Not Allowed!
Not Allowed!
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One way to maintain control is to restrict access. Ruling governments around the world have banned seemingly innocuous things from the societies they rule over for one insecure reason or another. Maybe it’s because something disagrees with their beliefs. Or perhaps they feel threatened by it. Or maybe its mere existence disrupts the nature of power and order. Sometimes there is a bit of logic in the rationale of the ban. Sometimes not. Ultimately, what isn’t allowed in a particular society reveals more about the rulers than the ruled.
Doorknobs in Vancouver, Canada
Freedom is a central tenet of modern society. You need the ability to enter and exit a situation as you chose. There are a great number of reasons why people must open a door, on their way in or out of a place. Ensuring that the ability to open doors is as inclusive as possible has resulted in the banning of door knobs in Vancouver. The British Columbia Building Code determined that the design of the doorknob was very difficult for many people to use. Door handles are okay. This law helps ensure that the citizens of Vancouver are as protected as much as they can be when it comes to architecture and design’s impact on their state of freedom and the act of entering and exiting one pleases.
Coca-Cola in North Korea
In an act of defiance that prevents its citizens from being aware of or seduced by the allure of its number one enemy, America, North Korea has banned Coca-Cola. In order to allow their isolated citizens a similar way to quench their thirst, a homemade barley-based cola called “Bright Morning” is sold in bottles featuring red labels with white script lettering.
Ultimately, what is not permitted in a particular society reveals more about the rulers than the ruled.
Bible in the Republic of Maldives
While many religions preach holiness, peace, and forms of enlightenment, they are also in competition with one another for members. In 1997, The Republic of Maldives decided that its official religion would be Islam, requiring all citizens to abide by the laws of the religion. To maintain the law, and in an effort to keep the republic on brand, the Maldives banned Christian bibles. While some tourists have reported bringing bibles with them on visits for personal use, it is illegal for bibles to be bought or sold anywhere in the nation.
Dildos in the State of Alabama
Sometimes we get sexual satisfaction from others. But sometimes it is important that we are able to sexually satisfy ourselves. When that is the case, a variety of useful tools are available, including dildos. However, some government officials feel that it should be illegal to use an unnatural material object for sexual satisfaction. Alabama officials passed a law that banned “any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs for any thing of pecuniary value.” A first violation is considered a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $10,000 and one year of hard labor or in a county jail. However, a second violation is a Class C felony. Sex toys, may, however, be sold for “medical, scientific, educational, legisltaive, judicial, or law enofrmcement” purposes.
Cellphones in Cuba
Communication is key. But communication can also threaten the powers that be. Until 2008, Cuba made it illegal for ordinary citizens to have cellphones. Since 2008, Cuba has been loosening its grip on communication-limitation by allowing the nation’s only service provider, La Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba, to sell prepaid mobile phone plans in locations across the country.
High Heels at Historical Sites in Greece
While looking one’s best at the world’s best looking sites is important to a lot of people, the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport has banned visitors from wearing high heel shoes to ancient sites, out of concern that heels of such nature will damage the floors of such sites. The government of Greece felt that the historic site looking the best it can over time was ultimately more important than its visitors looking their best.
Nazi Symbols in Germany
Adolf Hitler didn’t always have his iconic mustache. There was a time when he had no mustache at all. When he started to wear a mustache, it was a handlebar mustache that crossed the entirety of his upper lip and descended down both sides of his mouth. But as a member of the army during World War I, he was ordered to trim the mustache so that his gas mask would fit properly on his face. Eventually, Hitler became known around the world for leading the fascist Nazi Party, and his mustache has became a symbol of his stain on Germany’s history. Today in Germay it is illegal to publically display any symbols relating to the Nazi party. Those in violation of the law can receive up to five years in prison. The Hitler mustache is not per se illegal in Germany, but it may be frowned upon.
Birth Control in North Korea
One of the world’s most secretive countries, North Korea, has decided that people should not have access to common forms of birth control, such as condoms and oral contraceptive.
Chewing Gum in Singapore
Chewing gum can be a delight. But it can also be a nuisance. It can be audibly obnoxious and visually inelegant.There is also the question of what to do with it when you are done. Gum often ends up on sidewalks, stuck to the bottom of our shoes, affixed under surfaces and to the sides of city property. That became such a nuisance to the prime minister of Singapore that the government deemed gum a form of vandalism. And the only way to get rid of gum-vandalism was to get rid of gum, which is now illegal. A first conviction for importing or selling chewing gum is a maximum fine of $70,000 USD or jail time of up to two years. However, after doctors spoke up about the therapeutic dental benefits of chewing gum, an exception to the law was made for gum that is prescribed to patients by dentists.
Cigarettes in Bhutan
There are many things that are bad for us. Some things we know about. Other things we haven’t yet realized. We all know cigarettes are bad. But that doesn't always mean we stop smoking them. Harmful products can take a toll on our health, which can result in a toll on the healthcare system, financial well-being, and productivity of a country. To counteract the various costs of smoking on its nation, Bhutan has banned the production and sale of tobacco and tobacco products. Not only are tobacco products banned, but to ensure people aren’t tempted by them, the depiction of tobacco in film or other media is also banned. Any person found to be purchasing or selling tobacco can serve up to five years in prison.
Decongestants in Japan
Medicine can make us feel extraordinarily good. But that feeling, and the chemicals used to induce it, can be extraordinarily addictive. To fight addiction, Japan has taken more extreme measures than most other countries. Medications containing more than 10% pseudoephedrine, a popular decongestant sold over-the-counter in countries around the world, is prohibited in Japan. The punishment for illegally importing decongestants is “imprisonment with required labor for a definite term not less than one year.”
Valentine’s Day in Pakistan
In Pakistan, celebrations of Valentine’s Day were banned in 2017 by the Islamabad High Court after a popular petition deemed the holiday “against the teachings of Islam” and a sign of Western influence. Police have been known to confiscate “anything red or heart-shaped” in the days leading up to February 14.
Tonka Beans in the United States
Humans like to test things out on other species to determine how it affects them, and, by extension, us. In 1954, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that Tonka Beans, a pungent bean popular in French cooking and perfume, was toxic for rats, it decided it was no good for humans, either. Thus Tonka Beans are banned from use in American food products.
Water Guns in Cambodia
As we have learned in previous seasons at Mmuseumm, things are not always used in the ways for which they were designed. Water guns around the world are considered fun toys for children who wish to engage in water fights with each other. However, there were concerns in Cambodia that water guns could be filled with more dangerous substances, such as acid. Another concern is that if a water gun was used to shoot water at a motorcyclist, it could cause an accident.
26 Pennies in Canada
People often consider things too small or too large to be a burden. In Canada, that is the case with the penny. Since 2012, Canada has ceased minting pennies. Those that are still in circulation are acceptable, except there is a limit to how many you can use in one transaction, and that is 25. Using 26 pennies in a single transaction is not allowed.
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This exhibition and many more are in the Mmuseumm 2020 Jumbo Catalog available for purchase at store.mmuseumm.com
Mmuseumm is a non-profit project dedicated to helping people see the world we are living in through physical evidence. Support Mmuseumm by making a tax-deductible donation at Fractured Atlas 501(c)(3)