Venezuela bans Family Guy
Authorities in Venezuela say they will punish TV stations if they continue to broadcast episodes of cult US animation Family Guy.
Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says the show should be banned because it promotes the use of marijuana.
He took exception to a recent episode in which one character – Brian, a talking dog – started a campaign to legalise the drug.
Cable stations which refuse to dump the show would be fined, El Aissami said.
It is not the first time the government of President Hugo Chavez has reacted badly to a cartoon.
Last year, The Simpsons was deemed unsuitable for children after officials decided it flouted regulations prohibiting “messages that go against the whole education of boys, girls and adolescents”.
One local station was threatened with financial sanctions for broadcasting the adventures of the dysfunctional family in an early morning slot.
Televen avoided the fine by pulling the show and replacing it with Baywatch. However, they were still forced to show public service films as an apology.
That is sad and amazing at the same time, The international community is making a big fuzz out of what’s happening in Honduras but pay no attention to Venezuela, how convenient…
