Streisand Effect For Make Benefit Alcohol Vaporizers, Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan
from the will-they-ever-learn dept
The Streisand Effect -- when efforts to shut down or ban something merely call more attention to it and make it far more popular -- is alive and well: The Wall Street Journal has the story of a company that makes alcohol inhalers, some sort of device that lets people breathe in alcoholic drinks rather than, uh, drink them. The devices weren't selling at all, and the company had no money to market them -- until a Kentucky legislator tried to get the devices banned, sending sales through the roof. There's little evidence that the machines are any more harmful than just drinking alcoholic beverages, nor is there any evidence that anybody in Kentucky had actually bought one, but no matter. The legislator somehow determined these things were a threat to public health and safety, causing a firestorm of media attention, which led to efforts by people in other states to have them banned, resulting in... more sales of the device. The kicker is that nobody really seems to like the machines: one of the people in the company making them even says "Most people try it once and then go back to drinking." But thanks to the one legislator's overreaction, they're selling pretty well. However, in a slight twist on the other side of the world, it looks like one government is starting to understand, and even leverage, the Streisand Effect. After getting their collective panties in a wad for what they saw as the fictional character Borat making fun of Kazakhstan (even when it seemed pretty clear the joke was on people that believed his representation of the country could be true) and yanking his web domain, the government there is singing a new tune. Its prime minister says the film has made people more curious about the country, and he hopes they'll come visit -- and searches for Kazakh hotels on one travel site have jumped 300%.
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First post!
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Time
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Curious juxtapostition
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GREAT SUCESS!
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*see above post*
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It's a legitimate danger, but then, I don't really believe in protecting people from danger against their will.
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Re:
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About the inhalers..
That isn't to say people shouldn't be allowed to kill themselves, they're allowed to drink it and smoke, right? :) But I don't think 'no more health dangers' is accurate, it could damage your lungs as well as your liver, rather than just your liver.
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Was I the only one sad about Borat?
Just a thought and I wasn't trying to offend anyone that liked the movie.
As per the alchohol inhalers, they do seem to have a potential health risk and perhaps should be banned the same way we ban/regulate schedule 1 drugs. I understand the "let people kill themselves if they want, we allow other vices like cigarettes to exist" arguement, but to me perhaps they should be banned as well (either that or go the other way and everything should be legal, in my head its more pick a side rather than which side is correct).
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Re: Was I the only one sad about Borat?
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Re: Was I the only one sad about Borat?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/27/atlanta.shooting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
In fact, recent studies show that smoking marijuana actually prevents lung cancer by killing off the older, weaker cells more susceptable to becoming cancerous. That's great news I say for all you pussies addicted to cancer sticks. Just fucking quit already. I did and it was easier than microwaving a pop-tart. But if you're too much of a pussy to stop paying for Mr. Tobacco's blow jobs then start fucking supporting your local pot dealer already. It's the least you can do for yourself, and your community.
Learn the truth about Marijuana at http://www.norml.com and contact your representatives today to tell them you support the legalization of Marijuana
You can also read about America's original cash crop here.
http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html
Hemp can save us all from global warming! If only the government would get their heads out of their asses and legalize it! Don't believe me??? Think I'm a crazy fool??? Then go ahead, take the $100,000 challenge at http://www.jackherer.com We can stop the destruction of earth with one single, natural, renewable, and remarkably easy to grow source of energy! Prove Jack wrong and $100,000 is yours to keep!
I know I'm way off my rocker posting this here but I have to get the message out if we're going to save our planet. Sorry about my insulting rants earlier too, I'm also a little bi-polar. Seriously though, lose the cigarettes.
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Re: Buffer Effect
concerning borat: Tyshaun, borat and jackass are in no way similar movies. i haven't seen the movie but if it's anything like his shorts it's more along the lines of social commentary.
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