Reason.tv - Topics

Bikini Banners and F*cking Cops Cracking Down on Curse Words! (Nanny of the Month, June '12)

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:30:00 EDT

June's busybodies want to shield your eyes from bikinis and remind you that they're not above ripping your garden out (even if you are complying with city codes).

But top dishonors go to the police chief who admitted on camera that his officers had "more important things to do," but still championed a measure that fines folks for swearing in public.

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for June 2012: Middleborough, Massachusetts Police Chief Bruce Gates!

Approximately 95 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.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this video and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Nick Gillespie Discusses NYC Mayor Bloomberg's Plan to Ban Sugary Drinks on NBC Nightly News

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on NBC's Nightly News to discuss New York City's latest push in their war on obesity by limiting the amount of sugar in sodas and how this enroachment into personal choice isn't something politicians should be doing. Air Date: May 31, 2012.

About 2 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Schools Use GPS Uniforms to Track Students! (Nanny of the Month, April 2012)

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:30:00 EDT

We've got Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal demanding clean urine in exchange for welfare benefits (a bad idea that also doesn't work as advertised, but hey, at least the boozers are safe!), North Carolina regulators busting a blogger for praising the paleo diet (an offense that can get you tossed in the clink!), but this month the freakiest controllers come to us from a Brazilian city where public schools have begun tracking thousands of 4-to-14-year-olds with GPS-embedded uniforms. (At least they're not tagging the kiddos' ears!)

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for April 2012: The City of Vitoria da Conquista!

Approximately 80 seconds.

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

Go here to watch previous "Nanny of the Month" episodes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

4 Loko Tacos & Other Illicit Foods - Kennedy w/ Keep Food Legal's Baylen Linnekin

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

“[Four Loko] is truly vile to drink,” admits Baylen Linnekin, executive director of Keep Food Legal, “but I’m not the arbiter of taste and neither should the government.”

Be it unpasteurized, caffeinated, or sodium-enriched, government inevitably finds excuse to regulate and even ban food and drink that they say risk public health or safety. Keep Food Legal fights to keep the nanny state from ossifying the American palette by promoting people’s right to grow, cook, and consume the edibles of their choosing.

Reason contributor Kennedy dished with Linnekin about Big Government threats to culinary versatility, over some delicious and illegal Four Loko tacos cooked up by Linnekin himself.

About 25 minutes. Filmed by Joshua Swain and Anthony Fisher. Edited by Zach Weissmueller.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Don't You Dare Try to Feed the Homeless in Bloomy's NYC (Nanny of the Month, March 2012!)

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

This month Alabama lawmakers were itching to make it a criminal offense to annoy people online (isn't that what the interweb is all about?), and a national poll exposed the split personality of Americans who pretend to support individual responsibility, all the while cheering bans on smoking, transfats and the like.

But this month top dishonors go to the man who is perhaps the busiest busybody of them all, the big-city mayor who decided to halt private donations to his city's homeless shelters (after all, who can be sure that such donations wouldn't fill homeless people with fatty or salty food?!).

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for March 2012: New York City Mayor Meddlin' Mike Bloomberg!

Approximately 87 seconds.

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

To watch more Nanny of the Month episodes, go here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2DD00E99B83A258A

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic updates when new material goes live.

Look out Kate Upton, AZ pol pushing anti-Photoshopping bill! (Nanny of the Month, Feb 2012)

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:15:00 EST

This month's slate of busybodies includes a familiar name as well as some nannying newcomers.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), ever watchful for the new "club drug," is waging yet another crusade against yet another new product, and guess who he's doing it for? The kids!

And then there's Utah state Rep. Tim Cosgrove (D-Murray). Faced with the fact that law enforcement was wasting resources on anti-prostitution sting operations at salons that offer new age healing techniques Cosgrove didn't suggest legalizing prostitution, nor did he advise cops to ditch the stings and focus on catching bad guys (you know, those who hurt people and steal things).

Instead he introduced a bill that would jail Reiki practitioners and other business owners unless they spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to obtain massage licenses. (He's probably doing it for the kids.)

But this month, the top slot goes to someone else.

In the midst of the Kate Upton Sports Illustrated airbrushing controversy comes word that a Grand Canyon state pol decides it's time to crack down on post production techniques that make models smoother and sexier. (But hey, she's doing it for the kids!)

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for February 2012: Arizona state Rep. Katie Hobbs (D-Phoenix)!

Approximately 90 seconds.

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Opening animation by Meredith Bragg. Special thanks to Kevin R. Breen.

Go here to watch previous "Nanny of the Month" episodes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Who's Afraid of Balls on the Beach, Gay Marriage, & Drug Legalization?

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

"What would happen if there was a Republican nominee who wants to legalize heroin running against Barack Obama - who's cracking down on the war on drugs?" asks Reason's Matt Welch.

"More than for any other reason," says Welch, "that's why it's going to make me sad that Ron Paul probably isn't going to be the Republican nominee."

Welch joins Reason.com's Nick Gillespie and KFI DJ Kennedy for a free-wheeling discussion about who will be the last person to die for the mistake that is the drug war, the growing and seemingly unstoppable recognition of gay marriage, and Los Angeles County's bizarre ban on beach football and sandcastle-digging.

About 5 minutes. Shot by Jim Epstein, Meredith Bragg, and Josh Swain, and edited by Epstein.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic updates whne new material goes live.

LA Forces Condoms onto Porn Actors! (Nanny of the Month, Jan 2012)

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:30:00 EST

This month's killjoys are bent on making the Big Apple dry (or not?), and banning electronic (a.k.a. "fake") cigarettes from public places (wait, isn't the anti-smoking movement supposed to help addicts kick the habit?).

But the new year's top slot goes to the City of Angels mayor who's cracking down on those naughty devils in the adult film industry by mandating that actors wear condoms (what could possibly go wrong!).

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for January 2012: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa!

Approximately 1.22 minutes.

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

Go here to watch previous "Nanny of the Month" episodes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Ending the Global Drug War: Voices from the Front Lines

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:05:00 EST

“Ever since the War on Drugs, everything has hit the fan,” says Romesh Bhattacharji, former Narcotics Commissioner of India. Rather than continue the unnecessary and costly drug war, Bhattacharji advises the United States to simply "Relax, take it easy, [and] tolerate.”

Last month, at the Cato Institute’s “Ending the Global War on Drugs” conference, Bhattacharji’s sentiments were echoed by ex-drug czars, cops, politicians, intellectuals, liberal and conservative journalists, and even the former President of Brazil. Reason.tv attended the event and spoke with a number of the featured speakers, including: 

Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com

Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal

Tucker Carlson, The Daily Caller

Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou, Speaker of the House of Deputies, Uruguay

Leigh Maddox, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition; University of Maryland School of Law

Enrique Gomez Hurtado, former Senator, Colombia

Larry Campbell, Senator, Canada

Romesh Bhattacharji, former Narcotics Commissioner, India

Eric Sterling, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation

Harry G. Levine, Queens College (N.Y.)

Juan Carlos Hidalgo, Cato Institute

About 6.15 minutes.   Produced and Edited by Anthony L. Fisher. Camera by Joshua Swain, with help from Seth McKelvey.   Graphics by Meredith Bragg.

For more Reason coverage on the Drug War, go here.   For Cato Institute Drug War coverage and research, go here.

Scroll down for downloadable versions, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic updates when new material goes live.

Post-Punk Icon Joe Jackson on The Nanny State, Smoking Bans, & His Next Musical Adventure

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST

"A smoking ban in bars is saying that adult citizens are not allowed to use a legal substance even though they're very highly taxed for doing so in a place that is private property," explains Joe Jackson, the hitmeister behind indelible tunes such as "Look Sharp!," "Is She Really Going Out With Him?," and, yes, "(Everything Gives You) Cancer."

Jackson's not a smoker himself but he insists that smoking bans and other for-your-own-good restrictions infantalize us all and challenge basic concepts of freedom. "You're throwing out the window the property right of the owner of that establishment, freedom of choice, a lot of things, compared to a health risk [from second- and third-hand smoke] that is really unproven."

Jackson's antipathy for the creeping nanny state in his native England and his longtime home of New York City led him to write a meticulously researched essay called "Smoking, Lies and The Nanny State." It also led him to finally flee New York and London, setting up residence in Berlin because there he at least feels like he is relatively "free" and "treated like an adult."

Jackson sat down with Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie and talked about his frustrations as an anti-smoking ban activist, the "gathering storm of prohibitionism," and the bold and risky evolutions of his signature musical style over the years.

Runs about 7.30 minutes.

Shot by Meredith Bragg, Jim Epstein and Anthony L. Fisher. Edited by Anthony L. Fisher.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel for automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Adrian Moore Talks Frivolous Lawsuits on Varney & Co.

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, appeared on Fox Business' Varney & Co. to discuss a ridiculous lawsuit about a ridiculous regulation regarding mirror heights in restrooms. Air date: October 12, 2011.

Approximately 5 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this video. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel for automatic updates when new content is posted.

Couple Heading to Court after Hosting Home Bible Study! (Nanny of the Month, Sept 2011)

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:25:00 EDT

Nanny of the Month turns two-years-old this October, and the busybodies who mind your own business show no signs of letting up.

Take formerly dog-friendly New York City which has banished man’s best friend from any establishment that serves food or alcohol (and that includes outdoor patios!). Then there’s Michigan Gov. Rick Snyner who’s tackling childhood obesity by introducing a statewide database to keep anonymous tabs on kiddies’ weight.

But the this very special nanny comes to us from a California city that is fighting (and fining) a couple that hosts Bible studies at home. Presenting Reason.tv’s Nanny of the Month for September 2011: San Juan Capistrano City Attorney Omar Sandoval!

The city slapped Chuck and Stephanie Fromm with fines totalling $300 for violating a municipal code which prohibits religious, fraternal, or nonprofit organizations from meeting on residential property without a conditional use permit (CUP). The Fromm’s gatherings can attract as many as 50 people and the city says that causes parking problems, but the Fromm’s disagree saying there is plenty of parking in their semi-rural neighborhood where large homes sit on even larger lots (the Fromm’s lot includes a corral, barn, and large lawn). The Fromms have held their gatherings since 1994 and say their neighbors support them, except for one woman whose recent complaint sparked city action.

The city is threatening to impose steeper fines if the Fromms continue their un-permitted gatherings, claiming that “zoning and building codes treat residences differently than places of public assembly because of public welfare and safety reasons.”

The Fromm’s are appealing the fines and refuse to apply for a CUP because they could face thousands of dollars in expenses that could include conducting traffic studies and making their home wheelchair accessible.

Next stop is Superior Court.

Approximately 1.20 minutes.

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

Go here to watch previous Nanny of the Month episodes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this video, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when content is posted.

Smoking Bans Are No Match for New Yorkers

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:01:00 EDT

Smoking in bars and restaurants has been banned in New York City since 2003 but Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently added beaches, parks, and pedestrian plazas to the long and growing list of places where smoking is verboten in the Big Apple. "Sin taxes" on cigarettes have driven the average price of a pack to more than $11.

Yet in a city renowned for its innovation and drive, smokers have found ways to work around government attempts at social engineering. These include the booming "loosie" trade, where street entreprenuers risk arrest to sell loose cigarettes for a dollar each on the streets of Manhattan; tobacco crops blooming in Brooklyn; and a thriving Soho bar/restaurant that survived the smoking ban thanks to an obscure grandfather clause.

With so much tax revenue being lost to the black market, and even the green market, perhaps it's time for a mayor who made billions in the free market to consider allowing business owners to set their own policies, and let the marketplace sort out the demand for smoking and smoke-free establishments.

About 4 minutes.

Produced by Anthony L. Fisher.

For more Reason.tv on smoking and tobacco, go here.

Scroll down for HD, iPod and audio versions of this video and subscribe to Reason.tv's Youtube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Michigan Bar Owners Ban Lawmakers for Banning Smoking! (Nanny of the Month, Aug 2011)

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EDT

They're banning pet pigs in St, Charles, Missouri (even small, hypoallergenic ones like Pepper!) and Nice Cream in Illinois (even though it's packed with natural ingredients and the owner says its bacterial levels are well below state-approved levels!), but neither can claim the top slot because, well, this time Nanny of the Month is doing something different...

For the first time ever Nanny of the Month is cheering a ban.

That's right, starting September 1 , more than 500 Michigan restaurant and bar owners will begin turning state lawmakers away from their establishments. State Senator So-and-so wants a brew? Too bad. Politicians won't be served until they revisit the state's 2010 smoking ban, which, owners say, has devastated business, and left bars like Sporty O'Tooles on the verge of collapse.

Approximately 1.15 minutes.

Go here to watch more "Nanny of the Month" episodes.

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

Scroll down for downloadable versions and links, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications when new material goes live.

Fighting Youth Discrimination

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Are young people being discriminated against?

Founded in 1968, the National Youth Rights Association (NYRA) says yes and works to educate the public on how laws intended to protect young people instead treat them as second-class citizens.

Reason.tv sat down with NYRA’s president Jeffrey Nadel to discuss how drinking, curfew, and other laws punish young adults. Nadel points to New Jersey’s Kyliegh’s law as an example of how the unintended consequences of many laws aimed at protecting youth actually endanger them. The law requires drivers under the age of 21 to have a red decal on the license plates of the vehicles they drive, ostensibly to allow law enforcement to be more protective of them. But the decals have instead lead violent drivers to target those cars; infractions by younger drivers also come with harsher penalties for typical traffic violations. Instead of one-size-fits-all policies that punish responsible youth, Nadel says that decisions about alcohol consumption, work hours, and even voting should be more tailored to individuals, regardless of age.

For more on Kyleigh's Law, read Reason magazine's June 2011 story "Dead Kids Make Bad Laws." And on lowering the drinking age, check out Reason.tv's "21: Is It Time to Lower the Drinking Age" and Reason magazine's "Back to 18."

Interview by Michelle Fields. Shot by Jim Epstein and Joshua Swain; edited by Swain.

Approximately 4.18 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable iPod, HD and audio versions of this and all our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Guns, Laws, and Panics: How Fear, Not Fact, Informs the Gun Rights Debate

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

California has among the strictest gun laws in the country, and couple of local politicians are seizing the opportunity created by the Arizona shooting to make them even stricter.

While most states operate under a "shall-issue" concealed carry weapons (CCW) permitting regime, meaning that anyone who passes a basic background check can get a CCW, California uses the "may-issue" rule, which means the decision is left to the sole discretion of the county sheriff. The result? Approximately 0.1% of California citizens have CCWs, which is almost 20 times lower than in the average shall-issue state.

This restrictive climate has led to the emergence of a burgeoning "Open Carry" movement, wherein citizens carry holstered, unloaded weapons in plain sight. California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino calls the open carry exemption in the law a "loophole," which he intends to close with Assembly Bill 144 (AB 144).

Portantino's fellow Assembly member Lori Saldana tried to ban open carry in 2010, but the bill failed in the assembly. But this time, AB 144 has gained helpful momentum from an unexpected source: Jared Loughner.

"Since the events in Arizona, gun issues have taken on a greater national debate and a greater significance," says Portantino. Earlier this year, AB 144 passed the Assembly and now will head to the state Senate in late August 2011 and then on to Governor Jerry Brown's desk.

Open Carry advocate Sam Wolanyk, who once successfully sued San Diego county when police arrested him for open carrying, says that the focus on lawful gun owners is misguided.

"It doesn't matter if you stacked up 50,000 felonies," says Wolanyk of the Loughner situation. "You can't stop a crazy person from doing crazy things."

UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh, creator of the popular law blog the Volokh Conspiracy, also says that crafting legislation in the face of rare tragedies is misguided.

"It doesn't make much sense to come up with comprehensive law focusing on those very rare incidents," says Volokh.

Despite the fact that crime rates are down nation wide and that there has never been a reported incident of an Open Carrier hurting someone, Portantino stands firm that the practice is a public danger and a drain on police resources. He also says he has no plans on introducing legislation to loosen up concealed carry laws.

"Just because one person is comfortable with their weapon," says Portantino, "doesn't mean that gives that person the right to infringe on the rights of other people who aren't comfortable."

Approximately 8:30.

Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Camera by Hawk Jensen.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

The FDA's New and Improved Cigarette Warning Labels

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EDT

The US Food and Drug Administration recently unveiled nine graphic warning labels that will appear on US cigarette packs in 2012. Some of the more gruesome labels include images of diseased lungs and tracheotomy holes. According to the FDA, these labels are "the most significant advancement in communicating the dangers of smoking and the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years."

Will the graphic labels reduce smoking? Do Americans really need to be reminded that smoking isn't good for them?

Approximately 2 minutes. Produced by Ozymandias Media.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive updates when new material goes live.

Plant a Garden, Go to Jail for 93-days?! Nanny of the Month (July 2011)

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EDT

They’re cracking down on food trucks in St. Louis and busting those who bust a sag in Collinsville, Illinois, but the nation’s top nanny is the Detroit-area scold who just can’t stand front-yard vegetable gardens.

Last year a Georgia man who committed a similar offense faced only fines, but not Julie Bass, who was looking at 93-days in the slammer for her veggie violation.

Presenting Reason.tv’s Nanny of the Month for July 2011: Oak Park, Michigan City Planner Kevin Rulkowski!

Just over one-minute long.

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

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv’s YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

To watch past "Nanny of the Month" episodes, go here.

Matt Welch Discusses Crack Downs on Food Trucks on Freedom Watch

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss how government regulators, due to health concerns and pressure from brick-and-mortar restaurants, have targeted food trucks and how this has hampered potential business owners and limited customer choice. Air Date: July 19, 2011.

Approximately 4.11 minutes.

Scroll down for HD, iPod and audio versions of this video and subscribe to Reason.tv's Youtube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

The War on Lemonade Stands! Nanny of the Month (June 2011)

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:45:00 EDT

This Fourth of July weekend think about what truly represents freedom: Old Glory, the Liberty Bell, and an ice-cold glass of lemonade.

This month's lineup of busybodies includes two regulars: the FDA, which is slapping new, more graphic, possibly counterproductive, warning labels on cigarette packs and the goldfish grabbers on San Francisco's Animal Control and Welfare Commission.

But top dishonors go to the sour bureaucrat who put the squeeze on a group of kids for running a lemonade stand. Sure they were raising money for a worthy cause (pediatric cancer research), but they were doing it without a permit, and that's why they got slapped with a $500 fine.

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for June 2011: Jennifer Hughes of Montgomery County, Maryland's Department of Permitting Services!

The episode sparked so much outrage that the county eventually backed off, but this is no isolated incident. Across America, the permit police are cracking down on pint-sized peddlers of liquid freedom.

Just over one-minute long.

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

Go here to watch past "Nanny of the Month" episodes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Ranking Freedom in the 50 States

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Which state is most free when it comes to personal, social, and economic issues?

"Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom" provides one answer to just that question. Political scientists Jason Sorens (University at Buffalo) and William P Ruger (Texas State) looked at everything from drug policy to civil union statutes to business regulations and tax rates to rank each state across multiple dimensions.

Published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University appraise each state in the union on their economic, social and personal liberty to come up with their final ranking. Maybe Jean-Paul Sartre was right about hell being other people: At the top of the list are a lot of states where almost nobody lives and at the bottom are states where just about everybody lives.

Reason Magazine senior editor Katherine Mangu-Ward sat down with Sorens and Ruger, to talk about their results, their methodology and why New York City may not be as free as New Yorkers believe.

Shot by Josh Swain, Jim Epstein and Meredith Bragg; Edited by Meredith Bragg.

Approximately 9:20 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of the video and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

North Carolina Bans Rare Burgers! Nanny of the Month (May 2011)

Tue, 31 May 2011 07:00:00 EDT

May's biggest busybodies are taking it to poker players and teen tanners, but the nation's top nag has lovers of pink-in-the-middle burgers seeing red.

In a stunning blow to all that is juicy and delicious, the Tar Heel state actually prohibits restaurants from serving rare or medium-rare hamburgers. (And if this crime against meat freedom seems especially un-American, keep in mind that it comes from the same state that once banned Old Glory at public rallies.)

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for May 2011: Terry Pierce of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources!

Approximately 95 seconds.

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

Go here to watch previous Nanny of the Month episodes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Remy: Do The TSA Pokey Pokey

Fri, 20 May 2011 09:00:00 EDT

The Transportation Security Administration - with a little help from Reason.tv and international web sensation Remy - have produced an instructional video outlining proper airport screening measures.

"Do the TSA Pokey Pokey" is the second of a series of collaborations between Remy and Reason.tv.

Music written and performed by Remy. Video produced by Meredith Bragg.   About two minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of the video and mp3 and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Check out our previous collaboration: "Why They Fought "

To watch Remy's other videos, go to here   

For Reason's coverage of the TSA, go to here

"Do the TSA Pokey Pokey"

You put your shoes in this
you put your bag in that
you put your personal items
in a tiny plastic bag
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That's what it's all about!

Hi, I'm from the TSA. The only government agency that can check the status of both your flight and suppository. Not familiar with TSA security regulations? Well come on!

You put your arms like this
you spread your legs like that
we send the pictures back
and maybe to the internet
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That's what it's all about!

and while we check out pictures of your naked body, we're also checking out the contents of your bag. Hmm, looks like somebody's about to wage a jihad--against plaque!

Please put your shoes in this
Please go take off your shoes
it seems we can't communicate
with anything that's wearing shoes
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That's what it's all about!

And if you're not comfortable with the government taking naked pictures of your body, no problem. Here's how you opt out!

You put your rights in that
your dignity in this
we pat you up and down
cuz you don't want the naked pics
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That's what it's all about!

And here at TSA we're always employing the latest in terrorist profiling procedures. Like these!
we touch your you kid like that

We grope your kid like this
we touch them up and down
cuz they might be terrorists
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That's what it's all about!

You're welcome America!

Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Anti-Sharia to Anti-Junk Food Bills on The Alyona Show

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the various topics of the proposed anti-Sharia bill in Tennessee, new federal guidelines for marketing food to children, and the arresting of a facebook-ing teenager for 'disorderly conduct.'

Approximately 6.28 minutes.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Don't Ban DUI Checkpoint Apps!

Wed, 11 May 2011 10:00:00 EDT

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to control your smartphone.

Yesterday, Schumer went after Google, Apple, and other smartphone-industry players who have refused to follow a "voluntary" request by him and Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) that they ban apps that show where police are setting up driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoints, speed traps, and the like.

State officials are applying similar pressure (and are also claiming that all requests for compliance are "voluntary"). Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden, is pushing for bans and so is Maryland's Attorney General Doug Gansler, who likened the apps to "giving a robber the key and the alarm pad code to go rob a bank."

As a direct result of the pressure, Research in Motion, maker of Blackberry products, blocked the apps.

But are apps that give citizens more information about what law enforcement is up to a bad thing? They clearly fall under First Amendment guarantees of free expression (that's why lawmakers are saying their requests are "voluntary"). But perhaps more important, such apps actually minimize drunk driving and speeding - which is one of the reasons why police in places such as Travis County, Texas, are the ones entering the information for DUI checkpoint apps such as Trapster. As a Travis County cop puts it, if he can stop the problematic behavior without writing tickets or hauling people in, everybody is better off.

That's an irony that's lost on bullying pols such as Schumer, Biden, and others. But it's one of the reasons why the audience for such apps continues to grow.

Approximately 3.27 minutes. Featuring Cato Institute policy analyst Julian Sanchez and President of the Association for Competitive Technology Jonathan Zuck.

Produced by Joshua Swain with Nick Gillespie, who also narrates. Filmed by Swain and Jim Epstein.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to get automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Are You an Independent Thinker? Try Reason!

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EDT

Tired of busybodies minding your own business? Then it's time for some Reason in your life.

A yearly subscription to Reason Magazine is only $14.97 for an entire year.

Keep the first issue for free if you're not completely satisfied.

Start your subscription to Reason Magazine today!

Call 1-888-REASON-8

(1-888-732-7668)

Or go here: reason.com/subscribe

Milton Friedman photo provided by The Foundation for Educational Choice
Michael Bloomberg photo via Rubenstein

Nanny of the Month (March 2011): Drug Warrior-in-Chief Barack Obama!

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Last month, Reason.tv recognized Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) as our nation's most irritating scold after he busted out a sneak attack on the the world's oldest profession.

This time top dishonors go to the Drug Warrior-in-Chief Barack Obama, whose DEA banned fake pot, thwarted a scientist's decade-long campaign to study marijuana, and raided dispensaries in Montana and California—all in one month!

(Seems like only yesterday when Obama promised he wouldn't waste Justice Department resources raiding medical marijuana dispensaries.)

Presenting the Nanny of the Month for March 2011: President Barack Obama (with DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart grabbing a dishonorable mention)!

Approximately 1:40.

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producers: Hawk Jensen and Zach Weissmueller. Opening animation by Meredith Bragg.

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

Scroll down for HD, iPod, and audio versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Remy: Why They Fought

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EDT

As American warplanes patrol the skies of Libya and American boots win the peace in Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain, Cuba, the Netherland Antilles, and more than 140 other countries, the international Interwebs recording sensation Remy unveils this timely song reminding all of us back on the home front about why they fight.

"Why They Fought" is the first of a series of collaborations between Remy and Reason.tv. To watch Remy's other videos, go here.

Download the mp3 here.

Music written and performed by Remy. Video produced by Austin and Meredith Bragg.

About 2 minutes.

Read Reason's foreign policy coverage here.

Scroll down for HD, iPod, and audio versions, and subscribe to Reason.tv's You Tube Channel to receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

"Why They Fought"

Since the birth of this great nation
Men and women have fought and died
To protect the very freedoms
In which we all have so much pride

And as they spilled their blood at Gettysburg
Saving freedom's what they sought
And if you asked a dying patriot
He'd tell you that they fought...

For random screenings at the airport
With the TSA all nagging
While we place our toiletries out in
Transparent plastic baggies

And if you asked them why they fought and died
They'd all give the same answer
So you could get pics taken of your junk
While slowly getting cancer

Ask any single one of them
it won't be no surprise
That's why they fought and died...

They braved the cold at Valley Forge
Facing sacrifice and pain, yeah
There was typhoid, measles, dysentery
Plus being in Pennsylvania

But they went off to fight the British
To save this independent nation
And with their final words they'd say
They died so our taxation

Could be on property and income
With withholding of our wages
With a silly complex tax code
Over 16,000 pages

And if you ask them why they gave their lives
They'd say their only wish is
So you could fill out seven forms
To prove that pencil was for business

Ask any single one of them
it won't be no surprise
That's why they fought and died...

Well they gave their lives
So we could save up for a mortgage, woo!
And they stormed that sandy beach
So we could pay our neighbors' too!

They fought and died in fields with pride
And gave us all we'd hope for
To save us all from tyranny--
And also from 4 Loko

Ask any single one of them
it won't be no surprise
That's why they fought and died...

Artists vs. the Drug War: On the Scene at the Drug Policy Alliance's re:FORM Art Auction

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST

Think the drug war does more harm than good?

The Drug Policy Alliance sure does, and recently the DPA hosted the re:FORM Art Auction where artists donated their work to raise money for a most worthy cause—ending the war on drugs. Reason.tv was on the scene at the Honor Fraser Gallery in Culver City, California to talk to art lovers and drug policy reformers about everything from fixing our nation's prison policy to legalizing marijuana.

"I think the number one thing is basically to break the taboo on really open and honest dialog on all drug policy options including legalization," says Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of the DPA.

Contributing artists include: Josh Levine, Ed Moses, Jeffrey Palladini, Gina Stepaniuk, and Jill Sykes.

Approximately 2.5 minutes.

"Artists Versus the Drug War" was Produced by Ted Balaker, Hawk Jensen and Alex Manning.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Nanny of the Month (Feb 2011): Would-Be Brothel Banner Sen. Harry Reid!

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:20:00 EST

Last month's Nanny tackled the scourge of distracted walking, and this month's runners-up have their sights set on banning big-leaguers from dipping and toddlers from talking.

But top dishonors go to the nanny from Nevada who's picking a fight with prostitutes.

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for February 2011: Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)!

Approximately 90 seconds

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producer: Alex Manning.

Go here to watch previous "Nanny of the Month" episodes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Nanny of the Month (Jan 2011) Drug Testing 11-year-olds! Fining iPod Users!

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Last month Reason.tv recognized 2010's Nanny of the Year, and now it's onto a brand new year of nagging nannies.

This month's slate features heartland regulators targeting drinking games and New Jersey educators drug testing 11-year-olds.

But top dishonors go to the New York pol who's pushing a bill that would make it illegal to cross the street while iPodding, cell-phoning or being otherwise engaged with an electronic gadget.

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month: New York State Senator Carl Kruger!

Approximately 1 minute.

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producer: Alex Manning.

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

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Nick Gillespie Discusses Four Loko Prohibition with Stossel

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie joined Stossel to discuss the FDA banning caffeine-infused alcoholic drinks and whether the government should limit choices in order protect the public. Air Date: January 6, 2010.

Approximately 6.19 minutes.

Scroll down for HD, iPod and audio versions of this video and subscribe to Reason.tv's Youtube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Lobsters Invade D.C.!

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:54:00 EST

When the Washington D.C. City Council loosened the rules governing food trucks back in 2007, it led to a culinary explosion in the nation’s capital, enabling District lunch-goers to chow down on bulgogi tacos, pork banh mi, gourmet pizza, and more.

Never known as a place for retail innovation, D.C.’s roving lunch scene is starting to compare favorably with such culinary hotspots as New York and Los Angeles, which has been cracking down on its legendary food trucks via a bevy of arbitrary regulations.

D.C.’s bricks-and-mortar restaurants have done their part to lobby for rules that would hobble the new competition, including pushing for a law that would keep food trucks out of entire neighborhoods.

In December 2010, Reason.tv grabbed lunch from the Red Hook Lobster Pound, one of the District's best-known food truck, to find out why customers were willing to stand in line for an hour in 30-degree weather and fork over $15 for lobster rolls.

Approximately 2 minutes.

Produced, Shot and Edited by Jim Epstein and Joshua Swain.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Nick Gillespie: "Enjoy Your Freedoms While You Still Can"

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST

On July 17, 2010, Reason's Nick Gillespie gave the keynote speech at the Independence Institute 's 8th Annual "Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms Party" in Colorado. He was asked to speak on the theme of "enjoying your freedoms while you still can."

The Denver Post's Chuck Plunkett wrote up the event, saying of Gillespie's appearance :

This year’s ATF featured Nick Gillespie, editor of Reason.com and Reason.TV, an urbane sophisticate who, until Saturday, had never fired a gun, and who failed to hit a single flying clay disk in the few rounds he attended before sneaking away to crib out his presentation on a hotel memo pad. (Note to politicians: Real thinkers write their own material.)
Gillespie is a true intellectual, who can, before finishing his lunch, discuss how “The Great Gatsby” might be written today, switch to a riff on free-market reasons for supporting a value-added tax, reference economic studies that detail the “self-correcting” tax distribution in European countries that have applied a VAT, chart from memory the nation’s deficit spending patterns since the Great Depression, and all while handling a pretend-I’m-interested discussion with a political candidate whose conversation is limited to repeating the phrase, “It’ll be a real dog-fight, in every sense of the word.”

Gillespie was introduced by the group's leader, Jon Caldara , who hosts the lively and entertaining public affairs show "The Devil's Advocate" on Colorado Public Television. (Gillespie appeared on the show during his visit. Go here to watch.)

Approximately 20 minutes. Scroll down for downloadable versions. Note: There are wind-related issues with audio throughout.

Why the Feds Banned Four Loko (And is your favorite drink next?)

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST

On December 21, Ramiro Diaz was arrested for selling eight cans of Four Loko to an undercover agent from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Diaz faces up to a year in jail for the offense, but just a few months ago Four Loko was perfectly legal. What happened?

The drink had been the subject of many media reports which suggested that Four Loko's mixture of alcohol and caffeine causes young people to engage in risky behavior. The drink was even dubbed "Blackout in a Can," and the story soon moved from newsrooms to Congress, where officials like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that it be pulled from shelves.

"We must protect children from the severe and deadly consequences of drinks like Four Loko," declared Schumer. The Food and Drug Administration agreed, and in November federal regulators banned Four Loko. The company promised to yank it from shelves by December and replace it with a decaffeinated version.

So do drinks like Four Loko pose a unique danger to America's youth or is this episode more proof that that mixing media and politics can be hazardous to your freedom?

“Why the Feds Banned Four Loko” is written and produced by Paul Detrick. Camera by Alex Manning, Hawk Jensen and Jim Epstein. Senior Producer is Ted Balaker. Music by Beight, DJ Cary, CrimsonFaced and Sophia Marie (Magnatune Records).

Approximately 3:30 minutes.

Scroll down for iPod, HD, and audio versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Busybodies, Babes, and Bacon: Presenting Reason.tv's 2010 Nanny of the Year!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST

They touch our lives in so many ways, and now Reason.tv acknowledges those who tell us that if it looks good, tastes good, or feels good, it should be illegal.

Live (to tape) from the fourth floor of the Sepulveda Center in Los Angeles, California—it's the 2010 Nanny of the Year Awards!

Over the past year, Reason.tv has recognized plenty of busybodies who relish minding other people's business, but who deserves to succeed 2009's winner (Meddlin' Mike Bloomberg), and take home the 2010 Nanny?

Will it be the heartland mayor who sacked the Lingerie Football League? The Peach State pol who sued a man for growing vegetables in his own yard? A member of the food police?

Remember, it's a dishonor just to be nominated. So get your awards season started off right, and tune in to the only black-tie ceremony that delivers busybodies, bikini babes, and bacon!

Approximately 1.53 minutes.

"Reason.tv's 2010 Nanny of the Year Awards" is written and produced by Ted Balaker, who also hosts. Animation: Austin Bragg; Camera: Zach Weissmueller and Hawk Jensen; Voice Over: Rin Palmer

To learn more about our nominees and to watch more Nanny of the Month (and Year) videos, go here.

Scroll down for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

OKC Mayor Sacks Lingerie Football! Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month (Nov 2010)

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST

This month nannies banned beverages that mix booze with caffeine and one top official even hinted that the feds may disable cell phones in cars.

But this time top dishonors go to the heartland mayor who sacked the Lingerie Football League.

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for November 2010: Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett!

Approximately 1.17 minutes.

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producer: Alex Manning. Opening animation: Meredith Bragg.

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

Scroll down for downloadable versions of our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube page to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

TSA "My Ding-a-Ling" Sing-Along

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

Come on, everybody! Sing along with The Transportation Security Administration while you're waiting in security lines this holiday season!

Approximately 60 seconds. Produced by Hawk Jensen from an idea by Nick Gillespie.

Slide show courtesy of the Denver Post; music courtesy of here.

In Defense of Payday Lending

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:50:00 EST

Few industries are more reviled than payday lending, which primarily services the working poor by offering short-term loans at high interest rates. Payday customers borrow an average of $350 for a period of two weeks, or until their next paycheck comes in. The money is handed over on the spot, once the payday store can verify that the customer has a job, earns enough to afford the loan, and hasn't recently defaulted with another vendor. Payday loans are in high demand: There are 22,000 payday storefronts in the United States and in 2009 they loaned a combined $35 billion.

And yet the industry is fighting for its survival. Montana just voted to make it illegal for the payday-loan industry to operate profitably, so lenders are loading their wagons and wheeling out of “The Land of the Shining Mountains." They’ve already moved on from Oregon, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, and Washington, D.C, because of similar regulations. The annualized interest on payday loans runs about 400 percent, but the reality is that payday firms see returns closer to 10 percent, or about the same as other less-demonized financial service providers.

Now there’s a danger the federal government will quash the rest of the U.S. payday industry. The Frank-Dodd Financial Reform bill, passed in July, created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which posseses the power to regulate paydays at the national level for the first time. The vaguely written law doesn’t allow the CFPB to cap interest rates, but regulators have the latitude to enact other rules that would obliterate profits, such as limiting the number of payday loans a customer can take out over a set period of time.

Payday critics, such as the Center for Financial Responsible Lending (which declined our interview request) argue that payday stores “trap” their customers and practice what “amounts to legal loan sharking.”

Reason.tv’s Nick Gillespie looks at payday loans—why people depend on them, why they’re expensive, and the assumption at the core of every attack on the industry: that the working-poor are too stupid to manage their own money.

The story features payday antagonist Gary Rivlin, the author of the recent book Broke USA; George Mason law professor Todd Zywicki, who has studied paydays; and Greg Fay and Saran Goubeaux of Hometown Cash Finance, a small chain of payday stores in Ohio.

Two studies are citied in this story: the Federal Reserve’s 2007 look at the effect of booting paydays out of George and Virginia, and the 2007 Vanderbilt-Oxford University study that reveals that, contrary to the claims of industry critics, paydays aren’t exceptionally profitable.

For more info, read Katherine Mangu-Ward’s October 2009 feature story on payday lending in Reason Magazine, and her Wall Street Journal review of Rivlin’s Broke USA.

Approximately 5 minutes.

Produced by Jim Epstein, with help from Dan Hayes, Josh Swain, and Michael Moynihan.

Scroll down for HD, iPod, and audio versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Happy Meals Banned in San Francisco! Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for October 2010

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Last month the food police sued a North Carolina man for growing fresh vegetables, and this month San Francisco's food cops have committed a different kind of atrocity by making the City by the Bay the first major metropolis to ban toys in happy meals.

This month's top busybody is the pol who sponsored the ordinance to make happy meals sad, the one who hopes his "food justice" agenda goes nationwide.

Presenting the Nanny of the Month for October 2010: San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar!

Approximately 75 seconds.

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

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

Scroll down for HD, iPod, and audio versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Jacob Sullum Appears on MSNBC to Discuss NYC's Anti-Smoking Ads

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Senior editor at Reason magazine and Reason.com, Jacob Sullum appears on MSNBC to debate the constitutionality of New York City's mandate forcing store owners to place anti-smoking ads in their windows. Air date: October 14, 2010.

Approximately 5.23 minutes.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Nanny of the Month (Aug 2010): Police Chief Busts Guy Who Keeps Drunks Off the Street

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:15:00 EDT

Did you hear about the Oregon health inspector who shut down a seven-year-old girl's lemonade stand? How about the California mayor who put the kibosh on a three-year-old's vegetable stand?

Sure they're both big-time buttinskys, but this month top honors go to the top cop who busted a guy who was offering free rides to keep drunk drivers off the road.

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for August 2010: Quincy, Illinois Police Chief Rob Copely!

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

Approximately one minute.

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

Scroll down for HD, iPod, and audio versions of this and all our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material is posted.

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.

Scroll down for downloadable iPod, HD, and audio versions of this and all our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses the "Food Police" on Stossel

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward debates MeMe Roth on whether the government should ban toys in kids' meals, regulate bake sales, and tax candy with Stossel on July 15, 2010.

Approximately 5.35 minutes.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Michael Moynihan Discusses New Threats to Freedom on Stossel

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Senior Editor Michael C. Moynihan discusses what new threats are threatening our freedom in a post-Cold War America with Adam Bellow on Stossel on July 15, 2010.

Approximately 6 minutes.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Nanny of the Month for June 2010: Ladies' Night Foe James Kirkpatrick!

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:10:00 EDT

Busybodies in Illinois are itching to bag baggy pants, and—Holy handcuffs, Batman!—in Los Angeles they're throwing the Caped Crusader behind bars!

But there can be only one Nanny of the Month, and this time it's the state bureaucrat who's thumbing his nose at the great Kool & the Gang anthem by cracking down on bars and restaurants that offer ladies' night (it discriminates against men, you see).

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for June 2010: Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights James Kirkpatrick!

Go here to watch previous Nanny of the Month videos.

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

Approximately one minute.

Scroll down for downloadable iPod, HD, and audio versions of all our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

Should Obscenity be Illegal? Lady Chatterly, Milk Nymphos, and John Stagliano's potential life sentence.

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Porn producer John Stagliano faces up to 32 years in federal prison for distributing the adult films Milk Nymphos and Storm Squirters 2: Target Practice and a promo reel for similar material via his website for Evil Angel Productions (adults only). (Full disclosure: Stagliano is a donor to Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that publishes this website.)

As Stagliano gears up for a court case due to begin this July in Washington, D.C., it's worth asking whether obscenity prosecutions make any sense, especially when dealing with material created and consumed by consenting adults in private. The definition of obscenity is notoriously slippery—works as varied (and sexually inoffensive) as Lady Chatterley's Lover, Ulysses, and I Am Curious Yellow have all been deemed obscene—and its prosecution is famously subjective and selective. Material is considered obscene only when a jury finds it to be so; the same book, movie, or song can be illegal in one region and totally fine in another. As Stagliano, whose website followed all legal restrictions imposed by federal mandates, notes, "I didn't know I was breaking the law."

Despite the liberating technology of the Internet, free expression remains under attack by religous zealots who threaten death to blasphemers and government regulators who threaten jail time. The prosecution of porn is "another area where the government thinks it should be able to run our lives," says Stagliano. "They could easily extend that from looking at porn to consuming fast food" and other activities.

"Should Obscenity be Illegal?" is produced by Dan Hayes and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts. Approximately 6.15 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

For a 2008 Reason.tv interview about the case, go here.

3 Reasons to Legalize Pot Now!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:29:00 EDT

As the United States enters its 72nd year of marijuana prohibition, it's time to consider legalizing pot once and for all, for at least three reasons:

1. The tax revenue and savings in law enforcement costs. A 2005 cost-benefit analysis done by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron found that legalizing marijuana and taxing it similar to alcohol would generate over $6 billion in new revenue and save nearly $8 billion in direct law enforcement costs. Pot is already the biggest cash crop in many states; bringing it into the open market would pump all sorts of energy into the economy.

2. It's going to happen anyway, so why delay the inevitable? Increasing numbers of Americans realize that pot prohibition is an ineffective and costly policy. A 2009 poll by Zogby found that 52 percent of Americans agreed that marijuana should be taxed and regulated like booze. A Field Poll last year of California residents, who will vote on a legalization ballot initiative in the fall, found that 56 percent wanted legalization. Other polls show historically high percentages favoring legalization. In a world of busted budgets, it's crystal clear that spending time and energy policing marijuana is not worth it.

3. Keep Your Laws Off Our Bodies. Never mind that by virtually every measure, pot is safer and less than disruptive than booze. Pot prohibition in the 1930s was the result of hysteria, not serious threats to society. We own our bodies and should be free to eat, drink, and smoke what we want. And to take responsibility for our actions, whether we're straight or we're stoned.

Approximately 2.30 minutes long. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts.

Cocktail Shakedown: The New War Against Classic Mixed Drinks

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Beat a raw egg white into a citrusy cocktail and you get a meringue-like effect, frothy and delicious. The resulting beverage—technically classified as a flip or fizz—is irresistible, not just to cocktail connoisseurs but to regulators and food cops.

On January 19, 2010 one of New York's cocktail hot spots, the Pegu Club, got in trouble with city health department officials for serving just such a drink.

Despite warnings printed on the menu, and raw egg white listed in the ingredients, a health inspector busted a bartender for failing to verbally inform a customer of the risky ingredient. Pegu Club had to yank the Earl Grey MarTEAni from the menu, restoring it only after the health department backed off serious penalties and a court summons.

America is in the midst of a cocktail renaissance. A cadre of elite mixologists in New York, Portland, D.C., and other creative-class cities is bringing back classics and offering new twists on old techniques. Yet retrograde health inspectors and bureaucrats are cracking down on innovation from coast to coast. Indeed, a San Francisco bar ran afoul of regulations by having the audacity to make its own bitters.

Todd Thrasher is an award-winning mixologist at PX Lounge in Alexandria, Virginia. In this video, he speaks with Reason.tv about the perils of doing booze business in Virginia, the virtues of free choice at the bar, and the relationship between freedom and innovation. All while mixing up a swank fizz cocktail for his interlocutor, Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward.

And for those inclined to play the home version of Reason.tv, here's the recipe for Melanie's Pisco Pipe Dream:

1.5 oz Pisco
.75 oz coconut Water / coconut milk mixture
.75 oz sweetened Meyer lemon juice
.25 oz citrus vinegar
white of one egg
1 tsp powdered sugar

Put all contents in a shaker and dry shake (without ice) for 30 seconds. Add ice, and shake for 1 minute, double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with Meyer lemon-black pepper reduction. Relax and enjoy responsibly.

Shot by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg, who also edited the piece. Approximately 8 minutes long. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube page and receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

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.

Scroll down for downloadable iPod, HD, and audio versions. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Eugene Volokh on Gun Rights, Free Expression, and the Nanny State

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST

Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Eugene Volokh, professor of law at the UCLA School of Law and founder of The Volokh Conspiracy, to discuss gun rights, free expression, and the Nanny State.

Find out what Volokh thinks the biggest threats to free expression are, and whether today's muzzlers come mostly from the left or right. Volokh also explains what the landmark Supreme Court case, DC vs. Heller, has done to gun control and whether he agrees with the "more guns, less crime" thesis.

Other topics include: media bias and gun rights, Alabama's prohibition on selling sex toys, and whether judges can be nannies.

Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Alex Manning and Hawk Jensen. Edited by Paul Detrick.

Approximately nine-and-a-half minutes.

Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for February 2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST

Last month's nannies pulled a modern-day Footloose by banning singing, dancing and rapping at new bars and restaurants—in Snoop Dog's home, no less!

But what about this month?

Check out who's pulling the plug on electric bingo machines (sorry charity fundraisers) and who won't let pet stores sell dogs and cats (seriously?).

But the Nanny of the Month goes to the heartland pol who's waging a very real war on fake pot (A.K.A. spice, K2, genie, black mamba, bliss, dragon, Bombay Blue ...) Ladies and gentlemen, we present Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for February 2010: Kansas State Rep. Robert Olson!

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

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new content is posted.

Watch previous Nanny of the Month videos here.

Pot Wars: Battlefield California

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Over the past couple of years, the medical marijuana industry in Los Angeles has exploded. Estimates vary, but there may be as many as 800 dispensaries currently open for business in the city of angels. An ordinance recently passed by the LA city council, however, is about to change all that.

The new ordinance will force hundreds of dispensaries to close and all but a few to relocate. The goal was to bring clarity to the medical marijuana industry, but the only thing that's clear is that the transition process will be difficult. Especially now that the DEA has begun raiding dispensaries again despite the promises made by the Obama administration.

While federal, state and local governments struggle to make sense of medical marijuana laws, an increasing number of Californians support a completely different approach: marijuana legalization. Nothing more than a pipe dream? Maybe. But consider this: Fixty-six percent of Californians currently support pot legalization, the same proportion of Californians who voted for the Compassionate Use Act, which legalized medical marijuana, back in 1996.

Produced by Paul Feine. Shot and edited by Alex Manning. Graphics by Hawk Jensen.

Hosted by Nick Gillespie.

Approximately 9 minutes.

Scroll down for iPod, HD, and audio versions of the video.

Watch it at Reason.tv's YouTube channel (subscribe and receive automatic notification when new material goes live!).

Taco Truck Takedown! Why is the LAPD harassing food carts?

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Taco trucks pull up to curbs and offer LA eaters everything from tofu bowls to Korean barbeque. Customers flock to them, and recently so have police officers. Truck owners report being cited for everything from parking too close to curbs to parking too far away. Sometimes officers shut them down.

Why would law enforcement target taco trucks for nuisance violations?

Turns out nearby restaurants don't like the competition.

"Taco Truck Takedown" is produced by Ted Balaker. The director of photography is Alex Manning, the field producer is Paul Detrick and the production associate is Tannen Wels. Music by Magnatune.

Approximately two-and-a-half minutes.

Go here to subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel and receive automatic notification when new videos go live.

Related Reason.tv video: Food Fight: Battle of the Bacon Dogs, featuring Drew Carey and a woman who served 45 days in jail for selling something that is simply delicious.

Nanny of the Month for January 2010

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

Past Reason.tv Nannies of The Month have included New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (anti-salt, smoking, trans fat, you name it), a New York state senator who wanted to ban fish pedicures, and a Phoenix pol who banned churches from feeding the hungry on their own property.

So who is the first Nanny of The Month of this brand-new, sparking decade? Well, it's NOT Brownsville, Texas, for banning plastic shopping bags. And it's NOT Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) for terminating trans fat in the Golden State.

But it IS a town council somewhere in California that banned something natural and pure. And it does involved the great rapper Snoop Dogg (though not in the way you might think).

Click through to find out.

Written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate producers were Paul Detrick and Alex Manning and the animation is by Meredith Bragg.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel and receive automatic notifications when new content is posted.

Watch previous Nanny of the Month videos here .

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.

Garrett Peck On "The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America from Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet"

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:00:00 EST

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie sat down with Garrett Peck, author of the new history The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America From Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet (Rutgers University Press).

A wide-ranging social history that begins with the end of Prohibition and runs up to the current craze over great domestic wines and small-batch spirits, The Prohibition Hangover helps explain why Americans continue to have such an ambivalent relationship toward drinking. Engaging, well-written, and packed with an infinite number of fascinating interviews and historical anecdotes, The Prohibition Hangover is required reading for anyone interested in understanding the past 80 years of American business and culture.

For Peck's official site, go here.

To buy the book, go here.

Related Reason.tv videos include Beer: An American Revolution and Jerome Tuccille on "Gallo Be Thy Name."

Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for October 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 EDT

No matter what it is—cigarettes, trans fat, incandescent light bulbs—chances are some nanny wants to ban it. And this past month was no exception.

Last month, the top prize for biggest buttinsky went to the Alabama state Supreme Court, for upholding a ban on sex toys and devices specifically designed to stimulate human genitals. Because, well, you know, the government really does have a right to regulate your most private parts.

Who is the Nanny of the Month for October 2009? The runners up include:

The Fairfax County, Virginia police for arresting Eric Williamson after a woman saw him making coffee naked—in his own home.

Then there's the Los Angeles City Council, which extended its ban on new fast food restaurants in South LA.

But there's only one Nanny of the Month, and this time it's...

Click above to learn the awful truth.

Nanny of the Month is produced by Ted Balaker. Director of Photography is Alex Manning, and researchers are Paul Detrick, Hawk Jensen, Tannen Wels, and Zach Weissmueller.

Approximately one minute. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

Tune in next month for more examples of just who is trying to mind your own business.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel by clicking here.

The Next Great Leap Backwards For Consumer "Rights"

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EDT

Is your mortgage confusing to you? Are you bewildered by credit card offers? Do you crave the simplicity of "plain-vanilla" financial vehicles whose complete terms can be read in less than four minutes?

Be careful what you wish for: The Obama administration and members of Congress are pushing legislation that will create a new agency, The Consumer Financial Protection Agency, whose job would be to simplify and police all manner of financial transactions, from what sorts of mortgages could be offered to what sort of credit cards would be in your wallet to whether Wall Street could create new ways of buying and selling stocks. In the name of making your life easier and avoiding the next financial meltdown, the CFPA might just harshly limit how you spend your hard-earned (and dwindling!) dollars.

Would the CFPA do anything other than add another layer of bureaucracy and regulation on top of what already exists? Are consumers too bewildered by competing credit cards to make a rational choice? Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie recently sat down with George Mason University law professor, Volokh Conspiracy blogger, and Mercatus Center scholar Todd Zywicki to get answers.

"The agency is one of the centerpieces of the Obama regulatory reform act[s]," says Zywicki, "It goes far beyond how we've thought about consumer credit regulation for the past 30 or 40 years." More importantly, it will do nothing to address pernicious incentives that encouraged banks and consumers to take on more debt than was prudent.

Approximately 9.44 minutes. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions. Shot by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg and edited by Dan Hayes.

Frank Buckley on Libertarian Paternalism

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv caught up with F.H. Buckley of George Mason University to discuss his new book, Fair Governance: The Enforcement of Morals, and the appointment of "libertarian paternalist" Cass Sunstein as regulations czar in President Obama's administration.

Can certain rules make us more free? If opt-out rights are great, why not expand them? Are we becoming too risk-averse as a society? Is "libertarian paternalism" a dangerous oxymoron? Watch now for answers.

Approximately 5.30 minutes. Interview conducted by Nick Gillespie. Shot and edited by Dan Hayes.

Beer: An American Revolution

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In 1920, the National Prohibition Act destroyed the beer industry in the United States, putting some 1,500 breweries out of business. When the "noble experiment" was repealed in 1933, beer lovers rejoiced, and the beer industry staggered back to its feet. The industry had lost much of its diversity, however, and the emergence of national brands in the 1950s and 1960s led to industry consolidation and fewer choices for American beer drinkers. By 1980, there were fewer than 50 breweries in the U.S.

By the 1980s, American beer had an international reputation as weak and watery as a case of Hamm's. Most breweries only produced American-style lagers, a light and inexpensive style of beer typically made with rice or corn adjuncts in addition to barley, hops, yeast and water.

What American beer lovers didn’t know at the time was that a revolution was imminent. In 1979, a clerical error in the 21st Amendment was corrected, and for the first time in nearly 50 years it became legal to brew small batches of beer at home. Home brewers who had little interest in cutting costs or making beer with mass appeal began brewing big, flavorful beers in a wide range of styles. Many of these home brewers decided to turn their passion into small businesses, and microbreweries began popping up all over the country.

Today, although mainstream beers still dominate the market, more than 1,400 breweries in the U.S. produce more styles of beer than anywhere else in the world, and American beers routinely dominate international beer competitions.

So the next time you’re at your favorite brewpub, hold your glass up high and celebrate the American beer revolution.

"Beer: An American Revolution" was written and produced by Paul Feine. Alex Manning was the director of photography and Nick Gillespie is the narrator. Approximately seven minutes.

Do You Really Want to Live in a World Where Giant Inflatable Gorillas Are Banned?

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Do you really want to live in a world where giant inflatable apes are banned? Reason.tv takes a short, depressing look at nanny state bans that were passed or proposed in 2008.

Approximately two minutes. Created by Ted Balaker.

Baylen Linnekin: The Duckathlon vs. NYC Nanny State Food Bans

gillespie@reason.com (Nick Gillespie) dan.hayes@reason.org (Dan Hayes) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

New York City is simultaneously the ultimate culinary city in the United States and one of the worst offenders when it comes to annoying nanny state bans against substances such as trans fat.

Crispy on the Outside food blogger Baylen Linnekin recently attended the fourth annual Duckathlon, a food competition based in New York and organized by D'Artagnan, a fine foods company that sells everything from foie gras to buffalo-meat hot dogs.

Read Linnekin's account of the Duckathlon—which featured the challenging "Testicle Festival" among other events—at Reason Online and then check out his three-minute reason.tv defense of "culinary freedom," the notion that cooks and customers, not bureaucrats, should decide on what they can and cannot eat.

Interview conducted by Nick Gillespie and shot and edited by Dan Hayes.

Victory at San Tan Flat!

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:00 EDT

When Drew Carey and reason.tv last checked in on San Tan Flat, a family-oriented restaurant in Pinal County, Arizona the father-and-son owners Dale and Spencer Bell were fighting against a ridiculous, anachronistic, and anti-business ban on outdoor dancing. Check that video out here.

What a difference a video—and ongoing litigation courtesy of the libertarian public-interest law firm the Institute for Justice—makes! As The Arizona Republic reports:

Pinal County Superior Court Judge William O'Neil overturned a decision from the county Board of Supervisors that said the country-Western-themed restaurant was operating an illegal dance hall by allowing patrons to dance to live music on its back patio.

The judge's ruling brings closure to the conflict between the county and restaurant owner Dale Bell, who have been at odds for more than two years after San Tan Flat neighbors complained about noise coming from the property.
The saga of San Tan Flat drew national attention, prompting commentary from actor Drew Carey and conservative Washington Post columnist George Will. The case also received several comparisons to the 1984 Kevin Bacon film Footloose, in which a small town bans rock music and dancing.

No joke, Dave Chappelle

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:32:00 EST

You might think those black-lunged Euros would turn away Nanny Staters and their smoking bans. Not so.

Witness the spread of bans in some the world's smokinest spots: Ireland, France, and, as Dave Chappelle discovers, even in London comedy clubs (thanks to Maura for the link).

At around 2:00 minutes, the comic gets an on-stage visit from a guy who isn't amused with Dave's smoking. Even a quip about smoking being part of his act can't save his flame. Wonder if he'd be allowed to keep puffing if smoking were an "integral part of the story." As Jacob Sullum points out, dramatic performances are one of the few loopholes in Belmont, California's new ban.

Of course, if you believe Chappelle and others are killing people with their cigarette smoke, then you've got plenty to smile about.

RELATED VIDEO: Drew Carey's smoke-in with Sullum

RELATED VIDEO: Talking Bans with Anthony Bourdain

Gun/Hug-Free Zones

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:59:00 EST

Some University of Colorado students are protesting the school's gun ban by strapping on empty holsters. Turns out other schools, like Colorado State, allow students to pack heat.

(Thanks to protester Jim Manley for the tip; and to "Bear Arms" Orendy for the pic and the spooky way he anticipated this post)

Elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain state ...

If you're a student at Evergreen Middle School who's in a huggy mood--have at it. Just make it quick. "Prolonged" hugs are forbidden.

(Find this clip to the right of ABC 7's video screen)

The 1998 Reason Smoke-In with Drew Carey

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:40:00 EST

From the vault!

Nearly 10 years ago, California extended its ban on smoking in work places to include bars. Drew Carey (a principled non-smoker) and Reason teamed up to protest the ban, which was unprecedented at the time.

Today, more than 50% of Americans live in areas with some kind of smoking ban, and the rest of the world is jumping onto the ban wagon as well.

But California continues to lead the charge. In Calabasas, California, it's now illegal to smoke outside (except for a few designated smoking areas), and Belmont, California recently voted to prohibit smoking inside apartments and condominiums.

Kurt Loder on Technology and Freedom

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:04:00 EST

On Friday, October 26, reason Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie interviewed Kurt Loder for the conference Reason in DC.

A legend for his work in Rolling Stone and at MTV, Loder is an outspoken libertarian--and a harsh critic of the nanny state in all its manifestations.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Loder discusses technology, freedom, the coming collapse of traditional news media (and why that's a good thing), the misguided (and ultimately ineffective) attempt to shut down free expression, and much more.

Super Size Me!

paul.feine@reason.tv (Paul Feine) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:37:00 EST

Here's the classic spoof of SUPER SIZE ME by the NYC comedy troupe "The Whitest Kids U Know."

Nanny State Playgrounds

gillespie@reason.com (Nick Gillespie) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:30:00 EDT

Nanny State author David Harsanyi, who also wrote the November reason cover story "Prohibition Returns!: Teetotaling do-gooders attack your right to drink," appears on The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams to discuss how safety mavens have taken the fun--and sharp edges--out of America's playgrounds.