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Soda Jerk Michael Bloomberg Strikes Again (Nanny of the Month, May 2012)

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

May 2012 offered up an embarrassment of riches for Nanny of the Month.

Among the strongest contenders were the buttinsky pols in Fort Lee, New Jersey, who banned texting while walking (what's next, chewing gum?). And then there's the Los Angeles City Council, which pushed an ineffective-yet-annoying ban on plastic bag with the help of testimony by former Seinfeld and current Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Louis-Dreyfus gave an impassioned speech against the bags as "outrageously expensive" (we thought for a minute she was talking about the laugh lines in her short-lived series, Watching Ellie).

But there's only one nanny of the month and for May 2012, it's got to be New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has proposed limiting the serving size of sugary beverages such as soda pop to 16 ounces or less. The ban would cover restaurants, movie theaters, street vendors, ball parks, and a plethora of other places. In the past, Bloomberg has banned smoking, trans fat, school bake sales, and more. So it's not exactly surprising that he's focusing on cup size now. But it's still appalling.

About 90 seconds.

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Opening animation by Meredith Bragg.

Watch previous "Nanny of the Month" episodes here.

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New Yorkers Sound Off on Bloomberg's Drink Ban

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg outlined a plan Wednesday to ban the sale of sugary soft drinks larger than 16 ounces at restaurants, movie theaters, street carts and other venues.

Reason.tv's Anthony Fisher took to the streets to ask New Yorkers what they thought about Bloomberg and the ban.

Approximately 2 minutes.

Camera by Kaplan Akincilar. Produced by Anthony Fisher

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Kennedy on Whitney Houston, Adele, &... Michelle Obama?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

What do Whitney Houston, Adele, the First Lady - plus crooner Tony Bennett and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld - have in common?

KYSR DJ and former MTV VJ Kennedy connects the dots as Houston fans prepare for the songbird's funeral, Adele polishes her six Grammys, and Michelle Obama hula-hoops her way across the nation, pushing kids to eat less and exercise more.

About 3 minutes.

Written by Nick Gillespie and Kennedy, who also hosts. Edited by Meredith Bragg.

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MTV's Kurt Loder and Kennedy Talk A Libertarian Year in Review

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

MTV VJ and Reason Magazine contributor Kurt Loder joined fellow VJ Kennedy and Fox Business' John Stossel to discuss same-sex marriage, medical marijuana, Sesame Street and other libertarian stories from 2011.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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LA Food Police Ban Burger Joints: Is Your City Next?

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EDT

First Lady Michelle Obama hopes to curb childhood obesity by teaching children about nutrition and exercise. "There's no expert on this planet who says that the government telling people what to do actually does any good with this issue," she says.

But local government officials around the country have already adopted a more forceful tack, whether it's New York's salt assault, San Francisco's frown at Happy Meals or, most recently, South LA's all-out ban on new fast-food restaurants.

Reason.tv spoke with Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks, one of the architects behind the ban, who argues that "in order to force choice into the market, we have to limit one that is overconcentrated and attract others that provide other options."

Reason Magazine editor in chief Matt Welch is skeptical of "the idea that you can create more choices by reducing choices," and fitness consultant and documentary filmmaker Chazz Weaver—who ate McDonald's for 30 days and lost body fat—points out that consumers can eat fast food in moderation and still stay healthy. Reason.tv also spoke with the co-owner of The Burger Stand in South Los Angeles about why he thinks that banning new fast-food restaurants is bad for business and bad for his community.

Writer-Producer: Zach Weissmueller. Senior Producer: Ted Balaker. Camera: Hawk Jensen, Paul Detrick, Alex Manning.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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Stone Age Minds: A conversation with evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby (extended version)

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EDT

Based at the Center for Evolutionary Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Leda Cosmides and John Tooby are two pioneers and leading lights in the field of evolutionary psychology. This multidisciplinary approach seeks to develop a better understanding of human nature by taking seriously the idea that our brains evolved to solve a variety of adaptive problems routinely faced by our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

While our "stone age minds" have programs that are very good at things like detecting lies, attracting mates and avoiding predators, they are in many ways ill equipped for the kind of complex market-based society that we live in today. The lens of evolutionary psychology, for example, provides insights into why so many people in industrialized nations are overweight and sympathetic to socialist ideas.

Reason.tv's Paul Feine sat down with Cosmides and Tooby to learn more about evolutionary psychology, the history of the field, and the implications for our society.

Approximately 25 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine; shot by Alex Manning and Hawk Jensen; edited by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

For a 10 minute version of this interview, go here .

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Stone Age Minds: A conversation with evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EDT

While our "stone age minds" have programs that are very good at things like detecting lies, attracting mates and avoiding predators, they are in many ways ill equipped for the kind of complex market-based society that we live in today. The lens of evolutionary psychology, for example, provides insights into why so many people in industrialized countries are overweight and sympathetic to socialist ideas.

Reason.tv's Paul Feine sat down with Cosmides and Tooby to learn more about evolutionary psychology, the history of the field, and the implications for our society.

Approximately 10 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine; shot by Alex Manning and Hawk Jensen; edited by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

For an extended version of this interview, go here .

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Nanny of the Month for July 2010: San Fran Soda Banner Mayor Newsom

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EDT

They've targeted bottled water and the selling of all kinds of pets, er, "animal companions." And now, with the soda scold who's yanking sugary beverages from vending machines, the City by the Bay pulls off the first-ever Nanny of the Month trifecta!

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for July 2010: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom!

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producers: Paul Detrick and Alex Manning; Animation: Meredith Bragg

Approximately one minute.

To watch previous Nanny of the Month videos, go here.

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Nick Gillespie on Stossel Discussing The Food Police, Childhood Obesity & The Nanny State

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST

On January 29, 2010, Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox Business Channel's Stossel to talk about the "food police," childhood obesity, and the ever-growing nanny state. Featuring a legendary battle between Gillespie and junk-food prohibitionist MeMe Roth.

Approximately 8.30 minutes.

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Reason.tv's Nanny of the Year!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

In 2009, America's meddlers worked overtime minding other people's business.

Nanny of the Month winners have targeted everything from fish pedicures to feeding the homeless. But there can be only one Nanny of the Year.

Who took home top honors as the year's biggest buttinsky? Click the video to find out.

Nanny of the Year is written and produced by Ted Balaker. The director of photography is Alex Manning and the associate producer is Paul Detrick.

Approximately 1:20 minutes.

This video is also available at Reason.tv's YouTube Channel (subscribe now!).

And make sure to tune in next month for more examples of busybodies minding your own business.

Food Fight

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:13:00 EDT

Amid the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles, there exists another world, an underground world of illicit trade in—not drugs or sex—but bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Street vendors may sell you an illegal bacon dog, but hardly anyone will talk about it, for fear of being hassled, shut down or worse. Our camera caught it on tape. One minute bacon dogs are sold in plain view, the next minute cops have confiscated carts, and ordered the dogs dumped into the trash.

Elizabeth Palacios is one of the few vendors willing to speak publicly. “Doing bacon is illegal,” she explains. Problem is customers love bacon, and Palacios says she loses business if she doesn’t give them the bacon they demand. “Bacon is a potentially hazardous food,” says Terrence Powell of the LA County Health Department. Continue selling bacon dogs without county-approved equipment and you risk fines and jail time.

Palacios knows all about that. She spent 45 days in the slammer for selling bacon dogs, and with the lost time from work, fines, and attorney’s fees, she fears she might lose the house that bacon dogs helped buy. She must provide for her family, but remains trapped between government regulations and consumer demand. Customers don’t care about safety codes, says Palacios. “They just want the bacon.”

In "Food Fight: Battle of the Bacon Dogs," reason.tv host Drew Carey takes a long look at the human cost of trying to prohibit trade in oh-so-tasty treats.