Dumb Laws in Popular Culture
In "The Seven-Beer Snitch", an episode of The Simpsons, the police seek to send more people to jail on obscure laws because Mr. Burns is annoyed that a lack of inmates are costing him and the city a lot of revenues. They arrest Homer Simpson for violation of a dumb law on the books which states that in Springfield tin cans may not be kicked more than five times, as it would constitute "illegally transporting litter." Ironically, Homer was kicking the can out of frustration for being denied employment as a guard at the very same prison he was sent to for violating the law. Chief Wiggum also mentions a law that all men must be hatless during daylight hours, but when Smithers cannot remove his hat in time, Wiggum chuckles and says "If I didn't arrest you that night in the park, I'm not going to arrest you now."
The comic character Jughead Jones has had an occasional appearance as Professor Jughead, when he presents various weird laws.
On the TV series Parks and Recreation, the show regularly mentions the many archaic, forgotten, idiotic or downright bigoted laws that the town of Pawnee has passed during its long, pathetic history. In one case, Donna Retta is furious to learn that African Americans are banned from walking on town sidewalks; in another, Leslie Knope is disgusted when the town's election monitor reminds everyone that a tie vote in a City Council election between one male and one female candidate will result in the man being awarded the seat and the woman being put in jail.
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Famous quotes containing the words popular culture, dumb, laws, popular and/or culture:
“Like other secret lovers, many speak mockingly about popular culture to conceal their passion for it.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious, periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for o’erdoing Termagant. It out-Herods Herod. Pray you avoid it.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“I would have these good people to recollect, that the laws of this country hold out to foreigners an offer of all that liberty of the press which Americans enjoy, and that, if this liberty be abridged, by whatever means it may be done, the laws and the constitution, and all together, is a mere cheat; a snare to catch the credulous and enthusiastic of every other nation; a downright imposition on the world.”
—William Cobbett (1762–1835)
“An aesthetic movement with a revolutionary dynamism and no popular appeal should proceed quite otherwise than by public scandal, publicity stunt, noisy expulsion and excommunication.”
—Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)
“The genius of American culture and its integrity comes from fidelity to the light. Plain as day, we say. Happy as the day is long. Early to bed, early to rise. American virtues are daylight virtues: honesty, integrity, plain speech. We say yes when we mean yes and no when we mean no, and all else comes from the evil one. America presumes innocence and even the right to happiness.”
—Richard Rodriguez (b. 1944)