As of Thursday, conservative commentator Matt Walsh's "Johnny the Walrus" — a children's book that skewers leftist gender ideology by way of a story about a boy who pretends to be a walrus — was ranked number 1 on Amazon's list of "Best Sellers in LGBTQ+ Books."
But not any more.
No, his book didn't slip in the rankings. Instead, Walsh pointed out Friday that Amazon removed "Johnny the Walrus" from the LGBTQ+ section entirely.
Amazon has removed my bestselling LGBT children\u2019s book from their LGBT book list. This is an unconscionable attack on gay rights and a horrific example of homophobia and gay erasure.pic.twitter.com/AZeyqp66Ps— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1639140281
"This is an unconscionable attack on gay rights and a horrific example of homophobia and gay erasure," Walsh quipped in his tweet about the issue.
Sure enough, a cursory glance Friday afternoon at Amazon's top 100 LGBTQ+ books section showed no signs of "Johnny the Walrus" among the offerings. (Although glaringly it's still ranked number 3 on the "most wished for in LGBTQ+ books" — which tells you either Amazon needs a new delete button or that shoppers are on a different wavelength.)
What's more, Walsh pointed out Friday that "Johnny the Walrus" was removed from Target's website.
The canceling begins. Target has removed Johnny the Walrus from their website. No explanation has been given.pic.twitter.com/ZnI0s62e9n— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1639145105
Walsh added that "no explanation has been given" for the book getting wiped from Target.com. "The canceling begins," he added in his tweet.
Indeed, a search Friday afternoon for "Johnny the Walrus" on Target's site showed a whopping 320 items — some were books about "Johnny" (including a bunch about Johnny Cash), and there were some books about walruses. But Walsh's book was not listed in the results.
Prior to "Johnny the Walrus" getting harpooned, GLAAD and Media Matters for America were were hoppin' mad.
Brennan Suen of Media Matters tweeted that it's "totally unacceptable that @amazon is listing Matt Walsh's anti-trans children's book as an 'LGBTQ+ Book' -- also goes to show how easy it is for conservatives to manipulate sales and make money off this grift."
Now it sounds like Suen's happier:
the conservatives are pissed at me, but @mmfa and our partners succeeded in getting this stupid anti-trans children's book off the LGBTQ bestsellers and added to a more appropriate list: Political Commentary & Opinion\n\ncongrats on your bestselling commentary!!!!!pic.twitter.com/8YDlZjTeX1— Brennan Suen (@Brennan Suen) 1639152513
GLAAD retweeted Suen and offered its own takedown: "This is horrible. @AmazonHelp Please remove this book from the LGBTQ category immediately. It is absolutely not an LGBTQ book. It specifically targets transgender people with hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric."
Despite the censorship, Walsh kept winding up and throwing at the left, more than likely because they refuse to leave the batter's box — which is a testament to Walsh's expert trolling in this case.
"I am beginning to feel deeply marginalized and unsafe as an LGBT author and thought leader," he also tweeted Friday, presumably wiping away a waterfall of tears.
Walsh also noted Friday that "Jussie Smollett is not the victim of an anti-gay hate crime but I am."
“Johnny the Walrus” Read Along with Matt Walsh!youtu.be
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh's book "Johnny the Walrus," which takes aim at leftist gender ideology through a story about an imaginative boy who pretends to be a walrus, is currently ranked number one on Amazon's list of "Best Sellers in LGBTQ+ Books," but some are taking issue with the book being included in that category.
Brennan Suen of Media Matters for America tweeted that it is "totally unacceptable that @amazon is listing Matt Walsh's anti-trans children's book as an 'LGBTQ+ Book' -- also goes to show how easy it is for conservatives to manipulate sales and make money off this grift."
The pro-LGBTQ organization GLAAD retweeted Suen, declaring, "This is horrible. @AmazonHelp Please remove this book from the LGBTQ category immediately. It is absolutely not an LGBTQ book. It specifically targets transgender people with hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric."
This is horrible. @AmazonHelp Please remove this book from the LGBTQ category immediately. It is absolutely not an LGBTQ book. It specifically targets transgender people with hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric.https://twitter.com/brennansuen/status/1468585255296770053\u00a0\u2026— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1638990523
Alex Paterson of Media Matters for America tweeted that, "Amazon needs to stop misidentifying Matt Walsh's anti-trans propaganda as an 'LGBTQ book,' which is promoting harmful anti-trans views to its consumers interested in LGBTQ stories."
While the book was released last week, Amazon currently shows that it is only available for pre-order with a release date of March 29, 2022. The Daily Wire website has the book for sale with a note that reads, "Reserve your copy today from the next shipment, expected to ship in early 2022."
"Folks you have to admit this is all extremely funny," Walsh tweeted on Sunday. "Me becoming a number one bestselling LGBT author is the twist no one saw coming."
Transgender ideology remains a topic of signifiant cultural contention, particularly in matters such as whether biological males who identify as females should be permitted to utilize female restrooms and compete in female sports.
Me becoming a number one bestselling LGBT author is the twist no one saw coming— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1638710035
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire has authored a children's book titled "Johnny the Walrus" that takes aim at leftist gender ideology through a story about a boy who pretends to be a walrus.
"Johnny is a creative boy who pretends to be a walrus. His confused mommy takes his fantasy seriously and tries to raise him accordingly. But will Johnny be happy in his trans-walrus identity? Read and find out," Walsh tweeted about his book.
The book is currently number three on the Amazon Best Sellers list, though the website indicates that the book is "currently unavailable." The Daily Wire reported that the book sold out on Amazon.
Walsh's work is an effort to push back against radical gender ideology which defies biological reality.
"There are dozens of children’s books brainwashing kids into the gender identity cult where they are taught that identity is malleable and biology is meaningless," Walsh noted, according to the outlet. "This book is meant to be an antidote to that madness.”
“The success of the book proves that people are tired of the children’s book market being dominated by left wing propaganda,” Walsh noted.
Transgender ideology remains a topic of fierce debate throughout the country, including on practical matters such as whether biological males who identify as female should be permitted to use female restrooms and participate in sports designated for female athletes.
Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson said that the book is "hilarious."
"Not only is it true, it is really, really funny," Carlson said on the Monday night episode of his program.
Here\u2019s my children\u2019s book Johnny the Walrus. Johnny is a creative boy who pretends to be a walrus. His confused mommy takes his fantasy seriously and tries to raise him accordingly. But will Johnny be happy in his trans-walrus identity? Read and find out:http://johnnythewalrus.com/— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1638237891
Matt Walsh’s 'Johnny the Walrus,' which tells a story of a boy pretending to be a walrus, became the bestselling children's book on Amazon.
freebeacon.com
www.theblaze.com