A couple days ago, I read about anti-smoking PSA’s being added to some upcoming DVD’s.
Now, even though I do smoke, I will agree that it’s a bad habit. However, it does not make one a bad person. That’s not really the point, though. I have a problem with commercials being added to DVD’s, sometimes unskippable. Adding PSA’s to the mix as well doesn’t sit very well with me.
One argument for why the anti-smoking PSA’s are being added is because people are seen smoking in movies and that it glamourizes the habit. Um… no. Things have changed a lot over the decades. Smoking isn’t something that’s portrayed as a high class, glamourous thing to do. Not anymore. Quite frankly, some people smoke. Some don’t. Pretending otherwise is futile.
Yeah, smoking is a bad habit and it’s better to not start. But to use scare tactics, like showing dissected lungs or a man in a wheelchair with tubes in his nose (which is what’s being added to a handful of DVD’s soon), is something I find questionable.
What’s next? Something about drinking alcohol? Unprotected sex? Software piracy? Downloading MP3’s illegally? Animal rights? Environment?
Sure, some groups may jump at the chance to spread their message (I’d think Truth and PETA would be at the top of the list), but is this really the way to go? Is this what we can expect on our movies and TV shows in the future when we pop them into the DVD player or computer?
As it is, the MPAA classification system already mentions some stuff you might see in a movie (a relatively recent addition), a practice I believe was used by the ESRB in its own ratings system first. It covers stuff like language, drug use, alcohol use, nudity, gore, violence and more. You know, the sort of stuff some people might take offense to or want to keep their kids from seeing. I’m surprised the RIAA hasn’t done the same, going beyond the explicit lyrics sticker (or graphic on the front and/or back cover) that some albums get.
