Banned in the USA
Would you ban velvet Elvis paintings? These towns really did it
Image: Dmitry Alexandrovich
The Land of the Free has had its fair share of strange bans over the years, and not all of them make sense today. From quirky laws to outright odd restrictions, plenty of everyday things have been outlawed at one point or another. Here are 12 unusual things that, believe it or not, were once banned in the U.S.
1
Sliced bread
Image: Laura Ockel
Not even the best of inventions are safe from odd bans. In 1943, the U.S. government temporarily banned pre-sliced bread as part of wartime resource conservation .
Thankfully, the ban only lasted a few months. Housewives, bakeries, and even newspapers complained, arguing that sliced bread was a necessity. The ban was lifted quickly due to public backlash.
2
Pinball machines
Image: Louie Castro-Garcia
Believe it or not, from the 1940s until the mid-1970s, pinball machines were outlawed in several major cities, including New York and Chicago. Officials claimed the machines promoted gambling and corruption .
Machines were confiscated and destroyed. The ban finally ended when it was proven that pinball was more skill-based than luck, leading to its revival as a popular arcade game.
3
Yo-Yos
Image: Eric Prouzet
During the 1930s, some U.S. towns banned yo-yos, believing they caused bad luck and distracted children from schoolwork . The fad was seen as both frivolous and superstitious.
Though short-lived, the bans show how something as harmless as a toy could spark moral panic and strange local laws.
4
Christmas
Image: Erwan Hesry
In the 1600s, the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony banned Christmas , claiming it was rooted in pagan traditions and encouraged rowdy behavior .
Anyone caught celebrating risked punishment or fines. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that Christmas gained widespread acceptance in the U.S.
5
Dancing after midnight
Image: Scott Broome
At different occasions during the 20th century, some cities enforced laws that restricted or outright banned late-night dancing . New York City’s "Cabaret Law" limited dancing to licensed venues only.
Authorities argued it was about maintaining order, but many saw it as cultural repression. By the 1990s, these laws faced strong opposition, and most have since been repealed, allowing nightlife to thrive.
6
Comic books
Image: Waldemar
Comic books have been a scapegoat for different things in different periods. For example, in the 1950s, they came under fire, accused of corrupting America’s youth . Parents, educators, and politicians believed violent and horror-themed comics encouraged delinquency.
Entire towns banned sales, and even public book burnings took place in different corners of the country.
7
Yellow margarine
Image: Marine Le Gac
Being a substitute for butter, margarine was heavily lobbied against by dairy farmers in the late 1800s. Several states passed laws banning margarine dyed yellow to resemble butter .
As a result, margarine was sold plain white, or consumers had to mix in dye packets themselves. These odd restrictions lasted well into the mid-1900s before finally being repealed.
8
Men’s long hair
Image: Siri louis
During the 1960s and 70s, schools across the U.S. cracked down on boys with long hair . Beatles-inspired styles were viewed as rebellious, unclean, and disruptive.
Some students were suspended or expelled over hair length. These policies reflected the cultural clashes of the era.
9
Left-handed writing
Image: Anna Savina
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, left-handed students were forced to switch hands . Teachers tied their left arms or punished them until they wrote with their right hand.
This practice was based on superstition and prejudice, with left-handedness considered "wrong" or even sinister.
10
Bathing suits above the knee
Image: Brett Jordan
In the early 1900s, strict laws dictated swimwear modesty at public beaches . Bathing suits that rose above the knee could result in fines or even arrest by "beach police."
Photographs from the time show officers measuring swimsuit lengths with rulers. The bans slowly disappeared as fashion and social norms shifted.
11
Coffee
Image: Jakub Dziubak
In the late 1600s, in Boston, coffee was briefly banned for being considered dangerous and unproductive . Authorities feared it encouraged idleness and vagrancy.
Coffeehouses were seen as gathering places for gossip and dissent. The ban didn’t last long, and coffee soon became a staple of American culture, eventually surpassing tea in popularity.
12
Velvet Elvis paintings
Image: Susan Mohr
In the 1970s and 80s, velvet Elvis paintings became a kitschy art craze. Some towns, embarrassed by the trend, tried banning their sale, calling them indecent or tacky .
Though the bans were rarely enforced, they reflected how taste and morality sometimes crossed into law.
