To ban or not to
The Indian government has banned two underwear advertisement for indecency and vulgarity. The Information and Broadcasting ministry has directed all television channels to stop screening advertisements of 'Lux Cosy' and 'Amul Macho' with immediate effect.
The BB blog had earlier mentioned 'Lux Cosy' commercial as being in very poor taste. But does that mean it must be banned?
In the movie, 'The People vs. Larry Flynt', Larry Flynt's lawyer makes concluding remarks for Larry while defending him against a charge of 'obscenity' on his 'Hustler' magazine.
Those remarks, made by Alan Isaacman (played by Edward Norton) are relevant to this present case too.
'Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...
you've heard a lot here today and I won't try to go back over it all.
But you have to go back in that room and make some decisions... and there is one thing I want to make very clear to you before you do.
I'm not trying to convince you that you should like what Larry Flynt does. I don't like what he does.
But what I do like is... that I live in a country... where you and I can make that decision for ourselves.
I like that I live in a country where I can pick up Hustler magazine... read it if I want... or throw it in the trash,if that's where I think it belongs.
Or I can not buy it.
I like that right.I care about it.
And you should care about it too...because we live in a free country.
We say that a lot, but sometimes we forget what that means, so listen again.
We live in a free country.
That is a powerful idea.That's a magnificent way to live.
But there is a price for that freedom,which is that sometimes...we have to tolerate things that we don't necessarily like.
So go back in that room... where you are free to think whatever you want to think...about Larry Flynt and Hustler magazine.
But then ask yourselves if you want to make that decision for the rest of us...because the freedom that everyone in this room enjoys...is, in a very real way,in your hands. If we start throwing up walls against what some of us think is obscene...we may wake up one morning and realize...that walls have been thrown up in places we never expected...and we can't see anything or do anything.
And that's not freedom.
That is not freedom.
So, be careful.
Thank you.'
The BB blog had earlier mentioned 'Lux Cosy' commercial as being in very poor taste. But does that mean it must be banned?
In the movie, 'The People vs. Larry Flynt', Larry Flynt's lawyer makes concluding remarks for Larry while defending him against a charge of 'obscenity' on his 'Hustler' magazine.
Those remarks, made by Alan Isaacman (played by Edward Norton) are relevant to this present case too.
'Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...
you've heard a lot here today and I won't try to go back over it all.
But you have to go back in that room and make some decisions... and there is one thing I want to make very clear to you before you do.
I'm not trying to convince you that you should like what Larry Flynt does. I don't like what he does.
But what I do like is... that I live in a country... where you and I can make that decision for ourselves.
I like that I live in a country where I can pick up Hustler magazine... read it if I want... or throw it in the trash,if that's where I think it belongs.
Or I can not buy it.
I like that right.I care about it.
And you should care about it too...because we live in a free country.
We say that a lot, but sometimes we forget what that means, so listen again.
We live in a free country.
That is a powerful idea.That's a magnificent way to live.
But there is a price for that freedom,which is that sometimes...we have to tolerate things that we don't necessarily like.
So go back in that room... where you are free to think whatever you want to think...about Larry Flynt and Hustler magazine.
But then ask yourselves if you want to make that decision for the rest of us...because the freedom that everyone in this room enjoys...is, in a very real way,in your hands. If we start throwing up walls against what some of us think is obscene...we may wake up one morning and realize...that walls have been thrown up in places we never expected...and we can't see anything or do anything.
And that's not freedom.
That is not freedom.
So, be careful.
Thank you.'
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