1. Whose message is this? Who created or paid for it? Why?

This scene from the movie Definitely, Maybe was written and directed by Adam Brooks, and released by Universal Pictures.  The movie was created to make money, and it did: with a $7 million budget, it grossed $55 million in ticket sales before being released on DVD.  (Source: www.imdb.com)

One might also wonder if a tobacco company helped to create or pay for this scene.  While the cigarettes mentioned in the scene, “Morley Reds” and “American Eagle Blue”, are fictional brands, they clearly reference real brands: Marlboro Reds and Natural American Spirit (see #4 below).  However, tobacco companies are prohibited from paying for tobacco product placement in movies (see #10 below), so we don’t really know why this scene appears in the movie. 

2. Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests, etc.? What words, images or sounds suggest this?

The main characters we see in this scene are white heterosexual young adults with entry-level white-collar jobs (April is a “copy girl”) living in a city.  They also smoke cigarettes. The target audience probably includes this demographic group.  But it probably also includes other people who aspire to a youthful, urban, white-collar lifestyle, including teenagers, whether or not they smoke.  Definitely, Maybe is rated PG-13, so millions of teens saw it in movie theaters and millions more will watch it on DVD or television.

3. What is the “text” of the message? (What we actually see and/or hear: written or spoken words, photos, drawings, logos, design, music, sounds, etc.)

The scene takes place in a small convenience store in New York City.  April buys a pack of “American Eagle Blue” cigarettes and Will expresses surprise at their high price ($4.25).  April defends her choice, saying “they don’t put as many chemicals in them”.  She also asserts that “they put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.  Which means that at the end of the day, your cigarettes actually cost more, not less.”  Will disputes this claim.  April challenges him to a $20 bet, which he accepts.

4. What is the “subtext” of the message? (What do you think is the hidden or unstated meaning?)

While the cigarettes mentioned in the scene are fictional brands, they clearly reference real brands: 

- The pack of “Morley Reds” looks like a pack of Marlboro Reds, and Will describes the “picture of the eagle and the pretty pastel colors” on the pack of “American Eagle Blue”, which is similar to the package design for Natural American Spirit. 

- The pack of “American Eagle Blue” is more expensive than the “Morley Reds” Will has bought; Natural American Spirit is a “premium brand” and costs more than Marlboro Reds.

- April says “they don’t put as many chemicals in them” – the principal selling point of Natural American Spirit cigarettes.

- Will sarcastically asks if “American Eagle Blues” are “healthy cigarettes”, and April responds, “Something like that.”  The marketing of Natural American Spirit cigarettes emphasizes the use of “natural” and “organic” tobacco, implying that they are less harmful than other brands.

Thus, this scene looks like a cigarette ad in disguise.  It repeats the main claim of the Natural American Spirit brand (fewer chemicals) and provides a justification for their higher price (they allegedly burn more slowly and end up being cheaper than Marlboros.)

With this realization, this scene could have several possible subtexts:

- Men smoke Marlboros; women smoke Natural American Spirit.

- Cigarette brands have different ingredients, prices and burning properties.

- Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain fewer chemicals than other brands.

- Natural American Spirit cigarettes are healthier than other brands.

- Higher-priced Natural American Spirit cigarettes end up being cheaper than other brands because they burn more slowly.

- Smoking is part of a youthful, urban, white-collar lifestyle.

- Women are smarter than men.

5. What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?

The main characters are white heterosexual young adults with entry-level white-collar jobs living in New York City.  This lifestyle is glamorized throughout the film.  These two characters also smoke cigarettes. No negative consequences of smoking are portrayed in the film, although in another scene, Will (speaking several years after the convenience store incident) says of his smoking, “I did a lot of stupid things back then.”

6. What values are expressed?

Smoking cigarettes is okay.  Saving money is good.  It’s useful to be informed about the products you buy.

7. What tools of persuasion are used?   See "The language of persuasion"

Association – The scene associates cigarettes with a youthful, urban, white-collar lifestyle.

Beautiful people – The main characters are played by attractive young actors.

Explicit claims – April says that “they don’t put as many chemicals” in her brand of cigarettes, which is likely meant to represent Natural American Spirit.

Maybe – When Will asks if “American Eagle Blues” are “healthy cigarettes”, April responds, “Something like that.”

Plain folks – Although we’re watching movie stars, their characters are “ordinary” people.

Testimonial – April’s character strongly endorses “American Eagle Blue” cigarettes, which are likely meant to represent the Natural American Spirit brand.

Charisma – We tend to believe April because she speaks with confidence.

Scientific evidence – April describes the effects of adding saltpeter to cigarettes.

Symbols – Marlboro’s marketing strategy emphasizes masculinity, while Natural American Spirit’s “pretty pastel colors” appeal to many women smokers.

Timing – This scene is a turning point in the movie.  The bet made in the convenience store is played out in the next scene, where Will and April smoke cigarettes to see which brand burns faster.  (April wins the bet.)  While they’re smoking, they start talking.  April invites Will to a party and they begin a romantic relationship.

8. What positive messages are presented? What negative messages are presented?

Positive: This scene portrays a smart, assertive and confident young woman.  It also contains positive messages about saving money and about avoiding the chemical additives in cigarettes. 

Negative: The scene associates cigarettes with a youthful, urban, white-collar lifestyle.  It suggests that cigarettes with “fewer chemicals” are healthier than other cigarettes, even though no scientific evidence exists to support this claim.  The movie appears to promote the Natural American Spirit brand.  No negative consequences of smoking are portrayed in the film. 

9. What groups of people does this message empower? What groups does it disempower? How does this serve the media maker's interests?

This movie scene empowers the two main actors (Ryan Reynolds and Isla Fisher). To the extent it contributed to the movie’s commercial success, it also empowers other people associated with the film, including the producers (Universal Pictures) and investors. 

The scene also empowers the tobacco industry, by portraying smoking in such a positive manner.   In particular, it empowers the makers of Natural American Spirit cigarettes -- the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, an independent operating unit of Reynolds American Inc. (formerly RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company).  People who smoke Natural American Spirit cigarettes may also feel empowered by April’s ringing endorsement of “American Eagle” cigarettes. 

The scene may help to disempower Philip Morris USA (part of Altria Group, Inc.), makers of Marlboro cigarettes.  Marlboro smokers may feel that they’ve been wasting their money. 

10. What part of the story is not being told? How and where could you get more information about the untold stories?

We don’t know if the makers of Natural American Spirit cigarettes encouraged or paid anyone to include this scene in the movie.  We do know, however, that tobacco companies have a long history of secretly paying actors, directors, producers and movie studios to display their brands in Hollywood movies.  This practice was banned by the Master Settlement Agreement in 1998, but some observers believe that the secret payments are continuing and that movie scenes like this one are really cigarette ads in disguise.

Almost 70% of recent Hollywood movies include smoking, and a large body of research proves that exposure to on-screen smoking is the primary cause of youth smoking.  This movie scene, whether or not a tobacco company was involved, most likely encouraged many young movie viewers to start smoking.  One-third of them will eventually die from a smoking-related illness.

The Smoke Free Movies campaign is working to get tobacco out of youth-rated (G, PG and PG-13) movies.  The New Mexico Media Literacy Project participates in the campaign, providing media literacy training and resources to New Mexico youth and co-sponsoring the annual Fame & Shame Awards, a “mock Oscars” ceremony designed to expose the tobacco industry’s influence in Hollywood and to point out how popular actors and movies encourage young people to start smoking.  NMMLP’s work on this issue is funded by the New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program (TUPAC).

For more information:

Smoke Free Movies
www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu

Fame & Shame Awards
www.fameandshame.com

Also see this DVD-ROM from the New Mexico Media Literacy Project: