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In S05E11 of Breaking Bad, a scene made me think of something. In the restroom a guy complained:
Nanny state. When I see a kid with his bicycle helmet on, I want to smack the shit out of him, like for his own good.
While the other man wiping blood of their shoes. It’s a charming little scene.
I don't understand the meaning of this scene. Is it sarcasm that the guy is like a nanny? Or sarcasm that modern American culture is like a nanny?
A transcript I found online shows the full quote. It has
Ever been on a plane and find yourself looking down at the armrest next to you, looking at the little plug where the ashtray used to go? I look at that and I say, "What the hell happened to this country?" Nanny state.
I see a kid with a bicycle helmet on, I wanna smack the sh1t out of him. Like, for his own good.
Nanny state is a set phrase that is (per wikipedia)
a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. The term "nanny state" likens government to the role that a nanny has in child rearing.
The first line is decrying this behaviour, for example increasing prohibitions on smoking. The second line adds the example of a child with a bicycle helmet on; bicycle helmets are another thing intended to make life safer.
