Tuesday 14 December 2010

Smoking 'n' apple sauce

An interesting period piece, this.

Death in the West was the 1976 British TV documentary which used the Marlboro cowboy as the starting point for a discussion on smoking and health. The film became controversial when Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights started showing it in America in spite of the industry's legal protests.

Someone has now put it up on Youtube and it's still worth watching, especially for those of you who have been following the debate round at Frank's. Of particular historical interest are the interviews with the still defiantly doubtful executives from Philip Morris. Some of this dialogue is quoted in Velvet Glove, Iron Fist.





2 comments:

Betty Blue said...

Next up, 2030 sees a posting on you tube of how irresponsible alcohol peddlers used to advertise lager as if it were just a nice thing to enjoy. How silly they were back in 2010 with the emphasis on fun over health, but they diodn't have hermeticly sealed bubbles in them days.

Anonymous said...

17th century puritans banned christmas.
Drinking on a Saturday night.
Smoking in the street.
Sugar.
Sounds all too familiar ?
Would they describe themselves as such now ?
No.
Are they of the same mindset as their 17th century predecessors ?
Yes