London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, has signaled early in his term that he will continue the state regulation of speech and images that have ravaged free speech in England. He announced an end to the appearance of what he calls “body shaming” advertisements in London’s public transport, advertisements featuring skinny bodies viewed as unrealistic for most women. While some publications have suggested the that move reflects Khan’s Muslim background (he is the first Muslim mayor of London), in my view it reflects a long and disturbing trend in Europe (and particularly England) to regulate and criminalize speech. What some people may view as unrealistic or even demeaning for women, others view as artistic expression in advertising. While this may be the only way I could end up a Benetton model, I have long opposed such rules, which puts the government in the position of policing images to determine what is not demeaning for women.
Khan said that he will no longer tolerate images that make women feel bad about their bodies: “As the father of two teenage girls, I am extremely concerned about this kind of advertising which can demean people, particularly women, and make them ashamed of their bodies. It is high time it came to an end.” Of course, one possible response is to sit down with your daughters and discuss the issue rather than force other people to show images that you feel are more acceptable. I prefer to leave the choice of images to these companies and their customers than a politician dictating what is acceptable to his sensibilities.
Khan notably does not say how he will carry out the ban or how he will define the standard. Will this be a body fat ratio or some Potter Stewart “I know it when I see it” standard.
Like Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “Big Gulp” regulation, the tendency of some politicians is to see their role as dictating better habits or images. At least the Big Gulp standard (which I opposed) had some objective science based standard based on sugar content. Khan’s ban is based on the highly subjective view of what is sufficiently attainable as a body to be acceptable for advertisements.
What do you think?
I see the Canadian is really hating on America lately. No matter the topic, this being about his beloved Europe, he writes polemics about us, saying most of us are McVeigh. I think his shame about the stupid, pretty boy, French Canadian, PM of Canada is causing him to blast this great country even before OUR dead are buried. I know most Canadians are not like this guy. Maybe they ran him out of Canada.
One can rationally argue that the killer of 49 innocents in Orlando was mostly if not completely mad. Timothy McVeigh did the same thing because he wanted to be taken seriously. Madness is madness and has little if anything to do with the vehicle that lets it loose. It’s easy to label it Islamic extremism or any particular extremism at all. McVeigh’s extremism is based on the feelings of most Americans, that they find the government as being the enemy. Follow this blog if you want to understand the source for McVeigh’s anxieties.
The greatest challenge any one faces on this earth is the realization of one’s insignificance in light of being one of 7 billion and typically allocated to doing what one is told. There are 7 billion ways to cope. When one fails to cope, you get, sometimes crazies that are ‘gonna do something about it’, Donald Trump comes to mind along with his followers.
This mutt in London is, however, a religious zealot whether he admits it or not, regardless of how well he masks it under ‘women’s issues’, or whatever. This is a religious thing, shared between Muslims, Jews, Christians and other extremists who feel that their personal moral perspective is the benchmark.
Mankind has been offered perfection of the human body since the beginning of time. Is this mutt going to visit museums and pull a Vatican by shrouding timeless works of art. F*c^ him and all that pull this nonsense.
We’d be better off covering some of the obese monsters that waddle through our lives. There is a shame that needs attending. Perhaps these advertisements should be buttressed with health programs to fight the companies that enrich themselves on the weaknesses of people. For myself, I’m an aesthetic and will always enjoy the human form, except when it’s oozing out of it’s coverings. Witnessing the result of discipline and intelligent lifestyle keeps me further away from letting myself go. I dream of six pack abs, have yet to see a two pack, but lose no sleep over it. When one obsesses to the point of causing harm to oneself, perhaps it has more to do with something greater than the corporal.
So, hats off to the first one or group that takes on this mutt.
The video was very telling. The man who objected to the “research” said “we want to live free” accused the people in burquas of being racists and then threatened them if they didn’t take them off. Then he became physical. Yep HE wants to live free…he does but not so much other people.
Interesting…I don’t think this is a good sign.
I have no knowledge of his stand on condiments.
Muslim mayor
Gosh, the first Muslim mayo of London wants women to cover up.
Here’s my shocked face.
UK social experiment. Men wear a Burka to test security in UK….Crazy video.
Malcolm is right. Thin is healthy.
Humans, individually or collectively, are not competent to make decisions impacting other humans, which is why historically humans wanted to rely on a god. Unfortunately there is no such thing. So we are left to deal with incompetent human decisions.
What is so demeaning about the site of a woman (or man for that matter) who has taken the time and trouble to eat sparingly, to follow sound medical advice on calorie restriction, and to exercise. One could with some justification conclude that for some people the sight of such photographs might be inspiring. Mr. Khan is just another in a long line of “we know better than you” bureaucrats who haven’t the foggiest idea of what the limits Government are supposed to be, but they stand ready to do it with the taxpayers, your money. I’m sure Mr, Khan will waste no time setting up an appropriate bureaucracy, no doubt feather- bedded with family, personal friends, and other cronies, to surveil all forms of advertising. What a crock!
Correction: “Was not” Mussolini a Muslim Hitler or Muslim Nazi?” Not the other first word. Jeso.
This friggin Muslim will generate votes in favor of “The Brexit”. What is a Brexit ?, some of you will ask. It is an English donut covered in sugar but tastes like vinegar. Some Brits want them and some do not. There is a song entitled: You Gotta Get Outta This Place with a tag line of: If its the last thing you ever do.
I have ancestors who left England and moved to America. In our family records they referred to the move as their Brexit.
So, Britain, or England, needs to get out of the European Union. Now. And, it needs to build up That Wall and keep out Muslims of all stripe. And, the City of London needs to get rid of this Muslim Hitler. Wan’t Mussolini a Muslim Hitler or Muslim Nazi? Someone help me out with my history here.
The Totalitarian Left is spreading like the vile cancer that it is.
Shammers Beware you can be banned for being physically fit.
Isn’t this the guy who had a problem with his claim of Donald Trumps intolerance?
I wonder when the city of the Beatles and Carnaby Street will send this guy packing?
“Why do politicians want to solve problems of insignificance while avoiding important issues?”
~+~
One of the reasons is that insignificant issues are “low hanging fruit”. More complex issues require more attention and skill and some wish to avoid other issues as such. That way they can claim they are working when in fact it is akin to looking into a magnifying glass: through the lens it appears much is happening and that is where they call their constituents’ attention. But in fact it is actually a very small matter.
This is what can be expected when politicians are not held in check. That a mayor would have such a high level of power should be cause for a reassessment of powers delegated to him.
Remember, there are many reasons a politicians can only achieve a certain level of benevolence or good, as most improvements are beyond their human ability or circumstances. But, there is no limit to the amount of damage a politician unleash upon a society or nation. This is why I am a firm believer in preventing concentrations of power in the hands of the few ,or worse, one person. Even a altruistic politician, which I recognize is debatable as to its existence, suffers human fallibility where mistakes can lead to serious and unintended consequences. In light of this politicians should be limited in that caution or prudence dictates that even the potential for good governance must be tempered since the potential for bad is far more likely.
There is the possibility with this mayor that body image was more of a front to justify his call to action to censor these adverts when in actuality it was his personal modesty sensibilities that he desired to enforce upon society. Since it was most likely his authority was restrained to the subway and bus system, that in itself amounted to a de facto limitation on his powers. Had he the ability to regulate all that he sees undoubtedly he would have acted to censor as much as he could.
Government over regulation. Why do politicians want to solve problems of insignificance while avoiding important issues? Who knows, for every person this change makes happy there may be two that are saddened. Just pass a law requiring people to be happy and have a good attitude. That is as attainable as deciding who are terrorists. I want the government job of decider. You are to ugly, fat, pretty, smart, stupid, mean, happy, evil, etc etc.
I don’t see how advertisements constitute “body shaming.” The issue lies with women and girls who think they must look like models, which isn’t going to happen. How many men look like Calvin Klein models or the guys with their “six packs” modeling underwear in the Macy’s circular? The difference is that society is much more focused on female looks than men’s. But it is the job of parents to try to balance those influences. It could start with school informs, which deemphasize looks and clothes. In any case, it is not the role of a mayor to restrict advertising images, in the absence of obscenity.
Read Michel Houellebecq’s novel, “Submission” – it’s coming to pass –