May 6th, 2008
Nanny state resentment is universal
As much as health professions seek to warn people away from smoking, drinking, over-eating, and sedentary lifestyles, pushback against such “nanny state” antics seems to be universal.
For proof consider Gonzo’s great line from the original Muppet Movie. “I’m going to Bombay, India to become a movie star.” (”But Gonzo,” says Kermit, “we’re going to Hollywood.” “Sure, anyone can do it the easy way!”)
Bollywood is now in an uproar over the nanny state antics of Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss, who wants film to set a good example for kids by cutting out the drinking and smoking.
Already the country has banned smoking in films and mandated warning labels on old films which show it. (In the U.S., cartoons have been recut to eliminate the cigarettes.)
But the move against drinking has gotten major pushback with stars like Amitabh Bachchan speaking out. Bachchan has even blogged about it.
The actors say they’re depicting reality, and that Ramadoss should first stop the drinking in his own ministry before he goes after them.
The pushback has caused Ramadoss to retreat, saying he was only asking films to set a better example.
All this mirrors disputes in the U.S., not only today but in the past, when the Hays Code was in effect. Both the concerns, and the pushback, are universal.
So how should health authorities make their point without getting preachy?
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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