Since 1984, Pizza Hut restaurants have engaged in what’s called the “Book It” program. It’s a promotion to incentivize kids to read, wherein children can earn “certificates” from their schools or homeschools or camps when they read books, then turn in the “certificates” for a free pizza. As part of the program, the restaurant promotes certain books, now including...yep, you guessed it.
On June 2, Libs of TikTok revealed on their Twitter feed that the chain has selected a publication to fit “Pride Month”: a children’s book promoting the idea of a little boy dressing in drag.
Noted Libs of TikTok:
.@pizzahut sponsors a program which incentivizes kids in PreK-6th grade to read books. This week, one of their suggested books is ‘Big Wig.’ A book about a child who becomes a drag performer.
No, that’s not a typo. It’s an insult to parents, an abuse of free speech, and a perversion of the proper adult-child relationship.
As Terresa Monroe-Hamilton reports, for BPR Politics and Business:
The chain restaurant sent an email prior to its summer program ‘Camp Book It!’ which began on June 1 and it has kicked up a firestorm of outrage and protest among parents.
‘Big Wig,’ written by Jonathan Hillman, recounts the story of a little boy who likes to dress in drag and dons a wig that gives magical powers to those who wear it.
And she notes that the pizza chain said they picked the book to coincide with “Pride Month.”
Because everything in Corporate America (but not in countries like Saudi Arabia, where many corporations sell their products but don’t engage in this wokeism, for some really, really inexplicable reason) has to be so overly full of pandering that parental control, grammar, and even the innocence of kids, have to be sacrificed to the woke Moloch of sex-act “identity.”
Adds Monroe-Hamilton, the plot of the book is both slyly and overtly transgressive and creepily appealing to kids:
’When a child dresses in drag to compete in a neighborhood costume competition, he becomes B. B. Bedazzle! A key part of B.B. Bedazzle’s ensemble is a wig called Wig. Together they are an unstoppable drag queen team! But Wig feels inadequate compared to the other, bigger wigs. When Wig flies off B. B.’s head, she goes from kid to kid instilling confidence and inspiring dreams in those who wear her,’ the book’s description reads.
So, the magic wig is anthropomorphic, and carries out the role of “superpower-granter” that's so appealing to kids -- and to those who want kids to see cross-dressing as “liberating.”
If the word “grooming” comes to mind, you’re not alone.
On June 3, Based Librarian reiterated the unease felt by Libs of TikTok, and added:
As mentioned by @libsoftiktok, @pizzahut is sponsoring a program to encourage kids to read these books. They want your kids to be drag queens.
If those with whom you speak about this doubt such a contention, draw their attention to more of what Ms. Monroe-Hamilton reports:
’In the spirit of ‘Julián Is a Mermaid,’ this irrepressible picture book celebrates drag kids, individuality, and self-confidence from the perspective of a fabulous wig!” the description also states.
Simon and Schuster published the book in February. The ‘Book It!’ description contends that it, ‘Celebrates the universal childhood experience of dressing up and the confidence that comes with putting on a costume.’
‘And it goes further than that, acknowledging that sometimes dressing differently from what might be expected is how we become our truest and best selves,’ the book’s site asserts.
And Jonathan Hillman, the book’s author, appears to be in complete agreement with what the site asserts, even as he celebrates Pizza Hut helping him make a bunch of “bread.”
“Hooray! Thank you @pizzahut for featuring BIG WIG (and for the MANY pizzas over the years). I grew up doing Book It!, so this is really special. And thank you @mychal3ts for sharing! #Pride @LeviHastingsArt @SimonKIDS," he tweeted on June 3.
Oh, and @SimonKids? That’s Simon and Schuster, one of the biggest publishers in the world. Their “kids” division published this thing, right along with their book “I Dissent” celebrating pro-abortion Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Reactions to Pizza Hut have been swift, including Tweets such as this, from syndicated journalist Kyle Becker:
Hi @pizzahut. Are you aware of how many pizza restaurants there are that don't try to turn kids into drag queens? Ask your marketing department if you don't know the answer.
But there have not been as many responses and protestations directed at Simon and Schuster. Perhaps that will change, as word spreads.
One thing is certain, at least these corporate giants have competition and we aren’t forced to pay for them – unless politicians hand them money the way they’ve granted them other special privileges under the government-granted “corporation” legal blessings.
If this were done by a public school, there would be no choice.
Which reminds me to ask folks if they’ve taken a look in the school libraries to see what they are being forced to buy.
It’s not censorship to avoid buying a pizza or a book, and it’s not censorship to ask a taxing authority NOT TO take your money to pay for a book.
The censorship occurs when politicians take away your choice by taking your money.
We can address both the Pizza Hut problem and the government-book-buying problem by educating others and getting vocal about their roots. In the first case, all we need to do is avoid a company. In the latter, we have to change the way people see the nature of the state.
Far too many see it like that magic wig in the disturbing book: empowering, cozy, a blessing.
In fact, government funding, like the wig in the kids’ book, is perverse and transgressive. As MRCTV Director Eric Scheiner often notes in his weekly Wacky MOLE productions, it’s a good idea to find out who is behind these attacks on morality, and contact these businesses. He provides the names of companies that have sponsored disastrously biased left-wing media segments, and offers their phone numbers, to make it easy.
Something to consider, when thinking about Pizza Hut.
Changing the government will take more work.
Related: Disney Continues To Be Woke In A New Thor Movie Trailer | MRCTV