Stan Glantz' new ad claims a movie showing e-cigarettes should be rated R, but not a movie showing cigarettes

[Bill Godshall]

Anti-tobacco activist Stan Glantz glantz@medicine.ucsf.edu is running a new advertisement claiming that "The King's Speech" (which shows King George VI smoking throughout the movie) shouldn't be rated R, but "The Tourist" (which shows Johnny Depp using an e-cigarette) should be rated R.
Smoke Free Movies: Our Ads

This advertisement first ran in the February 2, 2011 issues of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

Glantz has received several millions of dollars from the American Legacy Foundation to run a campaign called Smoke Free Movies to pressure the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to assign R ratings to movies showing cigarette smoking.

While I have previously supported Glantz's Smoke Free Movies campaign (because if nudity, profanity, violence and other harmful drug usage in a movie mandates an R rating, cigarette smoking should as well), Glantz' latest ad is absurd.

One of the reasons Glantz ran the ad was in response to recent criticism of his SFM campaign by other anti-tobacco activists (who have long opposed Glantz's SFM campaign) claiming that it would require "The King's Speech" to be rated R.

The other reason appears to be that Glantz disdains e-cigarettes as much as he disdains cigarettes.

 

[Thulium]

The other reason appears to be that Glantz disdains e-cigarettes as much as he disdains cigarettes.

More accurately, Glantz hates any form of recreational nicotine/tobacco. In this case, Glantz says that movies that graphically portray the effects of smoking don't need to be rated 'R', but films like The Tourist where the only actual smoke shown on screen is from automobiles and a letter Angelina Jolie's character lights on fire...is "unsuitable for children".

 

[kristin]

Not to support Glantz in any way, but Johnny Depp also smokes tobacco cigarettes in The Tourist and the SFM ad doesn't mention e-cigarettes?

But he does ignore the fact that the smoking character in The Tourist was attempting to quit (via e-cigarettes.)

 

[D103]

The whole notion of 'R' ratings for movies with cigarette smoking is absurd and further exposes the "moralism" behind the anti-movement and Glantz is obviously a fanatic and a bigot who it seems, is being paid quite well for his theatrics - his lunacy hurts people, he is a menace to credible science and he is one of the many perpetrators of misinformation.

 

[Placebo Effect]

Not to support Glantz in any way, but Johnny Depp also smokes tobacco cigarettes in The Tourist and the SFM ad doesn't mention e-cigarettes?

But he does ignore the fact that the smoking character in The Tourist was attempting to quit (via e-cigarettes.)

I e-mailed Glantz and asked him if he supported R ratings for movies that show a character using an e-cigarette to quit smoking?

He replied "Yes." I replied, "That's a shame. Have you considered changing the name of your organization to Nicotine Free Movies? Or are you okay with Nicorette gum being used in movies?"

 

[Exylos]

I am sorry but if this is what we have come to that decides a rating, we have seriously lost our way. The ratings were there for nudity and sexual content, not to stop children from seeing things they may see in normal life anyway. My son sees people smoking ecigs at home, He sees people smoking cigarettes at the bus or train station. He will not see someone naked and having sex on the streets. That is what the ratings are for, so in my opinion this type of fear mongering and that is exactly what this, they want to remove anything from anything that they do not like. Should never be supported by us, because this goes back to the slippery slope.

What next they decide that no movie should show someone drinking, or even better when the time comes that they realize that caffeine is exactly the same as nicotine, which they eventually will. What then you can't show a scene with someone drinking a coke or a cup of coffee, because it could teach bad habits.

These people are very quickly trying to lead us to world, a scene from the Demolition man. Fast food not aloud, smoking not aloud, drinking not aloud. So what will be? You can drink water, you can drink fruit juice, you can prey to live forever, you can eat foods with very little taste, and not to much of that, you can live your life in a drab world with no choice, because most people who realize that life is fleeting would choose to enjoy what they have, and that scares people who believe that we should live forever.

 

[kristin]

The irony in all of this is that an R rating actually makes more teens/youth want to see the movie!

 

[MoonRose]

It's hard to believe that even after all the years of proof in their faces that when you try to deny teens or children from seeing or doing something they are going to do exactly that to see what all the fuss is about, that these people still don't get it. Tell a child or teen that something is bad and they are going to try it for themselves just to see if adults are really telling them the truth or just trying to keep something good for themselves. That's how a kids mind really works ... lol.

 

[rothenbj]

My son sees people smoking ecigs at home, He sees people smoking cigarettes at the bus or train station. He will not see someone naked and having sex on the streets. That is what the ratings are for, so in my opinion this type of fear mongering and that is exactly what this, they want to remove anything from anything that they do not like. Should never be supported by us, because this goes back to the slippery slope.

Exylos, the point you miss is that the antis don't plan for the children to see anyone smoking or using an e cig anywhere. It's all baby steps so to speak. Ban smoking in public indoors, then partial outdoor bans (currently taking place), then in multi-unit homes, then everywhere in public. If there's nowhere you can smoke/vape without potentially being fined and if you can't find a job because they test for nicotine they have basically made the act illegal without ever passing legislation. All the time using the money generated from the smoker's and eventually vaper's pockets and keeping the machine running as long as possible.

Then they'll come for the next group they wish to vilify.

 

[Demarko]

I think tanning will be the next thing - actors that use tanning booths will have their movies rated "R". They won't allow any use of them in the films. They're working to put a small ban on them in washington - taxing them heavily, making sure minors don't use them, etc. Seeing these "tanning people" looking totally flabergasted makes me wonder how many of them were happy to see smokers disappear from public, and would probably support a ban on ecigs.

 

[MoonRose]

Just wait for the outcry when Cappuccinos and Lattes are banned, it will be a civil war all over again.

 

[Vocalek]

You mean like Deja vu all over again?

 

[Thulium]

You mean like Deja vu all over again?

Deja moo, the feeling I've heard this bull before.

Dijon vu, the feeling I've tasted this mustard before.

 

[Vocalek]

Decaf vu, the feeling that this doesn't taste like real coffee.

 

[Thulium]

Decaf vu, the feeling that this doesn't taste like real coffee.

"That's funny. Elaine never has a second cup at home?"

 

[Vocalek]

That was an extremely humorous line in the movie Airplane.