Whom the Gods Destroy, They First Transform into Anita Bryant

While San Francisco’s mayor Gavin Newsom has vetoed — at least for now — his city’s lunatic ‘Happy Meal’ ban (which is pretty ironic in and of itself — are there any children actually left in San Francisco to worry about?), the Blue State Blue Nose war on fast food and the apocalyptic horrors of Big Soda roll on. As Brent Bozell writes:

When it comes to the increasing sex, violence, and profanity in entertainment media, the social libertines are indifferent. They insist that children will hardly be warped or ruined by the media they consume. They chortle at the paranoia of Hollywood critics. Their mantra: If you don’t like it, just turn the channel.” But when it comes to fast food, all that permissiveness is abandoned for a smug, we know better attitude.

Whom the Gods Destroy, they first make into Anita Bryant:

Entire blue states have capitalized on the dietary-puritan wave. In the state of Illinois, the legislature raised taxes last year not only on alcohol, but on candy and soft drinks. The state tax on candy was multipled by six, from 1 percent to 6.25 percent, unless it needs refrigeration or contains flour. That rate also applies to soda and non-carbonated sweetened drinks, like iced tea. They did it for the children (and, allegedly, for roads and bridges).What weird people they are. Now their media friends are getting into the act. The same networks that think it’s harmless to put orgies into dramas and profanities into sitcoms are utterly panicked about drinking a Pepsi.

The Business and Media Institute found CNBC anchor Erin Burnett asking the president of the American Beverage Association why anyone lets Coke or Pepsi be sold. This is what’s next? Soda Pop Prohibition?Burnett demanded to know:  “Let me ask you, is there anything good about drinking a full-calorie soda? Why do they even sell it? What’s good for me in drinking it?” When she was told it’s delicious, Burnett replied sourly: “I’m sure you could say we like cocaine, right?”So when parents buy their children a Mountain Dew, they might as well be pushing cocaine? All that’s missing here for CNBC is the dietary equivalent of documentaries like “Reefer Madness.”

Actually, that just ran last month on CNBC’s parent network.