Well here is something I’d never thought I’d say, it may be a good thing most actors are White. Why in the world would I say that? Because of a recent study that has found that White teens are more likely to become smokers than African American teens. Let me get into the details of this a bit.
Given parameters of the study being equal, the more White teens watch R-rated movies and/or unsupervised television shows the more likely they were to smoke. The key cause of this is that there are almost as many scenes of smoking today as in the 1950’s. That’s important because, like any time since movies or television have existed, virtually all the characters are White. Thus impressionable teens take the lead from these characters and begin smoking as well, because they feel a deeper connection to the characters on-screen. [Mind you that any teen so weak willed as to do something because a character on TV does it has problems, in my opinion.]
I’ve commented several times in previous posts [Minorities, Television and 27 percent, German police and television programing - 10.05.2006.2] that the lack of diversity in television programming and theatrical movies is appalling. My own efforts to gauge the failure of diversity came up with roughly 2% of main characters in television being African American, Latino, Hispanic or any other minority. More official estimates claim that the diversity is a whopping 5% (though that value includes the number of minorities behind the scenes and not on-screen). I feel that movies are similar, though the behind the scenes crew-members are slightly higher (roughly 1-2% more). These ridiculous numbers have only one benefit, the fact that there are less Black, Hispanic, and minority teens starting smoking because of the visual images they are watching. [And an interesting aside is that I must conclude that they are far less impressionable and weak-willed.]
Now before anyone starts to freak out, whether in agreement of dissent, there is a problem that has far too readily featured African Americans recently – teens and parents teaching children to smoke pot. What is wrong with these people?
I have no doubt that there are White Americans that give their kids drugs (in fact I’m aware of a case out in this area where a mother was arrested for doing so, claiming it helped calm the kids down – idiot) but the media has made no bones about highlighting the YouTube video of the Black teens. The fact that this happens is insane. I’d rather see the teens smoking cigarettes. [But not sharing them with toddlers.]
What is happening to our society when people of any age think its ok to provide near babies with drugs. Because they can share this on the internet? Like this is a positive thing to do. As if it were ok for the teens to have the drugs in the first place. Where is the outrage from the NAACP and Rev. Al Sharpton or Rev. Jesse Jackson? Why hasn’t YouTube said that this is not condoned? Yes they were arrested but it shouldn’t have been possible in the first place.
I’m scared by the thought that if White teens can start smoking because of watching movies and television and identifying with the characters, what videos like this and others may cause in the Black community. Especially without the justified outrage they should inspire. Does it take a video of some teen doping a baby with heroin to get some reaction? And I’m not suggestion that this be done. If someone does that’s worth the death penalty in my opinion.
Neither of these things is good. There is no higher ground in either of these things. Everyone should be upset at all the aspects these 2 items display. And something should be done to prevent this from happening again. Not just editing or censoring the offenses, but active action to prevent this behavior.
[I feel I must mention that I am a smoker. I started in college and it had nothing to do with television or movies. I try to never smoke in front of children, or my mother for that matter. I do not recommend anyone to start smoking. I do not do drugs and wish that on no one.]
This is what I think, what do you think?
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