Now This is Lit

 

Okay listen. So, I originally wanted to find a bunch of janky ads from like the 50s or something to exhibit how ads enforce cultural norms and standards. The 50s was a cool aesthetic no doubt, but also rigidly traditional and some of the stuff that came out of it was almost hilariously depressing. It wasn’t just limited to social structure either. The public was shockingly, even embarrassingly misinformed about many potential health hazards. For example, there was an abundance of pamphlets claiming that soda water could cure you from radioactive fallout in the case of atomic war. So, no worries right? Perhaps more lighthearted and incredibly more infamous were the smoking ads which circulated in the 50s.

They were absolutely bonkers. In fact, they were so bonkers, I got distracted almost immediately, and now all I really want to do is show you guys just a small selection of this veritable gold mine of entertainment and shame. I mean, look at this.

 

Do I even need to say anything? This was apparently Old Gold’s big marketing push in the 50’s after more research was being done linking smoking to lung cancer. Trying to discount any evidence that smoking was detrimental to health and instead deriding the opinions of health professionals under the pretense that they were on the level with the consumer. What a bunch of American heroes. Here’s another good one from our friends from Marlboro. 

This may be one of the more well-known smoking advertisements from the 50s actually, but it’s still just like, what? Excuse me? It really goes to show how common place smoking really was back then, and the lengths cigarette companies would go to portray it as completely normal barring all potential harm it could cause to the family. If it’s shown in media as normal, why think otherwise? If the paper’s telling me that it’s cool and cute to have junior mention my smoking, why should I think it’s wrong or harmful to smoke around my very young and physically vulnerable child? Health studies were still in progress, and there was so much opposition from cigarette companies that the people really had a hard time knowing what to truly believe. This kind of advertising is pretty gross to be honest. How about a few more? 

Look at those winning smiles. But I can hear all of you right now thinking, Listen ,lighting up around my baby is cool, but what if I want to light up on plane so I can force children that aren’t mine and their parents to suck up my smoke in a relatively cramped and pressurized environment? Listen, I got you. 

Or more accurately, Flyer’s got you. Look at that, they specifically made the cigarettes plane themed. And the hostess is loving it! That is undoubtedly the face of a woman who spends all of her time on a plane picking up fallen cigarette butts and breathing nothing but second-hand smoke. I’m so glad this is a culturally normal thing to do!

Let's get a few words from St. Nick! 

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Santa does indeed smoke a name brand tobacco, and it’s Edgeworth.

Or wait maybe its Pall Mall. 

 Or wait. 

 What’s wrong with his eyes? And his face?

 Listen these are slightly unrelated, but please just look at some of these ads. 

 Why are it's legs quivering? 

Please tell me what this is and why. 

What is this advertising?!  

 

     Oh okay, here we go. Babies and cigarettes. We've gone full circle. I've got to tell you, all the 50's Philip Morris ads are like this. They have the meticulously profound painted image and the poetic blurb beneath each one. A very classy angle. But look at this! It's so bizarre to think that at one point it was totally normal to compare cigarettes with the caring love of a mother and everyone would be okay with it. While ads are still influential in our culture and how we see each other and ourselves, I like to think that things have gotten at least a little better. With so much information at so many people's fingertips, we don't really have to take advertisements at face value anymore. Are there any other ads you guys can think of today that are as harmfully misleading as any of these? Alcohol ads come to mind for me if only because they can get away with such a brief "drink responsibly" when alcoholism can be so debilitating. 

    Overall, it's so strange to go back to old smoking ads. Seeing the way they portray and enforce 50's cultural smoking standards and how disdainful they were to cancer research is both entertaining and unnerving. As we all know, there is a happy ending to this story. You will never see any kind of tobacco advertisement today without a very bold and very prominent caution label, telling you how harmful smoking is to yourself and others. And you will almost certainty never have to suffer the Marlboro baby and any of his ilk ever again. Truly a win-win for everybody.