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Cycles Gladiator wine label
We live in a state with some odd rules, most of which demonstrate how religion controls our lives, and our government. We have state representatives (now running for higher office) who want to ban books written by or containing content with any gay connection, for example.
Now the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is showing where they come from. They are banning the sale of Cycles Gladiator wine in the state because of the picture on the label. Story – Mobile Press Register.
The state's alcoholic beverage regulators have deemed a wine label -- featuring a vintage 1895 bicycle advertising poster with a nude nymph flying alongside a winged bike -- has been rejected by the state as "immodest," and it must be removed from grocery store and bar shelves.
Title 20 of Alabama's administrative code, which pertains to the ABC board, states that:
"No advertisement may include any illustration(s) of any person(s) consuming alcoholic beverages or any person(s) posed in an immodest or sensuous manner, nor shall any advertising contain profanity or offensive language."
Gladiator was a French bicycle manufacturer in the 1800’s and the painting by French artist G. Massias was created in 1895 as an advertising poster.
“Americans then might have been shocked by the thought of a woman wearing pantaloons or bloomers pedaling a bicycle, but the French understood what sold products—thus the 'uninhibited' appearance of the Cycles Gladiator advertising poster,” Cycles' web site says, and yes, here we are in Alabama.
A nude painting sold as a label in a store that only adults frequent (and some grocery stores), is that a threat?
One thing for sure, this will only increase the interest in Cycle Gladiator wines, so I guess the French were right.
For more info: Cycle Gladiator,
Comments
Mercy, this is so silly. I do hope that your article will help other Alabama residents realize the power of organized religion in our state and speak out.
It concerns me as an American that the religious "right" has so much power. In other nations we call religious interference of the government, Taliban or Terrorists.. it's strange we don't see the connection here at home.
Good article.. thank you.
Donna DeVane
Good grief. I didn't know about this. It's ridiculous!
Do politicians really have nothing more important to worry about? Like crime, poverty, hunger, the homeless?
As this article aptly illustrates, the US government has run amok and is very dangerous.
What will the government of Alabama censor next? Oh, I know! What about censoring all things French (they are not very avid towards censoring modesty)? Give me a break! It is funny that it only took government of the people of Alabama 114 years to discover this immodest and sensuous poster!
While other states are trying to move forward, Alabama wishes it was still in the Dark Ages.
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