Pasteurized Prepared Freedom Product

Could we all, I don't know, stop worrying about how conservatives will react to things? I ask because for one, we pretty much know how they'll react. And two, the things they loose their mind over are usually either scientific facts they don't like, or people doing things or being things they don't approve of.

Pictured: conservatives reacting to things.

As an old white guy you'd think conservatives
would listen to what Attenborough has to say.

Vague, I know, but what set me down this path today is this article about the BBC not airing an episode of a David Attenborough nature documentary because Tories will--huh? I guess they're like British Republicans? Well, not republicans, as in people who think they should get rid of the monarchy. In fact, I think there's not a ton of overlap there. Tories are the British equivalent of America's political right. I'm not clear if their right has gone quite as rabid foam crazy as ours but they do have some things in common, one of those being they hate the environment.

Sorry, that's unfair. Conservatives don't hate the environment. After all, you can exploit the environment for money. They just don't understand why we the rest of us would like to preserve some semblance of an inhabitable planet for future generations. 

"Future generations aren't me, so why should I care?"

-Kevin McCarthy (actual quote)

Ironically, this Tory would likely run
afoul of drag bans in 21st century America.

Anyway, the episode deals with the loss of wild environments and the consequences of ecological destruction and the BBC doesn't want to upset the Tories. So they're saying that the episode was never intended for broadcast. Because networks routinely produce things with no intention of airing them, I guess. It will be available on their iPlayer Service so it's not like you can't watch it, but it still seems like a kind of dumb excuse and part of a disturbing acquiescence to right-wing freak outs. But I'm not British, I'm about to make this about drag bans. You know, the wrongheaded, homophobic, transphobic, queer-phobic, bans on certain kinds of drag performances. Legislation sold to ignorant people by conservatives who make their personal discomfort other people's problems. 

Above: basically Republicans.
Oh look, you can win an outdoor grill.

Which might sound super contrary to the Republican Party's stated love of, and support for, freedom. But, in the same way that Kraft Singles have to legally be marketed as a "cheese product" rather than actual cheese, they should probably espouse a kind of "freedom product" since their's is a very narrow definition of freedom of expression. That is, they are free to express themselves and you are not. Unless your expression aligns with their shitty worldview. But that's whatever. They're going to do and say what they're going to do. We're not going to change their minds by explaining to them how wrong they are or how their dumb bans hurt people. Unless it's happening to them personally, they don't care.

So, I don't know what to do, but it seems like the one thing we can absolutely not do is give in to them. If a documentary about how screwed the planet is is going to upset these people, then the BBC should air it five times a day. If they're spouting horseshit about the dangers of drag story hour, then take your kids to one every week. But whatever we do, we cannot change our lives to avoid upsetting the delicate sensibilities of people who strap on assault rifles to go to Starbucks. 

Because then they do shit like this and tell us it was a tour group.