There is a lot in the news, again, about the responsibility of tobacco companies advertising to kids. I don’t support or condone kids smoking cigarettes and I do not smoke myself. Still, I do not believe that as long as cigarettes are made legal, they will be out of the hands of kids any time soon. The only way to get kids to stop smoking, is for someone to spend as much money on clever advertising to “uncool” smoking as Big Tobacco spends on making you want it. It’s a tall order, but why this story is in the news again is beyond me, the media seems so shocked that Big Tobacco has changed it’s strategy to target young smokers to lock them in as addicted cigarette buyers. Why wouldn’t they? What else are they supposed to do? Thats what advertising people do!
How many of you dumb asses bought those fucking Swiffers even though you have a perfectly good broom and vacuum cleaner?? See.. something convinced you that this product was filling a gap in your otherwise perfect life, and you bought in. “But, it’s so much easier to use.. than a broom.”
What is not being discussed is the fact that the US Army is using similar tricks on kids, promoting future military careers harder and stronger than ever (as if we don’t know why) and using tactics to make it seem as though a career in the military will make you become the adult your parents failed at raising. My favorite is that commercial where the dad says his son did two things he’d never done before he went to bootcamp: looked his dad in the eye and shook his hand. Then implies the Army taught him how to do this. You don’t need to sign your life away and have people shoot at you to learn respect and integrity. Fortunately, the Army and Big Tobacco provide America’s children with Life’s equivalent of the Swiffer and because you did such a jackass job of raising your kids, they will probably go for it and when they come back in a bag, you’ll blame George Bush.
On a related note, The Army has also sponsored spots on MTV2, showing videos and band interviews with a Go Army logo covering half of the screen. If Phillip Morris had done this there would have been hell to pay.
I must have done a half way decent job.…you don’t smoke and you didn’t join the military. I don’t need a handshake to earn your respect. I’ve seen it a million times in a million other ways. You write like a champ and you say things that most people are afraid to say and that’s couragous and amazing and just plain freakin’ awesome.
wow! i am so glad i read your post before i made one step further. you see, i was sitting here at my computer puffing away on my last camel. as i was butting out my smoke i realized that i had better get to the store to get some more. but then i remembered i didn’t have time ’cause i was scheduled to meet with the recruiter in less than ten minutes to talk over “my future”. i was so close to being finished with your entry though that i figured i had the minute or two it would take to just read it. that’s when i realized i had been brain washed. either way i was headed — to smoke or to sign up for war — i was gonna die. dude, don’t you understand? you saved me. you saved me! i won’t ever forget that. anyway. i need to run. i have to go swifjet the kitchen floor. it is dirty again. later.……
drew.
Your sarcasm is duly noted.
Perhaps if I videotaped my dad cleaning the garage last week and posted it you would have found this post more relevant.
i figured if anyone would appreciate my sarcasm it would be you. wait…i mean unapologetic sarcasm. would you believe someone called me a smart ass the other day? who would do such a thing?
drew.