Amela Husic, HUMN240, Assignment 1-4-6, Analysis 5

Which theories seemed to best relate to your popular culture topic?

I was very surprised to learn that all of theories covered in this class could be applied to my topic “The depiction of smoking in current films and on TV”. First analysis started by the popular belief and myth that smoking was ‘cool’, socially accepted, and smoking in public places was allowed. Cultural icons in the past, such as Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich, promoted smoking as cool, sexy, and glamorous, while Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, and Ronald Regan were portraying smoking as cool and mysterious, and that it gave you that ‘bad boy’ image. 

In the 90s, smoking was portrayed as a social ritual where cool and young people would get together, drink, smoke, and have the best time of their lives. Stereotypes, such as only ‘cool people smoke’ or the phrase ‘You’ve come a long way, baby’, targeted and appealed to young male and female consumers, portraying smoking as an act of freedom, independence, and empowerment. With a new generation of smokers, new icons were needed to keep smoking cool and exciting.

 Feature films have become marketing opportunities for tobacco companies. “A recent study found that smoking occurred in feature films much more frequently than in real life; studies have also shown a link between smoking in films and increased smoking by kids” (as cited in Devereaux, n.d.).  Once again, stars and celebrities, as a McClane in the movie ‘Die Hard,’ were promoting smoking as cool and attractive. The main character, a movie hero and celebrity, “whether captured on the big screen or caught by the paparazzi, it seems like celebrities who smoke have a big impact on smoking habits of others” (Stanley, 2011).

As one can see, the tobacco industry used any way possible to promote smoking as cool and popular in order to get new customers and keep old ones. The formula used was the same one used in the past: make smoking look as cool as possible, and use any way possible to achieve that. As I said before, any theory that we learned so far could be applied to any popular culture topic, not just to “The depiction of smoking in current films and on TV”.  

What were the most interesting findings from your analyses?

The most interesting finding from the analysis was the impact that tobacco advertisements, especially smoking depiction in movies, had to do with the smoking popularity in America. It is unbelievable what huge influence movies made on young people. I was shocked to learn that young people started smoking because they saw their favorite celebrity (movie star) smoking on the big screen. I learned that “in 1998 the Master Settlement Agreement between the states’ attorneys general and the five largest American tobacco companies prohibited the industry from tobacco product placements in the entertainment media” (Berlyne, 2011). I was pleasantly surprised to learn that movie companies are taking steps to reduce tobacco use in the movies.

How will you think of your popular culture topic differently based on your analysis?

To be honest, I never thought about smoking on TV or movies as a promotional campaign for the tobacco industry. I always thought that it was a part of the movie just because, at one point, smoking was allowed. So all those scenes that depicted smoking were like watching real life going on. After doing research on the topic and reading about the study done by Dartmouth University where the researchers found out that young people “are three times more likely to begin smoking after viewing movies that include smoking content” (as cited in Brown, n.d.), I realized that movies were a huge advertising campaign for the tobacco industry. I am going to take a closer look on what kinds of movies my kids are watching now.

References:

Berlyne, D. (2011). Smoking in Movies and Television: Research Highlights. Retrieved November 4, 2011 from http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/72052.smoking.movies.tv.041211.pdf

Devereaux, D. (n.d). Deadly Persuasion: The Advertising of Alcohol & Tobacco. Retrieved November 4, 2011 from http://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/202/studyguide_202.pdf

Stanley, G. (2011). Smoking Celebrities; The Influence of Celebs Smoking in Film. Retrieved November 4, 2011 from http://www.hellohaveyouheard.com/blog/bid/31373/Smoking-Celebrities-The-Influence-of-Celebs-Smoking-in-Film

Amela Husic, HUMN240, Assignment 1-4-5, Analysis 4

The depiction of smoking in current films and on TV

Cigarette companies were always trying to get new customers, keep old ones, and get ‘quitters’ back. The best way to accomplish the agenda was to promote and advertise smoking in any media possible. The formula for success and one thing in common, regardless of the media used (film, magazines, TV, etc.), was to present smoking as cool as possible. Smoking was presented as a way to freedom and independence. All of the ads followed the same underlying story: smoking is cool, fun, and most of all, attractive.

There were several sub-formulas used, depending on who the targeted audience was. If the tobacco industries wanted to appeal to the male audience, they would have used a man who is good looking, masculine, strong, and handsome. If, on the other hand, the female audience was targeted, the women smoker was made to look beautiful, glamorous, sexy, independent, and slim. “You’ve come a long way, baby,” the Virginia Slims advertising punch line, underlined women independence, freedom, and empowerment. Cigarette names such as ‘Virginia Slim’ gave the idea that woman could not gain weight while they smoked. According to Jacobs (1997), “Cigarette ads give the impression that smokers are “Alive with pleasure” and that smoking is good for you”. As Kilbourne (as cited in Devereaux, n.d., pg.8) pointed out, “Advertising often lies. These lies are particularly obvious in tobacco ads. For example a Newport cigarette ad that shows young, healthy people under the heading ‘Alive with pleasure’.” The truth about smoking was hidden from consumers.

Today, smoking is not considered to be cool anymore. New laws were recently enacted to prevent smoking in public places. It is very important to educate young people, the most targeted audience, that smoking is a health hazard and is not attractive any more. New commercials such as “Above the Influence” are creating a new image of confident young people. That is a new formula for success and a healthier life without tobacco.

As Kilbourne (as cited in Devereaux, n.d., pg. 5) pointed out, tobacco “industries might want us to believe they are selling us sex appeal, good times, personal autonomy, and freedom, [but] what they are really selling is addiction and danger”.  Kilbourne wants to teach consumers to become critical thinkers and refuse to become preys for the tobacco advertising machine. He also wants to encourage them “to engage with...tobacco advertising to critique it, expose it, to fight back, and to recognize what real freedom and autonomy is” (as cited in Devereaux, n.d., pg. 5). By understanding the rules of the game, consumers are empowered to make better choices for themselves. 

References:

Devereaux, D. (n.d). Deadly Persuasion: The Advertising of Alcohol & Tobacco. Retrieved October 25, 2011 from http://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/202/studyguide_202.pdf

Jacobs, M. (1997). From the First to the Last Ash: The History, Economics & Hazards of Tobacco. Retrieved October 25, 2011 from http://healthliteracy.worlded.org/docs/tobacco/index.html

Analysis 3

The depiction of smoking in current films and on TV

“Myths are closely associated with and supported by the concepts of heroes...Heroes live close to the land of myths and serve as gatekeepers showing the rest of us the way to greatness...Spiritually and physically they are our role models” (Browne, 2005).

Reading this description of a hero, it becomes clear why tobacco companies used movies as the best media to promote smoking. Smoking in movies is seen as something cool and socially acceptable. That myth of coolness is supported by movie scenes in which the main hero who smokes is portrayed as attractive, sexy, exciting, sophisticated, and, in some cases, heroic.

Who could forget Bruce Willis in the role of McClain in the movie “Die Hard”? He is the hero that saves the day and  “smokes his way through a pack of cigarettes”, or scene in the movie “Die Hard 2” where “he smokes on an airport lobby clearly marked with ‘No Smoking’ signs” (Smoke Screeners, 2011).

The same applies to celebrities because they portray our beloved heroes on the big screen. Young people are fascinated with every move the celebrities make. So “whether captured on the big screen or caught by the paparazzi, it seems like celebrities who smoke have a big impact on smoking habits of others” (Stanley, 2011). According to the study conducted by Dartmouth University, teenagers “are three times more likely to begin smoking after viewing movies that include smoking content” (as cited in Brown, n.d.).

Blue (2011) points out that if popular actors “Were they still alive today, John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart might have been given a serious image makeover. The message from Hollywood last year: smoking in movies is not cool anymore”.  In the last five years, according to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention report, ‘tobacco incidents’ onscreen declined dramatically (as cited in Blue, 2011). “Among the three major motion picture companies with the tobacco-limiting policies, average tobacco incidents per youth-rated movie fell by more than 95%” (Blue, 2011). That is impressive. A ‘tobacco incident’ is considered to be any depiction of any tobacco product in the movie.

Bruce Willis, according to Gossip of the Day (2007), refused to smoke in the movie “Live Free or Die Hard” because it was not cool anymore. Willis did not “want to feel responsible for any kid smoking to try to look cool because he thought I looked cool doing it”. Willis said that it was his choice because he felt morally obligated to drop “a nasty habit” (Gossip of the Day, 2007).

As one can see, our heroes and the celebrities that portray them are trend setters. As our role models, they affect our lives and influence the choices that we make. Unfortunately, celebrities can be a bad influence too, such as the case with smoking.  I was shocked with the statistics that showed how many young people started smoking just because they saw their favorite actor or actress smoking on the big screen or in real life.

It is nice to see that smoking is not seen as cool anymore and that so many celebrities have started to behave as true role models and refuse to smoke in movies, like Bruce Willis did. Several celebrities publicly announced that they quit smoking, such as Whoopi Goldberg, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, John Stewart, Kelly Ripa, Elisabeth Hurley, Ben Affleck, and Jennifer Aniston (FoxNews.com). Trends are changing for the better.

References:

Blue, L. (2011). Hollywood to Kids: Smoking Isn’t Cool. Retrieved on October 19, 2011 from http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/14/hollywood-to-kids-smoking-isnt-cool/

Brown, L. (n.d.). The impact of smoking in movies, as seen by teens. Retrieved October 20, 2011 from http://www.scenesmoking.org/editorial_lbrown.htm

FOXNews. (n.d.). Celebrities Who Have Quit Smoking. Retrieved october 20, 2011 from http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/health/2009/07/23/celebrities-quit-smoking

Gossip Of The Day. (2007). Bruce Willis’ smoke concerns. Retrieved October 20, 2011 from http://www.askmen.com/celebs/entertainment-news/bruce-willis/bruce-willis-smoke-concerns.html

SmokeScreeners. (2011). A Tobacco Awarness and Prevention Program of the Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation. Retrieved October 20, 2011 from http://smokescreeners.org/category/Movie-Reviews.aspx

Stanley, G. (2011). Smoking Celebrities; The Influence of Celebs Smoking in Film. Retrieved October 20, 2011 from http://www.hellohaveyouheard.com/blog/bid/31373/Smoking-Celebrities-The-Influence-of-Celebs-Smoking-in-Film