Torches of Freedom

[Boo]

Edward Bernays.  I heard Duncan Trussell mention Bernays in a podcast today and decided to do a bit of reading.  Bernays was the founding father of "public relations", a term he coined as "propaganda" had too many negative connotations.  The work of Bernays did everything from shape modern consumer culture to pave the way for violent overthrows of democratically elected governments in Central America.

 

What does any of this have to do with smoking?  In 1928 the American Tobacco Company hired Bernays to reshape smoking culture.  Specifically, destroying the societal taboos of women smoking cigarettes.  Tobacco company executives no longer content with selling their poison to half the population wanted to spread that poison to the other half.  During the Easter Sunday Parade in New York, Bernays paid a group of debutantes to light up on his command.  In 1929 this was news and a new trend was set.  Cigarettes were dubbed "torches of freedom."  Women smoking was seen as a strike for equality and a shot against the patriarchy.  The number of female smokers increased exponentially over the course of the next decade.

 

Torches of freedom may sound ridiculous now, but the same basic mode of operation in selling cigarettes to women continued for decades here in America.  Compare torches of freedom to a Virginia Slims ad from the 1990s...when you get past the gloss and shine, the message is identical.

 

It is interesting to me to actually look at the strategy and psychological manipulations employed by the early merchants of death.  Bernays held the public in contempt.  Bernays was, unfortunately, quite successful in swaying large swaths of the public away from rational thought and towards decision making based solely of base instincts.  The tobacco companies learned to sell their product under the guise of cigarettes as a symbol of freedom, strength, and individuality.  All the while using the psychology of irrational herd mentality to lure people into voluntary slavery.

[beacon]

 

Interesting.  One day people will look back with shock and disgust at smoking.  

 

I just read an article about how the sugar industry paid scientists to point the finger at fat for causing heart disease and not sugar.   

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat

[Sazerac]

The scam is still happening on many different levels.

 

'They' are still hawking Nicotine and touting vapes as harmless.

The Sugar Industry, 

The Beef Council and their ilk...

 

Do we realize how a cow/pig/chicken lived and died and were processed for our dinner ?

The antibiotics, the growth hormones...the disgusting mash they are fed...which then We Eat !

This can't be good.  

 

The insecticides and fertilizers,  ruining our fresh water supply,

absorbed by 'healthy' fruit/veg and then by You,  gah !

Have you noticed most of the  FRESH veg in the market

are now in Dole packages or some corporate label ?  Dow Chemicals, anyone ?

 

The popular 'easy to prepare' frozen concoctions with their added preservatives, sugar, salt

and who knows what other suspect ingredients.

Don't get me started on fast food.

The average diet is all about Poisoned food very cleverly marketed

and we are getting very sick because of it.

 

But, don't worry !

Here comes....The Colossal Pharmaceutical Industry.

Right on time to make you dependent on Drugs.

 

Bernays was an ultimate master of manipulation,

his ways are modus operandi now.

We think we are smarter than that. Right.

 

Well, Boo's post got me right riled up this morning.

Nothing like a righteous rant to start the day.

:) 

 

[Doreensfree]

Film stars were given free cigs ,for them to smoke and advertise a certain brand in films..

Bette Davis ect..making her look cool..and the perfect strong woman.

When I was pregnant with our first..we both smoked.coupons in packets ,for you to collect and get prizes.

We smoked our brains out ..to get what..? Nappies...

We could have bought them ten times over...again good marketing made us look clever..grrrrr