Disney's Smoking Ban Expands (Movies)

[I'mNoPrince]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070726/media_nm/disney_smoking_dc_6

By Gina Keating
Wed Jul 25, 8:20 PM ET



LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday became the first major Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking, saying tobacco use would be off-limits in its family-oriented, Disney-branded films and "discouraged" in films distributed by its Touchstone and Miramax labels.

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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.

He said the company would encourage theater owners to screen anti-smoking public service announcements, or PSAs, before such films.

Iger cautioned that "cigarette smoking is a unique problem and this PSA effort is not a precedent for any other issue."

Markey described Disney's commitment as "groundbreaking" and urged other studios to follow suit.

Dr. Cheryl Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, commended Disney's move but said the studio left "some ambiguity about what would happen in relation to Touchstone and Miramax."

Research cited by American Legacy, a nonprofit created from landmark litigation between the tobacco industry and states attorneys general, children with the highest exposure to smoking in movies were nearly three times more likely to start smoking.

Tobacco is featured in three-quarters of G, PG and PG-13 rated movies and 90 percent of R-rated movies, the studies showed.

Seth Oster, executive vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America, said the move to marginalize smoking in movies "very clearly demonstrates the film industry is committed to playing a role in reducing the impact of tobacco on kids in this country."

The Weinstein Co., an independent film production company, is using PSAs produced by American Legacy ahead of its films that depict smoking, Healton said.

Universal Studios, owned by General Electric, said in April that it would reduce the portrayal of smoking in films rated for PG-13 and younger audiences. No such films have been produced since the statement.

"We feel it's important to use our influence to help stem a serious health problem in the United States and around the world," said Ron Meyer, president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios. "We believe it's possible to do that while respecting filmmakers' creative choices and we are committed to partnering with them in this effort."

So What do you all think of this one .

 

[Virgo10]

As a smoker, I have no problem with this. I would take exception to it if, say, they did a biography of Winston Churchill and they had him sucking on a lollypop though.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Poor Cruella!

 

[wvrevy]

No problem showing murder and any number of other violent scenes in the 'R' rated movies, but they can't show someone smoking a cigarette? Yeah...our priorities are definitely straight in this country.

 

[Crazoo]

Never heard of anyone who started smoking cause they saw it in movies

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

I guess we'll have to put it up there with our beloved cookie monster who is now VEGGIE MONSTER . . . I know that is why I was a chubbo growing up cause I associated myself with being like cookie monster.

 

[Charade]

No problem showing murder and any number of other violent scenes in the 'R' rated movies, but they can't show someone smoking a cigarette? Yeah...our priorities are definitely straight in this country.

What, you don't think people who see that stuff in movies can make the distinction that smoking is cool, why not murder and violence too?

And I really don't think the target demographic was people who see R films. I also believe Touchstone and Miramax will probably ignore Iger's "encouragement".

 

[cardaway]

They have been doing this to their animated stuff for years. Check out the Pecos Bill short on the Melody Time DVD. They got rid of the cigarette itself but not the scenes where he was smoking. Poor Pecos is air smoking.

 

[lillielil]

I don't care one way or the other. I didn't start smoking because someone in a movie was doing it, and I'm not going to quit simply because cigarettes vanish from movies.

 

[wvjules]

I guess we'll have to put it up there with our beloved cookie monster who is now VEGGIE MONSTER . . .

Really?

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

This hysteria over smoking in the movies is such a meaningless step in addressing the issue. If one wants to change a culture, this is not the place to start IMO.

 

[kimmikayb]

This hysteria over smoking in the movies is such a meaningless step in addressing the issue. If one wants to change a culture, this is not the place to start IMO.

I agree!

 

[Charade]

I don't care one way or the other. I didn't start smoking because someone in a movie was doing it, and I'm not going to quit simply because cigarettes vanish from movies.

I went to a funeral the other day for a man who died of lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker. Even after a couple of years of really bad coughing, he didn't stop. While at the viewing, I was really taken aback by at least one person standing outside the funeral home smoking a cigarette. How crass. My Dfi's mother has emphysema from being a smoker for years. My Dfi smokes (not heavy) and I wished she would quit. She said she would after we get married. I'm going to hold her to her promise.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that this ruling is pointless and won't have any impact on smoking. Lots of activities could be portrayed as "cool" in movies but that doesn't mean these are appropriate behaviors. I think that even kids can learn to make that distinction.

 

[LorilieMarie]

I don't care one way or the other. I didn't start smoking because someone in a movie was doing it, and I'm not going to quit simply because cigarettes vanish from movies.

I don't think they are doing it for the people who already smoke.....It's to try not to influence young kids to start by making it look cool or fun. Even if it doesn't make a big difference at least they tried.

 

[Fitswimmer]

No problem showing murder and any number of other violent scenes in the 'R' rated movies, but they can't show someone smoking a cigarette? Yeah...our priorities are definitely straight in this country.

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. Good grief, out of all the things that are modeled in films that are objectionable-THIS is the one they pick to work on??? Not the violence, not the gratutious sex, not the glorification of ignorance-but SMOKING????

We have a generation of children in this country that think being smart and doing well in school isn't cool. We have a generation of children in this country that is heading down the road to health problems because they don't exercise and they eat too much. If we're going to start paying attention to values we promote in movies, maybe we should look at those issues.

 

[Just2554]

I caught this on Good Morning America this morning and I think that this issue and the expectation of other companies to follow suit is going to cause alot of issues.

I'm all for leaving smoking out of the children's films Disney makes from now on. However, I am going to be very upset if Disney goes back and reedits all of their classics. Not only is that censorship, but it goes against all the work film preservationists have done in recent years.

The piece on GMA this morning was targeting other companies as well and the hopes that they would follow suit in all their films. Warner Bros. was in the report for its ownership rights to all the classic films. Can you imagine Humphrey Bogart (one targeted celebrity) without his cigarette in all those movies?! It would be insanity.

Basically, I think already completed films and adult movies should be left alone. Leave smoking out of kid's movies, but spare the rest of us. The last thing we need is another Hollywood Production Code in place when it comes to the movies.

 

[ckay87]

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. Good grief, out of all the things that are modeled in films that are objectionable-THIS is the one they pick to work on??? Not the violence, not the gratutious sex, not the glorification of ignorance-but SMOKING????

Absolutely!

I think many of society's problems would disappear if it weren't so cool to be an idiot.

Sometimes I'll be people-watching and think "geez, don't people even TRY to be intelligent anymore."

Cute little publicity project that got going on there. Senseless, though.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I went to a funeral the other day for a man who died of lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker. Even after a couple of years of really bad coughing, he didn't stop. While at the viewing, I was really taken aback by at least one person standing outside the funeral home smoking a cigarette. How crass. My Dfi's mother has emphysema from being a smoker for years. My Dfi smokes (not heavy) and I wished she would quit. She said she would after we get married. I'm going to hold her to her promise.

When my DD was a baby a family friend died of lung cancer. He was a family doctor and never smoked a day in his life (but did have 2nd hand smoke contact.) He was a father of 7 children and it was just heartbreaking.

I remember being in the line to go to the cemetery and I noticed someone was in the car in line in front of me smoking. How sad (and rude.) Of course it was a childhood friend of mine I have not seen in many years that never did make the best choices. I would have hoped at least for funeral of a man who died of lung cancer he would wait. At least he did wait until he got in the car (not to mention there were 4 kids in that car with him.)

As far as the movie ban goes, good for Disney. I think it was timed well to wait until Ratatoni (sp) came out. I haven't seen it yet, but wasn't there smoking in that (hello Paris?) I don't think it is to get people to stop, if it was that easy it should of been done years ago. It is to help not encourage kids to start.

My 6 year old has gotten every aware of people smoking and will often ask me "can they do that?" when she seeing people smoking in cars and places like that.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

If Disney was concerned about my kids' health they wouldn't run TV shows 24 hours a day on 4 different channels on my DirecTv. Not that it's their responsibility to encourage kids to run around and play, but not every parent is willing to unglue their kids from the TV. In my mind that's more of a root of a national health epidemic than Cruella's cigs.

Taking cheap shots at an easy target instead of addressing the real problem.