Truth commercial: Muppets & smoking

[Vic Romano]

I think this is a bad thing because it seems to put some negative light on the Muppets, but whudafxup's "truth" campaign has a new commercial featuring a large purple monster they call a "puppet" by claiming that while tobacco industries declared in 1969 that they would no longer target children, they had their products featured ten years later in "The Muppet Movie".

The commercial the shows this purple creature walk the streets of NYC being ignored and even removed by adults, he's naturally welcomed by children, proving the point that this funny looking creature is appealing to kids, just like the Muppets are. Hence, tobacco companies do (or at least did) use children's charcters to promote smoking.

You can view the commercial by clicking here, and then clicking the video link and selecting the commercial titled "Puppet TV: 30".

 

[tutter_fan]

Seen the commercial and don't like it one bit!

 

[goshposh]

when was tobacco featured in the muppet movie?

 

[The Count]

Agree... This was a rully baaaaaad commercial. How the heck can they get away with referencing us and then showing absolutely nothing that either remotely presents smoking featured in the Muppet Movie or anything close to the Muppet Movie itself?
This just proves that major number of commercials are rot these days. Truth needs to go back to the first few ones they did, when they were actually funny.

*Presses button and sends this Truth commercial to the advertising trashmasher.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well there is a slight flaw in their logic, The Muppet Movie was also aimed at adults. I mean HELLO, there was also a bartender in the film!

A few other websites talk about this, how some of the human characters in TMM are seen smoking. It doesn't surprise me, there wasn't a huge anti-smoking campaign back then like there is now. This is nothing new, the tobacco company has always stuck cigarettes in so-called "family" films, even after saying they don't advertise to kids directly.

Personally, I am angry at the tobacco industry for helping to ruin so many lives (I say helping because no one is forcing people to smoke). And I'm glad for commericals that are attacking it.

But on the other hand, I doubt those scenes in TMM encouraged kids to smoke, at least no more than any other movie. As I said, it was aimed at adults too. So I think the commerical could have gone after someone else.

 

[MWoO]

The commercial is misleading. I saw it and it didm ake me question their tactics. The Muppet Movie was not released as some kid movie. It was released with a huge celebration by hollywood stars. It was star packed for crying out loud.

For some reason people think it is ok to lie if they feel it is in others best interest. Sure smoking isb ad, but don't mislead people. If people know it is bad let them decide if they want to do it. It's not like people don't know smoking kills you.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Oh, for crying out loud...if there was any smoking shown, it would have been the humans doing it, and the kids wouldn't have been paying attention to them; they'd have been concentrating on the Muppets.

And in one episode of Fraggle Rock, Traveling Matt meets the mouthburning creatures (smokers); he remarks that the activity is probably painful and unhealthy, and comments that the mouthburners are also ungrateful.

 

[Vic Romano]

Oh, for crying out loud...if there was any smoking shown, it would have been the humans doing it, and the kids wouldn't have been paying attention to them; they'd have been concentrating on the Muppets.

Agreed, and no Muppets smoke, and after reviewing the film for the intensive purposes of finding smoking, it was all very subtle.

when was tobacco featured in the muppet movie?

Here's what I found: Several patrons in the El Sleazo Café are holding stogies, but with the exception of a very brief instant where a woman is exhaling at the begining of the scene, no one actually smokes them, although you do see many puffs of smoke blown from off screen while Fozzie and Kermit dance onstage. The bartender also has a cigar in his mouth where some smoke is seen coming from his mouth when he talks. Mad Man Moony is also holding a cigar, but is never seen with it in his mouth.

Like heralde said also, this was the 70's, not the present day where we're much more vocal and aware of the effects of smoking. I usually like the truth commercials too, but this doesn't bode well for them. They're reaching too far.

 

[Barry Lee]

Ok, um, "The Muppet Movie" is a family film, not a childrens film, I mean really. Plus, people smoke, they were trying to give a realistic view to the film, and people smoke, so they put people who smoke in films, oh well. I mean really.
​

 

[Beauregard]

What the--...

What is the weirdest thing I have seen in my life. A big furry purple creature saying, "Would you watch a movie if I was in it?" and then wondering why people give it the cold shoulder? And then clapping and playing with kids and being unsurprised when they come and play?

And...um...as far as I remember, the only smoking Muppet (not counting exploded ones) was Bobby Benson and wasn't he an...oh yes! An unsavory character who no one wanted to copy?