A Side of Clyde
Just in a “nick of teen,” they killed Joe Camel. They were cute ads, but they didn’t make me want to smoke. I may have smoked a Camel cigarette at a party during happy time, but I don’t think I ever did.
On the other hand, Joe’s forced removal by the non-smoking society represents another repressive step in America’s rapidly fading freedom of thought and expression.
I don’t smoke and don’t recommend it, but the anti-tobacco frenzy is out of hand.
Banning Joe Camel will not stop or even prevent underage smoking because parents can influence children more than a cartoon ad. But Joe Camel, wherever you go, I hope you have trouble finding water.
There are still a lot of smokers in Los Altos. If there are doubts, check the sidewalk tables in front of coffee shops and restaurants. Notice the cigarette butts at the back doors of commercial establishments.
To get the pulse of how people feel about Joe Camel and smoking in general, we conducted our usual sidewalk interview. Here are several comments:
“We are all going to look back at this some day and see where our First Amendment rights began to be taken away. What’s going to happen in the future when John Q. Public does something the government doesn’t like? How can the government justify outlawing Joe Camel and then continue to subsidize farmers to grow more tobacco?”
“I have heard that camels are dirty and smelly, just like smokers.”
“I know that smoking is bad, but I smoke. The government is spending too much of my money trying to protect me from myself. There are some real serious issues out there, and Joe Camel isn’t one of them. Lets give Joe Camel a break.”
“How anyone could think that big-lipped jackass was cool, is beyond me. What were those advertising people thinking?”
“I quit smoking 19 years ago. I won’t miss him or the tobacco ads. They should ban all tobacco advertising.”
“The anti-smoking campaign has gone too far by getting rid of Joe Camel. I don’t smoke, but look out, Santa Claus will be next.”
The reasons for Joe’s demise are not rational, because we advertise automobiles with cartoon characters.
Automobiles are dangerous, life-taking machines, but does that mean we shouldn’t use cartoon-type characters to advertise them? Are we afraid that children may want to steal a car because of advertising?
Joe Camel was a cute historical character as far as American tobacco companies go. However, I believe his introduction was a ploy to get teen-agers on the smoking habit.
Removing Joe was a great move, and if anybody’s heart aches for his loss more than the loss of an Uncle Herbert who is wheezing and hacking, then we are all sick puppies.
See you later Joe … don’t forget to puff. Let’s give life a chance.
P.S.: I won’t miss the cartoon, but those who are influenced by a cartoon serve to make smart people look better. Recall that John Wayne smoked and cigarettes got him, when 5 million western bad men couldn’t.
Joe WHO?
