Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s
Manly Bosoms Indecent
1934: Coney Island police continued to crack down on male bathers who adopted the new fashion of topless bathing suits.As for the female bathers:
"But if it's indecent we won't allow it," he said.
Windsor Star - May 15, 1934
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 05, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, Fashion, Swimming, Snorkeling, and Diving, 1930s
Liquid Dividends
What else could you do with your inventory on the eve of Prohibition?
Source: Fall River Daily Evening News (Fall River, Massachusetts) 14 Jan 1920, Wed Page 7
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 04, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, Freebies, Come-ons and Loss Leaders, 1920s, Alcohol
Infinity Kisses
The artwork Infinity Kisses, by Carolee Schneeman, consists of multiple self-shot photos of her kissing her cat. (See video below). She worked on it from 1982-1988.After she completed this work, it evidently didn't receive much attention from the art world, because in a 1991 essay, published in Art Journal (Winter 1991), she complained of its neglect:
As it turned out, Infinity Kisses was acquired and put on display by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1993. So, that was good news for Schneeman.
But now I'm thinking that the art world has been unfairly ignoring my pictures of my cat. This might be censorship!
My cat, Pumpkin
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 08, 2020 -
Comments (1)
Category: Art, Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, Cats
Indecent Apes
McAllen Monitor - Nov 19, 1993
The offending cover. It's true, you can see a dangly bit there, as well as some naked ta-tas.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 29, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, 1990s
Go Topless Day: August 28, 2016
Needless to say, bare chestal areas of XX-chromosome carriers in video and at homepage.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 28, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Body, Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, Holidays, Parades and Festivals
Elvis and the Hollywood Vice Squad
I wonder what the Hollywood Vice Squad of 1957 would make of many a modern pop music show?
Original text here.
Original text here.
Original text here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 18, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Celebrities, Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, 1950s, Dance
Comfyballs
The US patent office denied a trademark to a Norwegian company for the name Comfyballs for mens underwear. The name was deemed too vulgar to trademark. Maybe they could try Cradled Crotch or Non-Testy Testes.
Posted By: patty - Thu Dec 11, 2014 -
Comments (13)
Category: Annoying Things, Authorities and Experts, Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, Products
A Case of Censorship
This brief item ran in the UCLA Librarian newsletter (Nov 1, 1957) and seems WU worthy:
Transcribed text:
Under the above heading the British Publishers' Circular and Booksellers' Record of September 21, 1957, records another round in the running battle with the censorious customs officials. "Now I understand that officials recently impounded a work called Rape Round Our Coasts. I don't know what sort of minds these yahoos have but I hope they enjoyed the book. It is about soil erosion!"
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 20, 2014 -
Comments (5)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, 1950s
Guardian of Morals
Louis Croteau (seated, holding the magazine) was Secretary of the New England Watch and Ward Society, which was initially known as the New England Society for the Suppression of Vice. It was this society's self-appointed job to identify and root out filth wherever it reared its ugly head. These were the folks responsible for getting Lady Chatterly's Lover banned.
During the 1930s, the focus of the Society shifted to burlesque shows. A Washington Times article (reviewing the book Banned in Boston) notes:
It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.
In the picture above, taken in 1943, Croteau critically eyes a Varga girl illustration in Esquire magazine, as the attorney for the magazine looks over his shoulder. Surprisingly, Croteau testified on behalf of Esquire, arguing that the magazine was decent fare. Perhaps all the burlesque shows he had sat through had, by then, made him more appreciative of a little skin.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Feb 25, 2014 -
Comments (18)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s
Banned LITTLE RASCALS: “Little Daddy”
Wikipedia explanation.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 05, 2013 -
Comments (6)
Category: Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s, Movies, Racism, Children, 1930s
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