History YMMV / JohnnyTheWalrus

* BileFascination: Amongst Walsh's critics, the main reason to read the book is to see how absurdly it handles its message, as well as to laugh about the idea of conservative propaganda for children. That and mock the [[TerribleArtist horrible art]].

** Some have mockingly referred to the book as "transphobic ''Film/{{Tusk}}''," a BlackComedy horror film about a man who is forced to undergo brutal surgery transforming him into a walrus.

* TheWoobie: This is how we're meant to see Johnny, as he's a kid who pretended to be a walrus one day, so his mother forces him to wear itchy greasy makeup and eat worms, making him miserable.

* TheyCopiedItSoItSucks: Other right-wing writers of similar books complained about it lacking originality.

* TheyCopiedItNowItSucks: Other right-wing writers of similar books complained about it lacking originality.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Because Johnny himself isn't the one who says he identifies as a walrus, and he constantly complains about how the transition process is making him miserable, it's very easy to draw the complete opposite message from this book than what was intended: you should listen to your kids when they say they are uncomfortable with their body, and not force them to present in a way that doesn't match their identity. Of course, this implies that Matt Walsh thought about anything in this book further than “trans people are bad”.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: The book is written in a way that would appeal to young children in pre-school or kindergarten, [[UncertainAudience who aren't likely to pick up on the subtext regarding transgender issues]]. Furthermore, when Walsh read it to a group of kids, he had to explain several words like "Bigot" and "Phobic". There's also the nightmarish drawing of the doctor trying to cut off Johnny's legs.
** It’s more likely that this book was written for conservative parents who want to instill their own beliefs into their children at an early age and/or are terrified of the concept of progressive values appearing in works for children.

* BileFascination: Amongst Walsh’s critics, the main reason to read the book is to see how absurdly it handles its message, as well as to laugh about the idea of conservative propaganda for children.

** In one of the pages there is a picture of Matt Walsh's head on a baby wearing only a diaper next to a young Johnny who's also only wearing a diaper. It makes it seem like Matt Walsh is trying to show his diaper fetish to children.

* NarmCharm: The zookeeper AuthorAvatar looking like Matt Walsh is something that fans of the book consistently praise or fine oddly charming in its ridiculousness.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The book tells the story of a little boy named Johnny who loves to role-play as different animals and objects. One day, he decides that he wants to be a walrus. This (somehow) causes everyone to treat him as if he actually wants to become a walrus, culminating in a doctor suggesting that Johnny [[InsaneTrollLogic eat worms and have his limbs cut off]] in an allegory for hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery — a metaphor that would only be understood by adults in Walsh's audience who would purchase it, despite the book being illustrated and ostensibly presented as a children's book. Walsh boasted that it was the best-selling book in Amazon's LGBTQ+ category, only for Amazon to recategorize it to Political and Social Commentary and for Target to completely remove it from its online storefront.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The book tells the story of a little boy named Johnny who loves to role-play as different animals and objects. One day, he decides that he wants to be a walrus. This (somehow) causes everyone to treat him as if he actually wants to become a walrus, culminating in a doctor suggesting that Johnny [[InsaneTrollLogic eat worms and have his limbs cut off]] in an allegory for hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery — a metaphor that would only be understood by the transphobic adults in Walsh's audience who would purchase it, despite the book being illustrated and ostensibly presented as a children's book. Walsh boasted that it was the best-selling book in Amazon's LGBTQ+ category, only for Amazon to recategorize it to Political and Social Commentary and for Target to completely remove it from its online storefront.

* Squick: In one of the pages there is a picture of Matt Walsh's adult head on a baby wearing only a diaper next to a young Johnny who's also only wearing a diaper. It makes it seem like Matt Walsh is trying to show his diaper fetish to children.

* NarmCharm: The Zookeeper AuthorAvatar looking like Walsh is something that fans of the book consistently praise.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Because Johnny himself isn't the one who says he identifies as a walrus, and he constantly complains about how the transition process is making him miserable, it's very easy to draw the complete opposite message from this book than what was intended: you should listen to your kids when they say they are uncomfortable with their body, and not force them to present in a way that doesn't match their identity. Of course, this implies that Matt Walsh even thought this book through beyond “trans people are bad”.

** It’s more likely that this book was written for conservative parents who want to instill their own beliefs into their children at an early age and/or are terrified of the concept of progressive values appearing in works for children. The horror.

* BileFascination: Amongst Walsh’s critics, the main reason to read the book is to see how absurdly it handles its message.

It’s more likely that this book was written for conservative parents who want to instill their own beliefs into their children at an early age.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Because Johnny himself isn't the one who says he identifies as a walrus, and he constantly complains about how the transition process is making him miserable, it's very easy to draw the complete opposite message from this book than what was intended: you should listen to your kids when they say they are uncomfortable with their body, and not force them to present in a way that doesn't match their identity.
* BileFascination: Amongst Walsh’s critics, the main reason to read the book is to see how absurdly it handles its message.

* AcceptableTargets:
** The doctor is presented as being a sadist that wants to cut off Johnny's legs, likely reflecting Walsh's dislike for the medical community being supportive of gender transition.
** Progressive activists are also negatively portrayed.

* HilariousInHindsight: This could easily pass a SpinoffBabies adaptation of '' {{Film/Tusk}}'', down to a MadDoctor who wants to saw off a human's legs and "transform" the human into a walrus.

*{{Narm Charm}}: The Zookeeper {{author avatar}} looking like Walsh is something that fans of the book consistently praise.