Nobody likes commercials, especially me. But there is one advertisement campaign I have never been able to put up with. I’m talking about those ridiculously pointless Truth.org or Stand.org (or whatever it’s called) spots that are all over tv and even precede movies at the theater. They do less to send a message than they do to annoy viewers.
Let me first say that I am not a smoker. I don’t smoke cigarettes whatsoever and never will. But these commercials bug me just as much as anyone. I think the creators of this truth crap decided they were going to be as annoying as possible, yet have no point to what they were doing. Clever ways to inform people of the dangers of smoking? Not really. More just a waste of people’s time.
Their latest ad that seems to run about 37,000 times a day features a group of not so fit men with very hairy backs. Volunteers are applying some hair removal product to the furry guys as the loudmouth with the megaphone implies that the same chemicals found in the hair removal stuff are also found in cigarettes. Then all the men turn around and we see a letter on each one to spell out “CIGARETTES” while onlookers appear both confused and repulsed. WOW! What a powerful message!
I highly doubt that these ads have persuaded more than four people to quit smoking. People know the dangers of smoking by now, and it’s really up to themselves to stop or not. Some lame commercials from a bunch of hippies that probably smoke plenty of pot instead are not going to change anyone’s mind. In fact, they are probably convincing more people to start smoking than to stop. You think when this commercial comes on people aren’t saying,
“I’m going out for a smoke.”
They need to just get to the point that everybody already knows; that smoking is bad for you, plain and simple. If it meant getting rid of these stupid commercials, I just might take up smoking myself.
December 14th, 2006 at 1:18 am
I think the message here is not to sneer at smokers or anyone, for that matter, that you want to convince to do or not do something. I’m trying to quit smoking and when I see a Truth.com commercial it kinda pisses me off when I see the condescending manner by which I’m being addressed. I think if they used some humor, subtlety, and/or understanding with people they’d see more results because I also have heard nothing but negative feed back about these commercials.
Also, why is the Ad Counsil pushing their anti-marijuana ads so fervently? They roll a different one each month that is played constantly. The #1 killer of teenagers is drunk driving accidents. Yet, there’s only a mere whisper about teen alcoholism among authorities. Let me guess, alcohol sales line pockets and weed, untaxed, does not. It doesn’t take a genius.
December 14th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Yep — there’s no money to be made off of legal marijuana.
People can grow it in their backyards: no money for the pharmaceutical companies, no taxes for the government.
Booze and pills generate money, on the other hand. Pass the Xanax and a beer, please!
December 16th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Hilarious. I hate truth too. I feel that these are so dorky, that I must spark a cig up to rebel against them just to be “cool.” I wouldn’t smoke otherwise.
Also, perhaps they are so lame because Phillis Morris funds the anti-tobacco ads? Hmmm…
December 18th, 2006 at 11:36 am
I, for one, refuse to give any sympathy to smokers. Okay, so the ads piss you off.
Well you know what? Smokers piss me off! I hate walking out of a store and being hit with a wall of smoke, or trying to eat at a restaurant and having the lingering cloud of carcinogens make it over to the non-smoking area. Better yet, now that I am with child, not only is your smoke affecting my life, but it’s also affecting my unborn baby’s.
While the commercials cause no ill-harm other than a little frustration on your bahalf, your habits are lethal to the innocent people surrounding you.
While the commercials are stupid, maybe, just maybe, it affected one person enough to quit. And if it did that, it was worth pissing off millions.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:30 am
The chemical they decry in the adds is NaOH, sodium hydroxide, one of the most common bases out there. While its a “strong base” we ingest it everyday in water and foods in small amounts (used in food production) we use it most commonly in soap. yes thats right, NaOH like all other bases, weak and strong, are used in soaps and contribute to the slippery feel of it.
So while its true that concentrated NaOH will kill you (also called lye), its used to make so many every day items like soap and foods. A note though that it is used to neutralize acids such as HCl (also harmful in concentrated amounts), but the result is salt NaCl and water.
NaOH + HCl -> NaCl + H20.
I question if there really is any NaOH in cigarettes at all or if it was just used in the manufacturing process and ends up as a harmless salt.
So thats what bugs me even more about this add, its uses science to scare people. And the money for these adds comes from the tobacco settlements, well spent
December 22nd, 2006 at 6:37 pm
You know, the old approach of smoking is bad for you didn’t work. That is why so many people smoke. That approach is used in Health Classes in schools along with a few gross facts and maybe a gross movie. People need to see how gross smoking really is especially kids and teenagers. After all, a lot of people start smoking as teenagers. After seeing these adds, I am convinced even more that I am making the right choice never to smoke. Besides the smokers kill people with their smoking. Secondhand smoke is worse for you than smoking. If smokers stop then they start harming others with their smoke. Quick question: What do people think about the law that keeps people from smoking within 50 feet of a building? I think it is great.
December 31st, 2006 at 5:18 pm
One Mad Mama-
People like you that whine and complain that warning signs ought to be posted in front of every pebble on the sidewalk need to stop getting pregnant. Ok, so now I need to create some ads to convince bible-beating, saftey-helmet-on-the-toilet wearing, truth-ad sponsers like yourself to quit procreating and spreading your soft, cantalope-headed offspring to grow up and annoy us by becoming politicians with southern accents and bad diction, or perhaps another New York lawyer that’ll clog up the courts with cases like: The coffee was too hot. You like supporting something destructive so how shall I approach you?
January 2nd, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Wow, you’re showing your ignorance and youth Jerk Phone.
I am for personal freedoms but when those freedoms jeopardize the personal health or safety of an innocent bystander, laws need to be enforced.
Drunk driving endangers lives so they have laws that prohibit driving while under the influence. But you still have the choice to consume alcohol at the detriment to your own health.
And so it’s the same for smoking. You may choose to smoke at risk of your own health. However, smoking in public places endangers the health of everyone around you. Therefore, laws need to be in place to prohibit smoking from ANY public place, period.
I hope my child grows up to speak his mind freely. If that’s as a politician with a southern drawl, I will be proud.
I’d rather him be that than a whiny little kid who still lives at home, has no career, and bitches about how bad his daddy treats his mommy.
January 2nd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Smarty-
I think that new law is wonderful. My favorite is driving by the hospital and seeing some dumbass in a hospital gown and IV tower smoking on a curbside when it’s 10 degrees out.
January 7th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
I hate the truth with every fiber of my being, they call themselves the truth but the best arguments they make are over inflated half truths I agree smoking is dangerous but ignorence is far worse
January 9th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Take your social injustices protest and cram it wherever your species traditionally crams things.
If you don’t want to get hit by a car, don’t walk in the street. If you don’t want second hand smoke, don’t go into a bar.
January 18th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
If you must smoke, do it in a place where other people don’t have to be subjected to your damn fumes.
May 3rd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I can’t believe that anyone would say anything good about commercials. They are proof of all the false advertising in this fucked up place we call the United States of America. It makes absolutely no gorramn sense with all the fucking commercials. What the fuck?!! Nothing makes me less proud to live in America than fucking meaningless droll commercials!
August 1st, 2007 at 5:56 am
they say
the truth will set u free
and it just so simple 2 c
but really if u no anything a all bout this world then u no its only out 2 get us
October 19th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
[…] Original post by Angry Ken December 11th 2006 Posted to Uncategorized […]