[Nick]

Well back in 1951 it was considered really risque in its subject matter and how the young Holden Caulfield thought and what he did. Then its popularity got bumped up a notch when Robert John Brando, John Hickley Jr and Mark David Chapman were all associated with it. Having so many people who harmed and killed such high-profile people made others blame the book as being a bad influence on them and kids in general.

Of course if you picked up a copy and read it right now you'd probably find it really tame and see Holden as more of a worthless little prick than any sort of deep profound intellectual.

So basically hype. It's all hype.