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
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