislature. And thus, they are prohibited from imposing restrictions.  With a conservative Supreme Court that is comprised of Textualists, people should not be surprised if various state censorship laws and bans are ruled to be constitutional.

I think that’s going to do it for this episode, next week, I’ll look deeper into history of book bans around the world and also what is currently being banned. I’ll also delve deeper into some of the censorship laws that are on the books here in the United States.

Until then, read what you want to read and encourage others to do the same.

Peace y’all

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