Stephen King gives blunt three-word response after learning state 'banned' 23 of his books
Several publishers have filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida for passing a bill which has led to 'book bans Poppy Bilderbeck Stephen King has reacted to his books being 'banned' in schools as a result of a law passed by the state of Florida. On Thursday (August 29), Penguin Random House, five other publishers and the Authors Guild filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida for passing a law which allows parents to complain to schools and get certain books banned from their libraries. A far-right group called Moms for Liberty has been campaigning for schools to ban any books that address gender and sexuality from its libraries. Following such complaints, in 2022 Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a landmark legislation - HP 1069 - which targets books which include supposed sexually explicit material. Not only does the bill require sex education programs to teach 'that sex is determined by reproductive function at birth and is binary and unchangeable and to use only materials approved by the state Department of Education', but it also 'allows anyone in the district to object to any material in the classroom or school library or on the reading list that depicts or describes any sexual conduct, even if it is not pornographic, if it is not for a health course, 'ACLU Florida explains . It adds: "Such material would be removed pending investigation and subject to permanent removal." The law came into effect in July 2023 and has seen several schools ban certain books - including several of King's novels. Harper Collins Publishers shared a press release on the lawsuit against the state after 'hundreds of titles' have ended up being 'banned' since bill HB 1069 came into effect. It explains: "The list of banned books includes classics such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, as well as contemporary novels by bestselling authors such as Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and Stephen King . Some of Stephen King's novels have reportedly been banned from schools in Florida (Stefano Guidi / Getty Images).
" objects to a book, the book must be removed within five days and remain unavailable until the objection is resolved.
"There is no requirement to review a book within a reasonable time frame - or even to return it if it has been found not to violate the statute. If a book is returned to the library, an objector may request a review by a state- appointed special magistrate at the expense of the school district. "
Novels by King which have reportedly been banned include Carrie, It, The Gunslinger, The Long Walk and The Running Man.
And King took to Twitter on August 31 to react to the news, simply writing : "Florida has banned 23 pf [sic] my books. What the f ** k?"
The lawsuit filed by the publishers argues that the removal of books that contain 'anything that can be construed as "sexual conduct"' means there's 'no consideration of the educational value of the work as a whole'.
Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks issued a joint statement: "As publishers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and the right to read, the rise in book bans across the country continues to demand our collective action.
King says '23 books' of his have been banned (Ulf Andersen / Getty Images)
"Fighting unconstitutional legislation in Florida and across the country is an urgent priority. We are unwavering in our support for educators, librarians, students, authors, readers - everyone deserves access to books and stories that show different perspectives and viewpoints.
"Students need access to books that reflect a wide range of human experiences to learn and grow. It's imperative for the education of our young people that teachers and librarians be allowed to use their professional expertise to match our authors' books to the right reader at the right time in their lives. "
It argues for 'trained educators to evaluate books holistically to avoid harm to students who will otherwise lose access to a wide range of viewpoints'.
Florida officials have branded the lawsuit a 'stunt,' BBC reports and Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Booker said: "There are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools." Underrated Stephen King horror series UNILAD has contacted Florida's Department of Education and Harper Collins for comment.Featured Image Credit: Getty / Ulf Andersen / Getty / Stefano Guidi Topics: Books , Education , Florida , Stephen King , US News
Right-wing podcaster trolled after telling Stephen King to 'get a job'
Acclaimed author Stephen King was told to 'get a job 'by the conservative podcast host Gregory Robinson A right-wing podcaster is being trolled after telling prolific author Stephen King to' get a job '. The acclaimed author - who wrote the books It, Carrie and The Shining among many others - has basically been told he needs to join the job market by a conservative commentator in an unexpected Twitter spat. King found himself coming to blows with the former Fox News personality when the latter shared a post on Wednesday (10 May) to his 4.2 million Twitter followers that read: “ Biden is a disgrace to humankind. An embarrassment to the human race in every respect. ” Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo King replied to the post with a laughing emoji and the words: "Yes. But he's got a real job, not a podcast." Bongino, who used to present the Fox News show Unfiltered before leaving the network last month, hosts the podcast The Dan Bongino Show in case you did not know. Bongino did not take this clap back lightly and he typed an odd response and in the process, seemingly called one of the most successful authors of our time unemployed . yearning for the days that people actually gave as *** about your dumb a **. Bongino clearly should have taken a closer look at the name and photo of the person he was responding to on social media and Reddit users were particularly sharp with their responses to Bongino's faux pas. -up comments from all the people pointing out he just told Stephen King to get a job, ”one Reddit user said. “ Not like he is one of the most famous horror writers that got a record of his books filmed. .. ” A third typed:“ The guy 100% did not look at who he was replying to. He is not saying Stephen King does not have a job, he's saying, 'generic person who disagrees with me' a job. ” While a fourth person chimed in and wrote: "Stephen King with an estimated net worth of $ 500M. And those are real earned dollars too, Bongino is a dipsh * t."
The Dan Bongino Show
The shock and horror in response to Bongino's tweet kept coming, as someone else said: "I mean, Stephen King might be one of the most successful horror writers ever, but hey yeah you have a sh *** Y podcast."
Another Reddit user joked: “Lol telling a 75-year-old to get a job is dumb. Telling a 75-year-old that's worth half a billion to get a job is dumber. Telling the most prolific writer of his generation to get a job possibly the dumbest thing you can ever say. ”
And one savage response read: "Maybe Dan doesn't know who Stephen King is because he's never read a book in his life." Featured Image Credit: The Dan Bongino Show / Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Celebrity , News , US News , Stephen King
Modern horror movie 'scared the hell' out of Stephen King
The King of Horror has said that one modern movie 'scared the hell' out of him. Shola Lee The 'King of Horror' has said that one modern movie 'scared the hell' out of him. And look, we've all been scared s *** less by Stephen King , it doesn't matter if it was a book, a film, or, well IT, everything the man makes is spine-tinglingly scary.
So, we were surprised to hear that there are two movies King rates among the scariest he's seen — so much so that he wasn't even able to finish one of them.
Several publishers have filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida for passing a bill which has led to 'book bans Poppy Bilderbeck Stephen King has reacted to his books being 'banned' in schools as a result of a law passed by the state of Florida. On Thursday (August 29), Penguin Random House, five other publishers and the Authors Guild filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida for passing a law which allows parents to complain to schools and get certain books banned from their libraries. A far-right group called Moms for Liberty has been campaigning for schools to ban any books that address gender and sexuality from its libraries. Following such complaints, in 2022 Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a landmark legislation - HP 1069 - which targets books which include supposed sexually explicit material. Not only does the bill require sex education programs to teach 'that sex is determined by reproductive function at birth and is binary and unchangeable and to use only materials approved by the state Department of Education', but it also 'allows anyone in the district to object to any material in the classroom or school library or on the reading list that depicts or describes any sexual conduct, even if it is not pornographic, if it is not for a health course, 'ACLU Florida explains . It adds: "Such material would be removed pending investigation and subject to permanent removal." The law came into effect in July 2023 and has seen several schools ban certain books - including several of King's novels. Harper Collins Publishers shared a press release on the lawsuit against the state after 'hundreds of titles' have ended up being 'banned' since bill HB 1069 came into effect. It explains: "The list of banned books includes classics such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, as well as contemporary novels by bestselling authors such as Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and Stephen King . Some of Stephen King's novels have reportedly been banned from schools in Florida (Stefano Guidi / Getty Images).
" objects to a book, the book must be removed within five days and remain unavailable until the objection is resolved.
"There is no requirement to review a book within a reasonable time frame - or even to return it if it has been found not to violate the statute. If a book is returned to the library, an objector may request a review by a state- appointed special magistrate at the expense of the school district. "
Novels by King which have reportedly been banned include Carrie, It, The Gunslinger, The Long Walk and The Running Man.
And King took to Twitter on August 31 to react to the news, simply writing : "Florida has banned 23 pf [sic] my books. What the f ** k?"
The lawsuit filed by the publishers argues that the removal of books that contain 'anything that can be construed as "sexual conduct"' means there's 'no consideration of the educational value of the work as a whole'.
Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks issued a joint statement: "As publishers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and the right to read, the rise in book bans across the country continues to demand our collective action.
King says '23 books' of his have been banned (Ulf Andersen / Getty Images)"Fighting unconstitutional legislation in Florida and across the country is an urgent priority. We are unwavering in our support for educators, librarians, students, authors, readers - everyone deserves access to books and stories that show different perspectives and viewpoints.
"Students need access to books that reflect a wide range of human experiences to learn and grow. It's imperative for the education of our young people that teachers and librarians be allowed to use their professional expertise to match our authors' books to the right reader at the right time in their lives. "
It argues for 'trained educators to evaluate books holistically to avoid harm to students who will otherwise lose access to a wide range of viewpoints'.
Florida officials have branded the lawsuit a 'stunt,' BBC reports and Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Booker said: "There are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools." Underrated Stephen King horror series UNILAD has contacted Florida's Department of Education and Harper Collins for comment.Featured Image Credit: Getty / Ulf Andersen / Getty / Stefano Guidi Topics: Books , Education , Florida , Stephen King , US News
Right-wing podcaster trolled after telling Stephen King to 'get a job'
Acclaimed author Stephen King was told to 'get a job 'by the conservative podcast host Gregory Robinson A right-wing podcaster is being trolled after telling prolific author Stephen King to' get a job '. The acclaimed author - who wrote the books It, Carrie and The Shining among many others - has basically been told he needs to join the job market by a conservative commentator in an unexpected Twitter spat. King found himself coming to blows with the former Fox News personality when the latter shared a post on Wednesday (10 May) to his 4.2 million Twitter followers that read: “ Biden is a disgrace to humankind. An embarrassment to the human race in every respect. ” Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo King replied to the post with a laughing emoji and the words: "Yes. But he's got a real job, not a podcast." Bongino, who used to present the Fox News show Unfiltered before leaving the network last month, hosts the podcast The Dan Bongino Show in case you did not know. Bongino did not take this clap back lightly and he typed an odd response and in the process, seemingly called one of the most successful authors of our time unemployed . yearning for the days that people actually gave as *** about your dumb a **. Bongino clearly should have taken a closer look at the name and photo of the person he was responding to on social media and Reddit users were particularly sharp with their responses to Bongino's faux pas. -up comments from all the people pointing out he just told Stephen King to get a job, ”one Reddit user said. “ Not like he is one of the most famous horror writers that got a record of his books filmed. .. ” A third typed:“ The guy 100% did not look at who he was replying to. He is not saying Stephen King does not have a job, he's saying, 'generic person who disagrees with me' a job. ” While a fourth person chimed in and wrote: "Stephen King with an estimated net worth of $ 500M. And those are real earned dollars too, Bongino is a dipsh * t."
The Dan Bongino ShowThe shock and horror in response to Bongino's tweet kept coming, as someone else said: "I mean, Stephen King might be one of the most successful horror writers ever, but hey yeah you have a sh *** Y podcast."
Another Reddit user joked: “Lol telling a 75-year-old to get a job is dumb. Telling a 75-year-old that's worth half a billion to get a job is dumber. Telling the most prolific writer of his generation to get a job possibly the dumbest thing you can ever say. ”
And one savage response read: "Maybe Dan doesn't know who Stephen King is because he's never read a book in his life." Featured Image Credit: The Dan Bongino Show / Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Celebrity , News , US News , Stephen King
Modern horror movie 'scared the hell' out of Stephen King
The King of Horror has said that one modern movie 'scared the hell' out of him. Shola Lee The 'King of Horror' has said that one modern movie 'scared the hell' out of him. And look, we've all been scared s *** less by Stephen King , it doesn't matter if it was a book, a film, or, well IT, everything the man makes is spine-tinglingly scary.
So, we were surprised to hear that there are two movies King rates among the scariest he's seen — so much so that he wasn't even able to finish one of them.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo
It's no easy feat to scare King, he's created some of the bloodiest, creepiest characters in history.
Seriously, Pennywise freaked us out so much that we slept with our light on for a week, because demonic clowns can't get you in the dark obvious— obviously.
So, we take great comfort in knowing that a horror expert gets scared from time to time.
And if you're wondering what those films are, the first is an old classic from 1999, and the second came out in 2015.
Let's start with the 1999 box office hit, The Blair Witch Project, which follows three student filmmakers attempting to investigate. the mystery behind the Blair Witch tale, only to end up in a very dangerous woods, with no way out.
Speaking about the film, King said: "It may be the only time in my life when I quit a horror movie in the middle because I was too scared to go on… I was just freaked out of my mind."
And that's about the highest praise a horror film can get. But King wasn't finished there, as a more recent film had also 'scared the hell out of him'.
Robert Egger's directorial debut, The Witch, is set in 17th century New England and centers around a banished Puritan family, who starts being haunted by a sinister force.
Tweeting after seeing the film, King said: "The Witch scared the hell out of me. And it's a real movie, tense and thought-provoking as well as visceral."
And if you've not seen the film, then proceed to be freaked out by the trailer if you dare:
Still, that's not the only modern character that King has praised .
In his 2003 review of Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix, King stated that the best thing about the book was 'Dolores Umbridge'.
He wrote: "The gently smiling Dolores Umbridge, with her girlish voice, toadlike face, and clutching, stubby fingers, is the greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter.
" One needn't be a child to remember The Really Scary Teacher, the one who terrified us so badly that we dreaded the walk to school in the morning, and we turn the pages partly in fervent hopes that she will get her comeuppance.
"But also in growing fear of what she will get up to next. For surely a teacher capable of banning Harry Potter from playing Quidditch is capable of anything."
So, there you have it, The Blair Witch Project, The Witch, and Dolores Umbridge are just about the scariest things out there.
And, having seen Umbridge in action we can not help but agree.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Film and TV , News , Viral , Stephen King , Horror
It's no easy feat to scare King, he's created some of the bloodiest, creepiest characters in history.
Seriously, Pennywise freaked us out so much that we slept with our light on for a week, because demonic clowns can't get you in the dark obvious— obviously.
So, we take great comfort in knowing that a horror expert gets scared from time to time.
And if you're wondering what those films are, the first is an old classic from 1999, and the second came out in 2015.
Let's start with the 1999 box office hit, The Blair Witch Project, which follows three student filmmakers attempting to investigate. the mystery behind the Blair Witch tale, only to end up in a very dangerous woods, with no way out.
Speaking about the film, King said: "It may be the only time in my life when I quit a horror movie in the middle because I was too scared to go on… I was just freaked out of my mind."
And that's about the highest praise a horror film can get. But King wasn't finished there, as a more recent film had also 'scared the hell out of him'.
Robert Egger's directorial debut, The Witch, is set in 17th century New England and centers around a banished Puritan family, who starts being haunted by a sinister force.
Tweeting after seeing the film, King said: "The Witch scared the hell out of me. And it's a real movie, tense and thought-provoking as well as visceral."
And if you've not seen the film, then proceed to be freaked out by the trailer if you dare:
Still, that's not the only modern character that King has praised .
In his 2003 review of Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix, King stated that the best thing about the book was 'Dolores Umbridge'.
He wrote: "The gently smiling Dolores Umbridge, with her girlish voice, toadlike face, and clutching, stubby fingers, is the greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter.
" One needn't be a child to remember The Really Scary Teacher, the one who terrified us so badly that we dreaded the walk to school in the morning, and we turn the pages partly in fervent hopes that she will get her comeuppance.
"But also in growing fear of what she will get up to next. For surely a teacher capable of banning Harry Potter from playing Quidditch is capable of anything."
So, there you have it, The Blair Witch Project, The Witch, and Dolores Umbridge are just about the scariest things out there.
And, having seen Umbridge in action we can not help but agree.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Film and TV , News , Viral , Stephen King , Horror
