WHO’S HELPING TO KEEP ME HOOKED?

As we are about to see, the creativity of the industry knows no boundaries when they are seeking expansion, and along with other mercenary industries, they enthusiastically work to increase their client network…

HOLLYWOOD AND ITS HARMFUL ROLE

The tobacco industry joined Hollywood in 1927, when talking movies appeared. In the 30’s and 40’s two out of every three movie stars advertised cigarettes. Classic films like “Casablanca”, even up to date help promote smoking; some of the celebrities that helped most to increase its sales were: Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Bette Davis, and Betty Grable: they all died of causes directly related to smoking.

Films are better than any TV commercial or printed ad, because the public is not aware that they are being advertised was the message Hollywood sent to tobacco companies.

Cigarettes and their advertisements are carefully positioned in positive situations, and whenever they appear in a negative situation, you can never see the brand.

The producers of “A license to kill” were paid several hundred thousands of dollars so that James Bond smoked Larks; Sylvester Stallone was paid $500,000 dollars to smoke a certain brand in 3 movies; even in The Muppets’ film Phillip Morris placed its products!!!

In the awarded film “Avatar”, the scientist, who is a great character, the first thing she asks for when she comes back are her cigarettes!

In the 70’s and 80’s, there was a decrease in the number of scenes with cigarettes in movies, but in the 90’s it increased back to the same levels of the 60’s, even though people who go to the movies smoke less than they did in the 50’s and 60’s.

Studies made on the subject report that in movies in the 60’s one cigarette was smoked every 5 minutes, in the 70’s and 80’s, it was one every 10 to 15 minutes, but since the 90’s a cigarettes is smoked, or is mentioned, or cigarette smoke or a brand appears every 3 to 5 minutes. Take a close look the next time you watch a movie, and you’ll find this to be astonishingly true!

In a study made in 2006, it was found that 90% of the scenes containing cigarettes belong to films by the major studios, so it was concluded that these studios are the main providers of teen-age smokers to the industry, since teenagers who admire smoking stars, are more prone to start the addiction; this is why the tobacco companies pay hefty bonuses to “paparazzi” who take pictures of actors and actresses while smoking or cigarette in hand.

Next time I’ll share with you a list of celebrities who died from tobacco related causes