Fear of Beer

Last week the lower house of the Russian Parliament unanimously approved a bill that says beer commercials may be aired only between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Even then, they may not show people or animals, or use slogans reinforcing the "illusion that drinking beer is important for the achievement of social or other success." Sadly, such illusions have corrupted what used to be a nation of teetotalers.

Comments

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Well, at least I can still see that Blatz commercial at 6:55 AM.

[yobbo]

Can't show animals? Are the russians experiencing some sort of epidemic of drunken animals?

[Jon H]

"Sadly, such illusions have corrupted what used to be a nation of teetotalers."

Yeah, well, they fell for Lenin, too. Oh, well.

[Ricky]

"illusion that drinking beer is important for the achievement of social or other success."

you're not going to be succesful at beer drinking games without drinking beer

[vanya]

Wags in Moscow have been commenting that we will soon see ET flogging beer (extraterrestrials are not people or animals).

[vanya]

I think the ban on animals was meant to cover popular cartoon figures or anthropomorphic pitchbears. But they forgot about the aliens.

[Ruthless]

Is there an opportunity here for advertising agencies that work with US utility companies selling the joys of conservation of electricity and natural gas?

What's up with that, anyhow?

[Meshuganer]

Russians have always been big lushes....so Vladimir has abandoned his vodka for a brewsky...big deal. It sounds as though some smart ass American lawyers/politicians have gotten to the Russians that they now want to overregulate advertisements. Vladimir, Dmitri & Olga will most like continue to get blasted on beer as they did on vodka regardless of these restrictions. All I can say is if I lived in Russia I would have a compulsive need to get wasted on something Na Zdorovya!!!

[raymond_m]

I understand that Americans get all hot and bothered when they see a breast on tv. Even one with the nipple cleverly concealed with a sherif's badge.

And that one can get fined there for using WORDS. And that the language of the bill making these words illegal is so filthy that the law can't even be read on tv!

I wouldn't worry too much about the Russians.

[She Stole My Beer]

Well, we know what happens when you mix beer and animals, especially farm animals.
Pretty, nonjudgemental farm animals...

[Syarzhuk]

Russian law prohibits TV advertisement of hard liquors. So all vodka-making companies created mineral water lines bearing the same name as their vodka counterparts. Now the TV happily advertises Smirnoff mineral water. Of course, the words "mineral water" are in tiny print

[Ruthless]

Other US posters are nowhere near as sensitive and aware as am I, so they cannot appreciate that vanya and Syarzhuk are more experienced at subversive activities than US posters.
(By the way, vanya, I van ya.)

Syarzhuk has given me an idea of how to bail out anal US electric utilities--hey, I know they don't want to be bailed out. They are all already the submissive whores of petty regulators.
But assuming they wanted to be bailed, they could use these action words much more in their adverts:
Edison, jolt, "the chair," lightning, Franklin, you light up my life... feel free to "jump" in here... "generate" some action! AC/DC! Pet your minkey for some "static elecktrissily."

[Jack]

^^^Stay away from the drugs, son.^^^