If kids are like I was (and apparently, this makes me "fucked Up, but), they will be more likely to think something is cool if they see admirable people doing it. I'm thankful that I had enough anti-smoking memes to keep me from ever starting, but I have been influenced in other ways. Sometimes, it's peers. Sometimes, it's fictional characters, and sometimes it's something else. But it does happen. In fact, fiction can still have a major influence on my life. I can name a few: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Invisibles, The Last Temptation of Christ, Back to the Future. I honestly believe that if I were to meet some alternate version of myself that hadn't seen/read these things, I wouldn't recognize him. That's actually why I read fiction. To change my mind.
Marvel banning smoking will not stop any one particular child from smoking, and it couldn't have enough of an affect on the culture to find statistically. But I don't think it's a bad thing.
Regarding guns and violence. I know that there's a big difference between smoking and gunning someone down. At the same time, more people in America die from smoking than from guns.
Maybe what Marvel is doing is silly. And I think it would be worse to promote scorn for smokers than to promote smoking. (I'm using the word "promote" out of laziness) But I don't think that's what they're doing. And it isn't censorship. And good for them. For doing what they THINK is the right thing, even if it isn't. |
