Truth commercial: Muppets & smoking

[JJandJanice]

Ok, let me start off by saying that I'm sorry if what I'm about to say may or may not upset some.

But, to be honset, I agree with the "South Park" episode entitled "Butt Out." Trey Parker and Matt Stone, to me, hit the nail on the head with that episode. Let me say right off the bat, that I, myself, am not a smoker and never have been, does that mean I should be reward or even looked up to, not really. I don't really understand the point of these commercials at all, not just the one which they talk about "the Muppet Movie" (although that is the one that got under my skin the most, ), but all these commercials are nothing short of "pointless."

If you, like myself, don't smoke, than good for you. But that shouldn't give someone the right to try to go to the goverment and try to pass on kinds of crazy laws agianst smoking, just because it annoys you. Everyone, by now, knows the dangers of smoking and some people still choose to, and for many good hard working people, it's really there only "vacation" or "relax time." It's just insane the way people have been sold on these anti-smoking ads that know people think that if they get any smoke in there face their going to die and the people who do smoke are just awful people in general, which is just not fair.

Here's some "truth" for "truth," what their doing, to me at least, is just, simply put, fascism.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I understand what you're saying, totally. People know what they're doing when they begin to smoke, it's their choice. And they're not terrible people simply because they smoke.

But on the other side of it, second-hand smoke is dangerous. Being around smoke when you don't want to be is unfair, physically uncomfortable and again unhealthy. As for actual smokers, it's only a relief from stress because they've become addicted to it. People may choose to smoke intially, but after that it's out of their hands, and many smokers wish they could quit. But the choice, their choice, is taken away.

Of course it's possible to quit, but extremely difficult, it can take people years. Meanwhile they're still doing this unhealthy thing to themselves and to others.

This country already has too much of an attitude of "It feels good, so do it, regardless of the consequences!" That could be called the extreme opposite of facism, which is just as bad.

 

[JJandJanice]

I understand what you're saying, totally. People know what they're doing when they begin to smoke, it's their choice. And they're not terrible people simply because they smoke.

But on the other side of it, second-hand smoke is dangerous. Being around smoke when you don't want to be is unfair, physically uncomfortable and again unhealthy. As for actual smokers, it's only a relief from stress because they've become addicted to it. People may choose to smoke intially, but after that it's out of their hands, and many smokers wish they could quit. But the choice, their choice, is taken away.

Of course it's possible to quit, but extremely difficult, it can take people years. Meanwhile they're still doing this unhealthy thing to themselves and to others.

This country already has too much of an attitude of "It feels good, so do it, regardless of the consequences!" That could be called the extreme opposite of facism, which is just as bad.

Point well taken. I can agree with you on that and see you eye to eye.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Thanks, I'm glad we could see both points.

 

[RKUNKLER]

If im not mistaken there is smoking in The Muppet Movie in the El sleezo cafe. Also in the George Burns episode of The Muppet Show George Burns smokes cigars.

 

[Kevin the Frog]

This is a good example of how the smoking-nazis can go too far. First they get movies to be rated a special rating if smoking is shown, and now we're talking about puppets encouraging kids to smoke. I ain't even lying!

 

[Squonk]

I happened to see the ad last night for the first time. It made me a bit angry. Very misleading. I really had to think hard to come up with where there was smoking in "The Muppet Movie."

Let's see them try and come after the Caterpillar in "Alice in Wonderland" next.

 

[Drtooth]

Notice they don't mention anything about Rowlf the dog drinking Beer, or Kermit and Piggy drinking Champaign.

Now, as much as I think the big tobacco companies are satan themselves, this is more ultra B.S. by groups that solve the wrong problem with the wrong solution. That bullcrap about giving movies adult ratings when people smoke? What's up with that? not going to solve anything. Considering people do smoke in real life, it IS basically used to give a grittiness to reality. I don't even recall anything but a Human smoking in that movie. And it took place in a skeevvy bar too.

And calling Muppets a "children's medium" gets my blood boiling. Jim Henson almost DIDN'T do sesame Street as it would have branded him as a children's entertainer, and not the well rounded artist we know and love.

When smoking happens in a film like this, usually the bad guy, or sleezy guys, or something like that is smoking. Anyone remember Oliver and Company? The villain blew cigar smoke at the guy's face in one scene.

When these ads are comical like, "It's fair enough" they are enjoyable... but to hire a bunch of hack wanna be performance artists to do the same "what's going on? Duhhhh.. I better watch the whole commercial to see the 2 seconds of actual product or message" thing.... almost makes me want to smoke...

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Like Cruella Deville. I think that how you spell it, anyway.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

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.

you took the words right outta my mouth its the first thing i said when i saw it