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Steve Martin Offers Hilariously Iconic Response After His Book Is Banned In Florida

Steve Martin
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

After his 2000 novel 'Shopgirl' was banned from libraries in Florida's Collier County, the actor took to Instagram to celebrate the news in on-brand fashion.

Peter Karleby
By Peter KarlebyNov 09, 2023
Peter Karleby
Peter Karleby is a writer, content producer and performer originally from Michigan. His writing has also appeared on YourTango, Delish and Medium, and he has produced content for NBC, The New York Times and The CW, among others. When not working, he can be found tripping over his own feet on a hiking trail while singing Madonna songs to ward off lurking bears.
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The mass book bans in Florida are officially under way following legislation that passed earlier this year, and Steve Martin is actually celebrating it. Kind of.

Florida's Collier County recently announce that it is banning Martin's 2000 novel Shopgirlfrom all of its school libraries because of its supposed sexual content.

Martin, for one, is overjoyed, as he expressed on his Instagram profile in a way only he could.

Along with a photo of the book's cover, Martin wrote in his Instagram caption:

"So proud to have my book Shopgirl banned in Collier County, Florida! Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!"

Who knows, there could be a potentially nice payday coming out of Collier County for Mr. Martin!

Shopgirl centers on a relationship between a 20-something department store clerk and an older man. Martin also adapted the book into a 2005 film starring himself and Claire Danes.

The book was a sensation upon its release, because of the disarmingly tender and vulnerable way it explores both characters' struggles, the refuge they find in each other, and (spoiler alert) the very true-to-life way their relationship eventually unravels.

But conservatives in Florida seem to only care about its sexual content, which is sparse, at best.

On Instagram, fans of Martin and his books couldn't believe Shopgirl was being banned, and loved Martin's pithy take on the matter.

@i_choosejoy/Instagram

@adriennezarrillo/Instagram

@elliejc/Instagram

@kjschwing/Instagram

@gratefulfignj/Instagram

@thedorkweb/Instagram

@stacymichellebarrington/Instagram

@monicacomaswrites/Instagram

@thechubbycherub/Instagram


Shopgirl is just one of many books being removed from Collier County libraries, including those by Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker and Ernest Hemingway.

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