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Culture Change Benchmark

July 29, 2008, 10:36 pm

It is unbelievable that this was an actual advertisement in my lifetime.  And don't get me started on my kids reaction.  Via Hit and Run.

Category: Other
  • Mike

    Oh my god, I totally did NOT expect that!!

  • Tom G

    So what's more upsetting, the sexism or the cigarettes being pumped by Barney and Fred ?
    I was too young to ever see the Flintstones b&w like that, but I loved them when I was a kid. I must be more cynical now, because for me, it's the sexism that seems more embarrassing.

  • Will H.

    It's been a while since I've seen that one.

    A couple things to keep in mind.

    1) Flintstones was not a Saturday morning show geared to kids. It was prime time and many adults watched much like the Simspons, and you only had three choices.
    2) Almost all adults smoked and it was expected to see adults smoking, the add was directed to adults. As teenager many of my friends smoked, they were trying to be adult. They could buy over the counter cigarettes. Parents was more a factor on smoking than anything, my parents didn't I didn't (Assured destruct if caught was a deterrent.) My friends parents did and they did.
    3) Smoking adds was everywhere, TV, radio, billboards.
    4) Fred and Barney was goof offs, shirking work and getting into trouble. Wilma and Betty were the brains of the group and the ones to get things done.

  • JohnF

    Yes, yes, it should be "Winston tastes good, AS a cigarette should." We know this. Are you saying there is anything else odd about the ad?

  • dave smith

    Will makes a point...the sexism was against men...in the show, Fred and Barney were stereotypical lazy, good for nothing men.

  • http://www.tinyvital.com/ John Moore

    Ah... the memories. It is hard to believe that commercial existed, even though no doubt I saw it many times. During my Navy years, cigarettes on military bases were subsidized - 10 cents per pack - and one frequently head the announcement "The Smoking Lamp is Lit" - meaning you could smoke. We even had ashtrays on the combat aircraft I flew in.

  • Jim Collins

    Up until the 1990's th elargest wholesaler of tobacco products in the world was the US Government. You have to love the hypocracy.

  • http://genericconfusion.blogspot.com/ Greg

    Like Will said, it shouldn't be unexpected that a prime time sitcom's adult characters would be used to hawk an adult product. Of course, nowadays, the characters aren't spokespeople themselves, they just use the products in the course of the show.

    Assuming all animated output is intended for kids can be very bad if you come across some of the adult-only Japanese animation....

  • http://genericconfusion.blogspot.com/ Greg

    Another reason why it is unbelievable that this was an actual advertisement in (your) lifetime:

    "Can you believe they actually produced everyday advertisements that lasted a whole minute????"

  • http://cranchedfornow.blogspot.com cranched

    Why didn't I grow up smoking after watching this every week?

  • http://erinslick.com/2008/06/27/from-the-secretarys-handbook-1965/ ErinSlick

    Ahh.. it's fun to view these through a modern filter. There is so much going on in this ad and in the context during which it was made and televised, I can't even wrap my head around it.

  • ccoffer

    Its a good ad. It made me want to smoke a cigarette. I quit two years ago, though. Everything makes me want to smoke. hehee