Pizza Hut drag book controversy explained as 'woke' reading programme takes over Twitter 

Pizza Hut gets slammed online for its 'woke' choice of a children's drag book for its Book It! programme (Image via Famingjia Inventor/Unsplash)

Pizza Hut has been facing immense backlash and even threats of a boycott for featuring a book about a boy who dresses in drag in their book club's reading list suggestion. The book was part of the chain's special selection to celebrate Pride Month.

The restaurant's 'Book It!' reading incentive programme has been one of its long-standing traditions since 1984, aimed at promoting reading among youngsters. Children in grades PreK-6 can furnish their school-issued certificates as proof of having read the designated book to be rewarded with a free pan pizza.

---

Why are conservatives trying to boycott Pizza Hut?

The book at the centre of this controversy, Big Wig by Jonathan Hillman, was chosen alongside Perfectly Pegasus by Jessie Sima and Be Amazing: A History of Pride by Desmond is Amazing. Pizza Hut's reading list email applauded these books for their attempt to:

"Explore the uniqueness of every person, celebrate our individuality and encourage kids to see that what makes us different, makes us special.”

The book's author, Jonathan Hillman, was over the moon at his book being picked for Pizza Hut's 'Book It!', claiming the he'd grown up partaking in the programme himself.

Big Wig, published in February, is a children's illustrated novel that follows the story of a young boy who likes dressing up, and whose wig gives magical powers to those who wear it. The book's blurb reads:

"In the spirit of Julián Is a Mermaid, this irrepressible picture book celebrates drag kids, individuality, and self-confidence from the perspective of a fabulous wig!"

The official description for the book is as follows:

"When a child dresses in drag to compete in a neighborhood costume competition, he becomes B. B. Bedazzle! A key part of B.B. Bedazzle’s ensemble is a wig called Wig. Together they are an unstoppable drag queen team! But Wig feels inadequate compared to the other, bigger wigs. When Wig flies off B. B.’s head, she goes from kid to kid instilling confidence and inspiring dreams in those who wear her."

Simon and Schuster, the publishers of the children's book, also lauded the universal messaging of the book, which is sure to resonate with many kids. It said:

"[Big Wig] celebrates the universal childhood experience of dressing up and the confidence that comes with putting on a costume. And it goes further than that, acknowledging that sometimes dressing differently from what might be expected is how we become our truest and best selves."

---

Conservatives slam Pizza Hut online for promoting the drag book among children

The selection sparked an uproar amongst the conservatives who tore into Pizza Hut for allegedly 'going woke.' Many clamoured for a boycott of the pizza chain for trying to poison the minds of children by exposing them to 'p*rverse s*xualities,' pledging to never order from them again. Here are a few of their tweets:

This unprecedented backlash on such a large scale has perplexed several people over how conservatives unanimously chose trivial matters like Pizza Hut's book club reading pick to attack, while the nation is still reeling from the aftermath of the rise in mass school shootings. Here are a few of their tweets:

A few others pointed out the irony of the people who once denounced cancel culture now indulging in the same, against Pizza Hut at that. The chain has not acknowledged this bizarre controversy that it finds itself unwillingly enveloped in.