The Ugly Truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xocyXiFeCXY

The truth campaign has made many advertisements opposing tobacco use; all of which have a certain level of effectiveness. Overall I feel these advertisements are very persuasive. In this particular advertisement a series of causes of deaths along with a bar representing the amount of deaths are provided. Tobacco happens to have the biggest bar, meaning it causes the most deaths than the other causes of deaths shown. If that is not already bad enough the ad proceeds to say that “big tobacco’s products kill more than shark attacks, Yeti attacks, fires, floods, sky diving Accidents, car crashes, and murder combined.” Not only does tobacco kill more than these other causes of death but even when you combine them all together it still does not compare to the amount of deaths caused by tobacco. It is quite scary to think of. But that is the feeling that this ad is trying to convey. And because they are using actuals facts, it make it seem that much more real and terrifying. Though the mood is lightened by them using the ridiculous cause of death by a Yeti, the ad is still meant to frighten viewer to refrain from tobacco use. Many may look at this and will not feel any different about cigarettes, chewing tobacco etc. but many on the other hand will change their thoughts about it. Many ads including this one have contributed in the decrease percent of teenage tobacco use. I believe it used to be that 23% of teens used tobacco and now only 9% of teens use tobacco.

In "The Rising of Popular Culture: A Historiographical sketch" the author LeRoy Ashby mentions "...an impressive examination of entertainments since colonial times, from the theater to pulp magazines, comics popular music, radio, television and movies." This shows how much pop culture has grown in our daily lives. He also says there are different groups with differerent backgrounds that create pop culture (pg 12). There are many different groups of people that contribute to popular culture in their own way. After the last couple of weeks my conception of popular culture has expanded. At first I figured that it was just simply what society found to be interesting. Now I realize that popular culture is so much more complex. You are able to break it down into many diffent area such as based on who you are and the time frame that you're in.