Cultivation Theory: Tobacco

Doctor is endorsing smoking in ad

Couple in Movie Smoking

Happy Couple in Ad Smoking

THEN

Cartoons Smoking

                                                                            

Betty Davis Smoking

The concept of cultivation helps me to understand the purpose of the media’s current presentation of tobacco.

The cultivation theory simply describes the process that is used to make images or ideas a reality amongst the receivers (people receiving the images or ideas). The images or ideas are consistently beat into the minds of the receivers until they become apart of the receivers’ thoughts and opinions. This is done sub-consciously without the receiver even realizing it. The images or ideas are slipped into magazines, television, newspapers, basically anywhere and anything dealing with everyday life. I think the concept basically is legal brainwashing.

Cultivation helps me to understand the methods behind the media’s current presentation of tobacco.  I see Public Service Announcements ad campaigns on television, in schools, magazines all the time stressing the horrid characteristics of tobacco. They talk about the ingredients, facts about deaths resulting from tobacco, and the negative image that goes along with tobacco.  All the PSA ads present tobacco as poison that kills innocent people. There are hardly any commercials promoting tobacco, and everyone fears that tobacco causes cancer. In movies now, the bad guys smoke. Now tobacco has this negative image and stigma. In the 50’s -60’s era tobacco was presented as positive, and endorsed by many celebrities in movies and television; most thought of tobacco as positive. It was seen as a normal part of everyday life.  Now it is the exact opposite, it has been cultivated into our minds that tobacco is bad now...but hasn't it always been bad?

NOW

PSA

PSA:Nasty Cigarette Ingredients

Guy on Edge Smoking

Villain Smoking