Via Twitter, popular account Libs of TikTok posted an Amazon staff meeting where the team described author and commentator Matt Walsh’s kids’ book “Johnny the Walrus” as “traumatic” and “problematic.”
The book is about a kid named Johnny who believes he is a walrus, even cladding in spoons for tusks and tube socks for fins to resemble the aquatic mammal. Initially, his mother thinks it’s a phase he will outgrow.
However, society pressures her to allow Johnny to transition into a walrus, with even a doctor offering to transform the kid’s feet into fins.
During the Amazon staff meeting, one employee said: “It’s been a very traumatic experience for transgender Amazonians and our transgender customers. What I don’t want to come out of this is slamming the books team with a bunch of tickets; they’re already aware of this. There will be, there are things in this space that are happening.”
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1519032366831792128
“But ‘Johnny the Walrus’ is a bit of a problematic book. Not a bit, it is – it is not a bit of a problem. It’s one hell of a problem,” he continued.
The employee then played audio of a customer complaining about the book. The customer alleged that the book is encouraging other kids to bully trans kids into killing themselves.
Soon after the video went viral, Amazon removed the ability for Walsh to advertise the book on his platform.
“Amazon has pulled all ads for Johnny The Walrus, claiming it’s not ‘appropriate,” Walsh announced on Twitter. “They’ve also removed it from the children’s category and labeled it political commentary. They can’t take the book down because it doesn’t violate their rules, so instead they’ll pull these tricks.”
