Disney vs. smoking in movies

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It's hard not to sympathize with the Walt Disney Co.'s decision to become the first major Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking [by] "saying there would be no smoking in its family-oriented, Disney-branded films and it would 'discourage' it in films distributed by its Touchstone and Miramax labels," according to a 7.25 Reuters report. They'd be wrong to push this too far with Touchstone and Miramax films, however. Life is life and some people still smoke for this or that reason, and any film that artificially suppresses that reality will devalue itself.

Last May the MPAA decided to consider giving R ratings to movies that "glamorize smoking or movies that feature pervasive smoking outside of an historic or other mitigating context may receive a higher rating." I said at the time that "this is almost akin to prohibition and will probably raise a stink among who make their living playing bad guys, but anything that cuts down on a truly offensive acting tendency is okay with me, even though the MPAA's idea is on the dopey side.

Point #1: "Smoking is a shorthand device for characters who are meant to be seen as outlaw-ish or anti-social. But what about an actress playing a middle-aged divorcee with self-destructive or low self-esteem issues? What about a nervous 15 year-old who's trying to look cool in front of his friends. There are all kinds of characters who could light up in a valid way." Point #2: "It's not smoking in movies per se that's so bad, but actors who use constant smoking as a behavioral crutch. Smoking can look marginally cool depending on how skilled or preternaturally cool the actor is, but it becomes extremely tedious and off-putting when done to excess."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 25, 2007 at 11:38 AM

comment #1

christian says ...

thank god disney went back and altered all of their cartoons from the 30's and 40's showing characters smoking and drinking. think of the children!

and i'm assuming anal rape is still okay in miramax films...

Posted by christian at July 25, 2007 11:58 AM

comment #2

Mike Schaefer says ...

"what about an actress playing a middle-aged divorcee with self-destructive or low self-esteem issues?"

There are no coincidences: Bonnie Bedelia played exactly such a character in this week's episode of "Big Love" on HBO... and she smoked.

Posted by Mike Schaefer at July 25, 2007 12:27 PM

comment #3

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

To be fair, Christian, Disney then went and un-altered them all for release on the Disney Treasures DVDs, and even released things no one ever thought they'd let out of the vault, like the footage of the Big Bad Wolf dressed as a VERY stereotyped Jewish peddler (which was censored in the 40s) and Victory Through Air Power (which Eisner had once said would never be seen again-- and you can see why, it's the Fantasia of death and destruction).

Don't be hatin' the mouse. At least for that.

Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau at July 25, 2007 12:32 PM

comment #4

bents75 says ...

Christian, maybe I'm misreading some intended sarcasm on your part, and I don't see this decision ultimately making an impact, but in either case, who is still watching cartoons from the 30's and 40's? They're completely inconsequential at this point in time.

Plus that's not particularly fair to Disney anyway. I would think the other studios, such as Paramount and Warners would have been more likely to show that sort of thing, I mean, if the little furry creatures want to light up after groping Betty Boop, who are we to cast aspersions? - but I never personally saw Mickey and Co. puffing away.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Posted by bents75 at July 25, 2007 12:34 PM

comment #5

Rich S. says ...

Mickey smokes in at least one of his first shorts, when he is playing a "Latin lover."

I think christian is referring to Pecos Bill, who had his cowboy cigarette digitally erased in some DVD releases.

And Walt Disney died of lung cancer. Isn't it ironic, don'tcha think?

Posted by Rich S. at July 25, 2007 1:12 PM

comment #6

Craig Kennedy says ...

I relistened to Ebert's commentary on Casablanca the other night and he talked a little bit how great smoking looks in black and white films and how it gave characters someting interesting to do when they weren't doing anything especially cinematic. It wasn't saying anything about the character so much as it was a bit of business that worked great on the big screen.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at July 25, 2007 1:21 PM

comment #7

Rich S. says ...

Quick research has revealed that the short in question is Gallopin' Gaucho, which was the last silent Mickey short before Steamboat Willie.

Posted by Rich S. at July 25, 2007 1:21 PM

comment #8

christian says ...

"They're completely inconsequential at this point in time."

a rather bold statement given the continuous flood of disney books and dvd's. and considering the iconic touchstones of the disney empire ARE the toons from the 30's/40's that statement doesn't hold up. my friend's kids are hooked on SNOW WHITE, PINOCHIO, DUMBO, BAMBI SLEEPING BEAUTY and FANTASIA and it's all new to them.

older disney cartoons are also widely studied in academia, as when i was at uc berkeley.

just because TRANSFORMERS is popular don't make the past but a memory. erasing history is orwellian.

however i did not know that disney put back in all the smoking etc. on the dvd's. good for the mouse.

maybe we'll get a SONG OF THE SOUTH release?

Posted by christian at July 25, 2007 1:25 PM

comment #9

Rich S. says ...

Rumor has it that Iger recently reviewed SOS again and is considering it. If they do it, I imagine it will be in the prestige format with lots of hand-wringing by Leonard Maltin.

Posted by Rich S. at July 25, 2007 1:37 PM

comment #10

Jay T. says ...

With so much else going on in the world, seriously, who gives a flying fuck about the depiction of smoking? What a waste of time.

Posted by Jay T. at July 25, 2007 1:40 PM

comment #11

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

"who is still watching cartoons from the 30's and 40's? They're completely inconsequential at this point in time."

I despise you from the very depths of my being.

By the way, the box set of Popeye cartoons is out next week, I think. Ranked #204 in sales among Amazon DVDs, so I guess I'm not the only one still watching them.

There's not much smoking in Mickey cartoons but there's quite a lot in Silly Symphonies like Woodland Cafe. Smoking, racial gags (there's a lot of stuff where ink hits somebody's face and they suddenly have big white lips and say "Mammy!"), bare-butt-baby moments (which apparently were the quickest way to sell Walt a gag) and stuff like that were cut from the TV versions, but when they cut the cigarette from Pecos Bill on DVD Roy Disney went ballistic. His insistence that they leave that stuff in led to the Treasures DVD series, (arguably) the first thing Disney released like that that was specifically aimed at adult collectors.

Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau at July 25, 2007 1:55 PM

comment #12

bents75 says ...

Alright, well I actually misinterpreted Christian's initial comment. So allow me to correct myself, I'm not in favor of altering the old cartoons myself. My point in that respect, was that they're inconsequential to the audience their making this current decision on behalf of (i.e. kids, families, etc.).

I'm sure, SNOW WHITE, PINOCHIO, DUMBO, BAMBI SLEEPING BEAUTY and FANTASIA still get play from plenty of younger viewers, but I'm seriously skeptical any 8 year olds out there are interested in watching black and white cartoons from the 30's. That was my only point.

Posted by bents75 at July 25, 2007 2:07 PM

comment #13

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

"I'm seriously skeptical any 8 year olds out there are interested in watching black and white cartoons from the 30's."

Mine is. He loves Popeye, Mickey, and Betty Boop.

He also loved the Spin and Marty and Davy Crockett Disney stuff from the 50s.

Really, kids have no problem with black and white per se. Only their parents do and they transmit the prejudice. Mostly, my kids like the classic stuff better than the faster-paced but less visually imaginative modern stuff, and black and white is just one more form of stylization, no harder to take than black and white line drawings in a book. And I can't tell you how many converts we've made to Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton. It's one of the attractions of a visit to our house for his friends.

Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau at July 25, 2007 2:18 PM

comment #14

Rich S. says ...

Don't forget Our Gang/Little Rascals. Loved 'em as a kid; love 'em now. Every kid I've ever shown a Little Rascals short cracks up.

Posted by Rich S. at July 25, 2007 2:26 PM

comment #15

christian says ...

the best little rascals short is arguably when spanky has to babysit all the neighborhood kids.

"remarkable."

Posted by christian at July 25, 2007 2:31 PM

comment #16

Rich S. says ...

I love any Rascals short where they have that foghorn (ooo-WOOW) sound. I think that short you mention might actually have that.

I like Free Wheelin', the one with the taxi. It's got Stymie, Spanky, Dickie and a monkey. The Rascals could never go wrong with a monkey.

Posted by Rich S. at July 25, 2007 2:46 PM

comment #17

christian says ...

baby spanky is still the cutest kid in the history of cinema. i said it.

Posted by christian at July 25, 2007 3:08 PM

comment #18

George Prager says ...

The best Little Rascals short is the one with Darla Hood's gay dad. So disturbing.

Posted by George Prager at July 25, 2007 3:18 PM

comment #19

Ogami Itto says ...

An R rating for smoking (and drinking), as well as drug use, would be fine by me.

There's no reason kids need to see movie stars engaging in unhealthy behavior -- that's what E! and Entertainment Tonight are for.

Posted by Ogami Itto at July 25, 2007 4:51 PM

comment #20

D.Z. says ...

christian: "thank god disney went back and altered all of their cartoons from the 30's and 40's showing characters smoking and drinking. think of the children!"

Actually, they did in one cartoon which featured Goofy smoking. :(

Mgmax: "Don't be hatin' the mouse. At least for that."

I'm hatin' them for being too scared to release Song of the South on dvd, while WB is actually ballsy enough to put out the significantly more offensive Jazz Singer.

"Mine is. He loves Popeye, Mickey, and Betty Boop"

I still see girls wearing shirts with the latter character, too.

bents: "Christian, maybe I'm misreading some intended sarcasm on your part, and I don't see this decision ultimately making an impact, but in either case, who is still watching cartoons from the 30's and 40's?"

People who work for Pixar?

"I'm sure, SNOW WHITE, PINOCHIO, DUMBO, BAMBI SLEEPING BEAUTY and FANTASIA still get play from plenty of younger viewers, but I'm seriously skeptical any 8 year olds out there are interested in watching black and white cartoons from the 30's."

I saw a lot of kids who went to a cartoon retrospective hosted by John Kricfalusi.

Jay: "With so much else going on in the world, seriously, who gives a flying fuck about the depiction of smoking? What a waste of time."

We've already wasted billions arresting medical marijuana users; I don't want smoking to be next. There was a Twilight Zone short story I read a decade ago, where it became illegal to eat fatty foods, and lawyers seem to be itching to do make that happen.

Ogami: "There's no reason kids need to see movie stars engaging in unhealthy behavior --"

Yes, if James Bond shoots people, that's healthy, but smoking is just obscene.

Posted by D.Z. at July 25, 2007 5:38 PM

comment #21

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

"The best Little Rascals short is the one with Darla Hood's gay dad. So disturbing."

I saw an even more disturbing one once, although it's rarely seen since it was a silent one. In it, Petey the dog was planning to hang himself, and the story was told in flashback as Petey explained to another dog the reason for his suicidal depression (a girl dog figured in it, I believe). Doggie noir, told in flashback, I kid you not.

Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau at July 25, 2007 6:24 PM

comment #22

IndiSB says ...

My son is 10 and he watches the black and white shorts on Disney DVD's all the time. He has a blast laughing at the antics of these classic characters. The best part is that he understands that they are cartoons! Not real life. He isn't going to start doing bad deeds because of Mickey. It's amazing how many people on here don't have kids but seem to make know-it-all comments about what kids do.

Posted by IndiSB at July 25, 2007 8:46 PM

comment #23