Assignment 3:I learned it from watching you!

In the growing war against drugs, the airways are riddled with constant PSAs preaching the horrors of drug use. Several of these commercials are aimed at teens and children (with the occasional parental guilt trip). These blips do nothing but reinforce all of the myths we are taught in school.
Any red blooded American who has attended college (or the 'crazy' high school party) knows the general gist of marijuana usage. Naturally, several of these commercials are focusing on marijuana. This is quite possibly because it is the most widely used drug in the United States (dare I say-the world), yet it is the drug surrounded by the most ridiculous misconceptions.
The marijuana smoker is most often portrayed as lazy (literally deflated), neglectful, irresponsible, and completely out of touch with the world. In this little gem of a PSA, the lethargic pothead is approached by her dog. Not only does her dog miss her, but this longing manifests the power of human speech to dear Fido.


Many will tell children and teens everyday that marijuana can cause you to hallucinate, chase Technicolor earth spirits off of the edge of a cliff, in front of a car, down the stairs...basically that the visions induced by smoking/ingesting marijuana can lead to a life threatening mistake to the influenced in motion. If a car crash is not implied ("You are threatening everyone's life when you get behind the wheel high."), then why can't you be so high that your dog can talk to you?

Of course this isn't what the commercial is trying to say, but it's fun just to think about it. It's almost as amusing as the implication that potheads are too lazy to go outside--either they are too lazy or the sun is just too much for their fried brain to handle.

If any Memphian has been near Overton Park on the fourth of April, knows full well that a marijuana user is not against going outside. Furthermore, I think they enjoy being outside even more. The anti-drug crowd however does not mention any of the overweight kids chained to the tv while their parents find some other way to avoid spending time with them (new video games and Saturday morning specials are most effective). I don't know about you, but I'm not buying that marijuana makes you so lazy that you can't stand to walk outside. Nor do I believe that it instill vampiric qualities to drug users.

Another all-time favorite is from the 1980's. Although the message is rarely touched upon in contemporary anti-drug culture, the 80's liked to not only guilt their teenagers, but also the parents.




This holds a bit more water in my book. Sure, if you see your parents huffin' a fatty in the living room, curiosity can get the better of you. You may try it. You also may pick up you parents' radio listening habits and start stealing ties from your father. Any person who's parents do drugs usually don't credit their drug usage to their parents. They can brag about smoking with their parents, but I'm sure it's about as exciting as getting drunk with your parents. Toke up with Dad with a couple of your buddies around and be prepared to have him:

a)fall asleep
b)share embarrassing stories of your childhood while simultaneously making fun of your friend's hair
c)complain that 'new' weed just isn't the same as 'old' weed

Also be prepared to find your parents pinching from your stash.

It's simply not ethical for a kid to mimic everything their parents do. By the time you are a teenager you're trying to do everything BUT what your parents are doing. It could have been a starting point, but chances are the novelty will wear off if your parents are 47-ish and can't seem to shake the urge to pop up every time you're trying to smoke with your friends.

Whether you partake of not, few people take the message of anti-drug commercials seriously--probably because they are so concerned with stopping marijuana usage instead of focusing on heroin, cocaine, crystal meth, prescription medication--you know, the things that have racked up a death toll. Scare me straight by showing me clips of infected track marks, not by showing me talking dogs and kids who were probably too lazy to leave their house in the first place.