Think again. The health-obsessed control freaks are way ahead of you, as this guy has found to his cost.
A Polish artist has been warned that he could end up in prison - for painting a supermarket shelf of cans of beer.Don't rush them, Beata love. I'm sure they'll get round to hiding his stuff too, in time.Police in Cieszyn seized Michal Oginski's canvas, claiming it breached the country's tough alcohol advertising laws and could encourage young people to take up drinking.
The 25-year-old painter said: "I was told by police that my work corrupts youth and promotes alcoholism. But it's just a painting of some beer cans.
"It's part of a series of paintings depicting supermarket products. I've got others of washing powder and sugar. There's nothing sinister or corrupting about it."
His lawyer Beata Lejman explained: "This is absurd and I've never heard of such a ridiculous law. Are they going to confiscate Rembrandt's pictures which show casks of wine?"
Local police chief Kazmierz Plus said: "I don't make up the law - I just uphold it.And that's something which is 'universally' true of all bansturbators - their wicked self-satisfaction must have no possible loophole, even for artistic purposes pour encourager les autres.
"And this painting breaks the Act of Sobriety Upbringing law, which is universally binding."
When the legislation is enacted, anti-tobacco will be pushing to ensure that any use of a visible tobacco product can be classed as a crime. They've been hinting at it for a while, remember?
This story does, of course, also further highlight the foolishness of alcohol afficionados in attempting to draw some distinction between their chosen vice and tobacco.
In the eyes of the public health community, they're just as much a hopelessly weak-willed, industry-manipulated, addicted stain on society as the smoker.
The joy of denormalisation, eh?
18 comments:
Did you hear yesterday that the ban on cigarette machines has been halted while the manufacturers fight against it in court?
That isn't very visible in the media Dick, but then the bansturbators will do anything to avoid humiliation.
How easily the freedom of the Poles disappeared. lt didn't last long did it? Under USSR rule ... brief period of freedom ... then under EUSSR rule.
Hieronymus Bosch. 1450-1516.
'Garden of E.D's
(Not a tool)
NB
Smoking Hot is spot on. All the authoritarians never went away, they just bided their time....
Hmm, what about all those old enamel adverts for Capstan Full Strength you find on preserved railway stations?
WV = noncy
@Curmudgeon - the ones right beside the "IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO SMOKE...." signs? (with absolutely no sense of irony)
Jay
Curmudgeon: I expect they're tolerated for now, but only because they're no longer made. One suspects that if they were for a longstanding brand such as Rothmans or Dunhill they'd have been painted over.
Rosie: No, hadn't seen that, they've kept it quiet, indeed.
This would definitely be illegal then. Not to mention vast numbers of etched glass windows and mirrors. In practice I assume the mirrors and signs would simply retreat to private collections.
You have to wonder whether they will start airbrushing historic photos (like removing Brunel's cigar).
Not to worry. I expect the massed ranks of the anti-censorship Left will soon be lining up behind this bloke.
It's the way I tell 'em.
My fridge is currently hosting a rather splendid summer exhibition.
In the 40's and 50's most smokers (men and women) used cigarette cases. They were very attractive and a 'must have' fashion accessory of the time.
That is when the majority of people smoked.
Wouldn't it be ironic if these lovely cigarette cases became fashionable again and the number of smokers grew to the 40's and 50's levels ?
"Local police chief Kazmierz Plus said: "I don't make up the law - I just uphold it."
"Just following orders", the best Nuremberg defense-claim there was.
I have just seen the news about the Scottish postponement of the vending machine ban. Believe it or not, I saw it on ASH's site! Of course, there was the usual spokesperson comment: 'just a technical matter'......'fully confident'.....'prudence'....'health of Scottish people'.....Usual stuff.
Beer is a food!
Time to fight!
Oh, I have my grandad's cigarette case. the one he had with him all through WWI. Was it smoking that killed him? Nope. He was a coal miner before being a soldier. That got him in the end!
As I have said many a time... NO ONE should be carrying their cigs in anything other than the most glam ciggie case they can find. I have been doing so since the first warning logo appeared like a festering wart on my previously stylish packs of Dunhill (International - of course ). I have a collection of 6, including one with Marilyn Monroe's picture on the front....
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