Actor Steve Martin celebrated the banning of his book “Shop Girl” in a Florida school district.
Back in 2022, many Florida school districts removed hundreds of books from their libraries, with many of the banned titles centering on race and the LGBTQIA+ community following the spread of “grooming” conspiracy theories, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Dont’ Say Gay” bill and dissent over teachings of critical race theory.
Martin’s 2000 novella is the latest to get the same treatment. On Monday, Martin brought attention to the development on Instagram.
“So proud to have my book ‘Shopgirl’ banned in Collier County, Florida,” he wrote. “Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!”
The book’s ban comes a year after Florida Gov. DeSantis implemented measures that allowed school libraries to ban books that are available to students based on community opinion or objection.
“Shopgirl” tells the story about a young woman who works in the glove department at Neiman Marcus and eventually meets a wealthy, older businessman. Together, the two go on a journey to understand and redefine their own definition of love.
Martin is one of the few A-list celebs to have their written work prohibited from Florida school libraries. Back in May, poet and author Amanda Gorman’s poetry book, which carries her inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country,” was banned after a parent complaint.
In the ban request, the complainant claimed “The Hill We Climb” contains content that is “not educational,” and that it includes hateful messaging “indirectly.” The parent also stated that the subject matter is “not for schools” and it can “cause confusion” and “indoctrinates students.”
