Things you might not know were BANNED

RULE, Britannia! got a reprieve last week when new BBC boss Tim Davie reversed the mad decision to ban its lyrics from Last Night of the Proms.

But it isn’t the first thing to fall foul of oddball broadcasting, political and religious standards…

1Obesity:

If you live in Japan and are in between the ages of 40 and 74, it’s illegal to be fat! A law that insists the company you work for measures your waistline. Should it become larger than government limits, you’re given “dietary guidance”.

2Robin

Thicke – Blurred Lines: Banned by student unions for its suggestive lyrics, it sparked a conversation about pop’s sexual politics. 3Valentine’s

Day: Since 2017 citizens of Pakistan, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia are banned from the celebration as it is not a Muslim tradition. 4

Lady Gaga – Judas: Lebanese officials agreed with Gaga’s claim in her single Judas – released at Easter – that “in the most Biblical sense, I am beyond repentance”.

It was banned from radio and copies of it were impounded by cops. 5Reincarnation:

Buddhist monks in Tibet are banned from being reincarnated unless they get permission from the Chinese government. 6Ian

Dury and the Blockheads – Spasticus Autisticus: Dury wrote the song to protest against what he saw as the patronising International Year of Disabled Persons.

It was blocked by the BBC, which considered his descriptions of physical disability offensive – even though the man himself was a child victim of polio. 7Lacy

knickers: Lacy underwear is barred from being sold in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on the grounds it is not a skin- breathable fabric. Madonna – Justify My Love video: When MTV pulled this vid for being too sexually explicit, Madge released the first ever video single certified 18, and it became a global hit. 9

Baby walkers: These were banned in Canada in 2004 and babies there can only crawl until they learn to walk. You can be fined up to £ 80,000 for owning one. 10Frankie

Goes to Hollywood –

Relax: In January 1984, DJ Mike Read yanked Relax off Radio 1 before the song had finished after realising what the lyrics were about.

But Frankie’s label ZTT had already taken out ads that included the phrase “all the nice boys love seamen”.