Attention Kevin Bacon. Taber needs your help.
That's the message a group of concerned Albertans are sending to the star of the 1984 Hollywood dance classic "Footloose," after the small town's council passed a bylaw that seriously prohibits fun.
Taber, population 8,104, has brought in a bylaw to clamp down on bad behaviour.
Reading like a page from the Old West, the bylaw includes a $75 fine for spitting in public and a $150 penalty for yelling, screaming or swearing in a public place. There are also limits on noise from bars.
The town's "quiet hours" are between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. and police now have the power to order groups of three people or more to disperse, despite some saying the law is unconstitutional and violates basic rights and freedoms.
Now, a group is taking the fight online, trying to bring Bacon to Alberta, to help fight the draconian laws with dance — similar to his character's crusade in "Footloose."
The group, Save Us Bacon, has written a fundraising letter and posted a video on YouTube, asking for people to help raise the money needed to bring Bacon to Taber.
"That small town from 'Footloose' needed a hero. They needed Kevin Bacon, in a tank top," their plea reads.
"Mr. Bacon, the people of Taber, Alberta need a hero more than ever."
The group intends to start a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds. If they hit their goal they promise to "host a raucous dance party/protest against an embarrassing, archaic, vaguely worded law passed by an out of touch town-council -- held of course, just outside of Taber."
Despite the satirical letter, the group insists they will host the party if the funds show up. And if Bacon is unavailable, they say they'll try to recruit "Footloose" title track artist Kenny Loggins.
We hope that Mr. Bacon can be convinced, because this is something all Albertans need.
Taber's Strict New Bylaw
