What happened NYC?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 10:39am

For the anthropologists of the group.

How does NYC, the city that never sleeps, become a Nanny state? How did we go from being a city where you could find anything to a city that bans smoking, eating and such?

I would really appreciate serious discussion on this because I wonder how we became this way?

Part of my theory is that the Baby Boomer generation smoked, doped and sexed it up. And now that they are aging, they feel guilty and want to deprive everyone else.


Link

Updated On: 6/13/12 at 10:39 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 11:10am

It's that damn Republican mayor. Those meddlesome GOPs have to stick it in everyone's business.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 11:20am

Except NYC always elects liberals.

Guiliani, the only real Republican mayor, was socially liberal, but fiscally conservative.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 1:11pm

What happened? People elected Bloomberg three times. If you don't like it vote for someone who will change it next time.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 1:20pm

"If you don't like it vote for someone who will change it next time."

Second and third time I did.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 2:25pm

Plus I think his intention with this is to bring attention to the issue. And obesity has become a chronic, very expensive, issue in this country.
This isn't a ban on soda either. You're still free to buy as much fattening, diabetes causing soda you want. Nothing has been banned. That doesn't sound like a nanny state to me.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 2:38pm

I've never liked the man...and REALLY resented him taking as much credit as he did when gay marriage passed in the state of New York.

And since I've NEVER voted for the man, I have more of a right to complain than even Goth.

That said...none of the smoking/calorie posting/soda things bother me. Even though I like smoking, calories and soda.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 2:44pm

Yeah I'm no Bloomberg fan either. But I think all this talk of banning is a little hysterical. Since you can still smoke, eat, and drink as much soda as you want.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 2:46pm

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:09pm

I guess I also wonder how the city went from having meeting places like the Playboy Club, Plato's Retreat, Continental Baths, etc to worrying about whether movies were serving large popcorn.

I'm glad that Times Square has been cleaned up, yet it almost seems like Bloomberg has nothing to do so he's creating issues to look like he's doing something.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:12pm

Whoever thought they'd see Goth bemoan the loss of the Continental Baths.

There are still places to go and have a good time. Trust me.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:17pm

"Whoever thought they'd see Goth bemoan the loss of the Continental Baths."

Actually I don't care whether they exist or not. I was using those as examples of from one extreme to the other.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:18pm

I appreciate that Goth is calling for a nuanced discussion. I think a lot of it is part of the package of the mallification of NYC. As everything became cleaner and shinier and famliy-friendlier, the idea of public space sort of morphed into being treated more like mall space, which famously des not leave much room for unencumbered civic life. I mean, mall security can throw you out of their consumer center if they don't like what it says on your t-shirt. I think there has been a drift towards that way of thinking in the US in general and NYC isn't immune to it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:25pm

Some of this comes because recently I was re-watching Tales of the City. I was a kid in the 1970s but it seemed a much freer time.

I appreciate being able to walk through Times Square without having sex pushed in my face, but it also seems that everyone is so uptight these days.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:31pm

I think I might see your confusion: Tales of the City takes place in San Francisco, a city that has never had a republican mayor. You can drink as large a soda as you please there.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:51pm

Anyone who thinks Bloomy is a Republican I have a bridge I would love to sell you.

Frisco is nice but has a huge homeless problem. In addition anyone in the military is not welcome there. They also tore down the Fox but that is ancient history.

What Mrs Doubtfire wants to do in NY. Obama wants to do the same on healthcare. My 2 doctors dread it actually going into place.

Updated On: 6/13/12 at 03:51 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:56pm

So, back to keeping in the spirit of a nuanced discussion that doesn't break down into the tired tropes of mainstream political party lines:

I do think the schizo nature of our culture's reaction to sex is very much at the heart of what leads to the conclusion that Goth reaches: "that everyone is so uptight these days."

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:57pm

"In addition anyone in the military is not welcome there."

Say what?

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 3:57pm

Wait...aren't you on Medicare???

It drives me nuts when my parents extoll the virtues of their Medicare and then turn around and scream socialism when it comes to other's having access to healthcare.

As for Bloomberg, even if he was a Democrat, I still wouldn't like him. He's annoying gnat of a human being who should maybe self-police when it comes to exposing himself to the sun's harmful rays. He looks like a crocodile wallet.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 4:00pm

So Bloomberg, a lifelong Republican ISN'T a Republican? I don't know what gave me the idea he was....except maybe the fact that he is. And again, you do realize that San Francisco is not now and never was New York, right? If you were watching say Midnight Cowboy would you start to wonder how LA has changed so much?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 4:19pm

Does culture go in cycles? Did humanity get tired? (I still blame it on Baby Boomers)

1950s - fairly conservative

1960s - peace, love, Woodstock

1970s - still swinging with the love, more cynicism

1980s - wealth, harder recreational drugs, cautious sex

1990s - a sobering? Party over? Where do we go from here?

2000s - new Millennium

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 4:25pm

I think it does go in cycles, I think New York swings or not like a pendulum do or don't. Of course, it's kind of more like on the 5s of the decades than the 0s, when things start to pivot.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 4:28pm

Here. You seem to be missing this Goth.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 4:28pm

Frisco

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 6/13/12 at 4:44pm

Our sh*t mayor doesn't care what you think. It's all about what he wants. I can't wait until this fool is gone.