9. Alternative Spaces, the NEA, and Censorship.pdf - Course ...
9. Alternative Spaces, the NEA, and Censorship.pdf - Course ...
9. Alternative Spaces, the NEA, and Censorship.pdf - Course ...
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Dear Mr Christiansen,<br />
The President of <strong>the</strong> International Banana Association replied to this video with <strong>the</strong> following.<br />
In this program, a banana is used as a substitute for a human penis in a demonstration of how condoms are used.<br />
I must tell you, Mr Christiansen, as I have told representatives of WETA, that our industry finds such a usage of our product to be<br />
totally unacceptable. The choice of <strong>the</strong> banana ra<strong>the</strong>r than some inanimate prop constitutes arbitrary <strong>and</strong> reckless disregard for<br />
<strong>the</strong> unsavory association that will be drawn by <strong>the</strong> public <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> damage to our industry that will result.<br />
The banana is an important product <strong>and</strong> deserves to be treated with respect <strong>and</strong> consideration. It is <strong>the</strong> most extensively<br />
consumed fruit in <strong>the</strong> United States, being purchased by over 98 percent of households. It is important to <strong>the</strong> economies of<br />
many developing Latin American nations. The banana's continued image in <strong>the</strong> minds of consumers as a healthy <strong>and</strong> nutritious<br />
product is critically important to <strong>the</strong> industry's continued ability to be held in such high regard by <strong>the</strong> public <strong>and</strong> to discharge its<br />
responsibilities to its Latin American hosts.<br />
Mr Christiansen, I have no alternative but to advise you that we intend to hold PBS fully responsible for any <strong>and</strong> all damages<br />
sustained by our industry as <strong>the</strong> result of <strong>the</strong> showing of this AIDS program depicting <strong>the</strong> banana in <strong>the</strong> associational context<br />
planned. Fur<strong>the</strong>r, we reserve all legal rights to protect <strong>the</strong> industry's interests from this arbitrary, unnecessary, <strong>and</strong> insensitive<br />
action<br />
Yours very truly,<br />
Robert M. Moore<br />
Thursday, 17 January 13