Margaret Atwood Discusses Censorship in 60 Minutes Interview, Critics Dispute Claims

Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale, joined CBS News (Lean Left bias)’s 60 Minutes where she discussed how her dystopian fiction books have intersected with contemporary political and social trends, the research underlying her writing, and the publication of her new memoir.

Addressing Censorship: CBS said Atwood has seen her work banned for content deemed “overly sexual, morally corrupt, and anti-Christian.” The Handmaid’s Tale has been removed from roughly 135 school districts, according to PEN America. Atwood said she was particularly peeved when a recent ban came from Edmonton, Alberta, in her own country. Atwood argued that these bans are part of a broader trend of restricting civil liberties and warned about the cultural consequences of suppressing literature.

Response on the Right: Political commentator Matt Walsh (Right) responded to Atwood’s claims of censorship on X saying, “If by ‘banned’ you mean ‘the book is available everywhere that books are sold and has been obsessively promoted by every major media outlet for decades and adapted into six seasons of a streaming show on Hulu and not actually banned anywhere in any form at all’ then yeah the book has definitely been banned.” Fox News (Right) highlighted Atwood’s claims that most of her critiques come from the left, which she said expects her to “have been preaching their sermon, whatever it may happen to be.”

For Context: Since its publication in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale has played a prominent role in shaping discussions about society and culture–selling more than 10 million copies, being adapted into a Hulu series with six seasons and frequently referenced in political and social commentary. The story’s themes have influenced discussions on reproductive rights, women’s autonomy, and governmental overreach. 

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