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July 25, 2007

So Disney bans smoking from all its movies

and why?


Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday became the first major Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking, saying there would be no smoking in its family-oriented, Disney-branded films and it would "discourage" it in films distributed by its Touchstone and Miramax labels.

Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger also said in a letter to U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, whose committee last month held hearings on the effects of movie images on children, that the studio would place anti-smoking public service announcements on DVDs of any future films that feature cigarette smoking. ...

Research cited by American Legacy, a nonprofit created out of landmark litigation between the tobacco industry and states attorneys general, shows that 90 percent of all films depict smoking and children with the highest exposure to smoking in movies were nearly three times more likely to start smoking.

Geez, doesn't that just make one wonder what other things that children are exposed to influences behavior to engage in that "thing?"

Posted by Darleen at July 25, 2007 08:52 PM

Comments

Universal actually banned smoking from most of its youth films in April. Disney was the first to make a big deal about it.

Posted by: Erik at July 25, 2007 09:51 PM

Darleen:

Don't you know that when Hollywood makes a movie with violence, sex and drugs, they are only reflecting the culture, but when they depict smoking, evidently they are creating a culture. You see, the movies are only influential when it comes to smoking.
Besides, they have always told us that if we don't like what we see, turn it off or don't go see the film. But that doesn't work with smoking in movies because the eeeevil tobacco companies have developed a mind control ray that prevents you from tuning out, makes you absorb their pro-smoking message, and eventually buy your first carton.
Notice also that the word carton is suspiciously close to the word cartoon.
Resistance is futile.

Posted by: MagicalPat at July 27, 2007 09:20 PM

I'm still traumatized over Bambi's mom dying. At least she wasn't a smoker.

Posted by: Greta (Hooah Wife) at July 28, 2007 09:15 PM