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Is Britain going into an ad-banning frenzy? Britain’s Telegraph newspaper has taken a fascinating look at the increasingly tough task of advertising just about anything in the U.K.  I recently wrote about the nation’s ban on advertising formula for newborns, along with the effort to block ads for every type of formula. Then there’s the relatively new ban on advertising junk food to kids under 16, which shows how big a bullet our corporations dodged with their voluntary guidelines. (Tellingly, British children’s programming is expected to take a huge hit by the end of the year.) Ad regulators in the U.K. have smashed a longstanding campaign for eggs, and alcohol could be next. Even bald men in tubs are off limits. My personal favorite movement is to ban mainstream ads for 4x4 SUVs “on the grounds of public health.” Of course, the group is trying to get rid of urban SUVs altogether, with the ad ban just being a first step. No 4x4s? But how else is today’s advertising executive supposed to drive over all those Greenpeace protesters in the streets of London? —Posted by David Griner

August 20, 2007 in Griner | Permalink

Comments

What do you expect in a country where you have to pay a toll just to drive to downtown during certain hours? Or a country that persecutes political parties like the BNP? That's England, an increasingly Orwellian society where a man who shot a criminal who had burglarized him 3 times went to jail, and then got sued by the family of the "victim."

And forget about carrying a knife or mace, that's also illegal. We wouldn't want british criminals to get hurt, right?

Of course, never mind that some babies are allergic to breast milk and need expensive formulas instead. We wouldn't want women making their own choices, so the smart british nazis in control will make their choices for them.

Seriously, the british are pathetic, they went from being a great empire to a nation of pussies and nannies.

Posted by: Bobby | Aug 20, 2007 4:22:42 PM

Bobby is an asshole.

Posted by: Dvorak akbel | Aug 21, 2007 4:25:55 AM

Settle down, Bobby. What got up your butt? Not getting laid enough or at all? Persecuting the BNP? Oh, I get it Bobby, you are a persecuted "White Male." Nice post, loser.

Posted by: Fortyver | Aug 21, 2007 10:43:55 AM

You guys are so pathetic, you can't even debate my comments. Like the typical liberal who resorts to cheap insults because it's a lot easier than thinking of something to say.

Whatever, fuck you guys. May your parents die soon. Assholes like you who can't debate an opinion deserve to suffer. Do you do drugs? Please, do more drugs. Maybe then you can drive high and kill somebody, perhaps be put in prison and be brutalized every week. Whatever, the law of karma is on my side, and every insult you throw at me will come back at you 10 times stronger.

Posted by: Bobby | Aug 22, 2007 2:13:12 PM

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