Those anti-marijuana ads on Air America are insulting to my intelligence.

[devilgrrl]

Especially the one about the college student who smoked too much and never finished getting their degree....

What?????????????????

[tuvor]

1. Of course, all the binge-drinkers turned out just fine...

I hear one of them even became President of the USA.

[tatertop]

2. they are irritating as well as insulting

[nashville_brook]

3. that's another reason to turn off AAR -- sad!

i hate that shit. condescending propaganda.

the one i really hate is the kid asking dad to go to a party. "i don't care if he's old for his age." yikes, kid. you never ASK if you can go to The Party.

[devilgrrl]

7. That one kills me too.

Why don't AAR affiliates air more local ads/PSAs? Someone explain that to me. Why national ads for selling timeshares? :crazy: I don't get it.

[file83]

4. Prop - a - Gannon - duh.

It allows the parents to blame something besides their children for their lack of good parenting.

AND

It perpetuates a stereotype.

AND

It ALL comes together to help Congress justify continued appropriations for the "War on Drugs" (WOD).

Besides, haven't they heard that smoking weed enlarges your hippocampus?
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20051015/fob7.asp :smoke:

[ingac70]

5. The station has to pay the bills....

It is a commercial, on all radio stations.

Not an editorial from Air America.

[file83]

8. True that. But paying the bills at what cost?

Where does AAR draw the line? What's acceptable? They all talk about fighting the disinformation machine, yet quietly take pay and look the other way when they beam it out over the air waves?

Of course commercial air time on nationally syndicated shows is complicated - and I'm sure most of AAR listeners just laugh off that silly ad like I do everytime I hear it - because I know LOTS of people that smoked weed all through college and did just fine. Some still smoke it with no ill effects to their success. Jesus, did I just try to argue against government propaganda? Sorry for stating the obvious...

[ingac70]

12. The local stations air the commercials!

Not Air America.

[file83]

18. Yes, but AIR AMERICA gets paid for those ads. Air time isn't free.

[file83]

20. Can't we all just PASS THE JOINT AROUND in peace? Puff Puff, GIVE!

[nashville_brook]

27. this air time is free:

"The Partnership’s research-based, educational campaigns are disseminated through all forms of media, including TV, radio and print advertisements and over the Internet. In our 18-year history, we have utilized the pro-bono work of the country’s best advertising, PR and interactive agencies, and the donated time and space of major media, to create the largest public service campaign in the nation’s history. "

[file83]

32. Oh. :-( bogus.

[nashville_brook]

21. actually -- there's two tiers of advertising... that which is local and

that which is syndicated.

i used to hear AAR on Sirius and suffered thru those ads every freaking commercial break (which is about once every 7 minutes).

[devilgrrl]

22. Then how is it that you are hearing the same commercials...

that the rest of us are?

What happened to the SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! local race track ads? Ads for local establishments and services? I listen on line and on the radio and they play the same stupid ads... like that "gelin'" Dr. Scholls shit. :eyes:

[Tsiyu]

25. Well, I listen online and the same ads are on

I turn down the speaker every time those insipid commercials start until I end up just turning off AAR entirely. I swear, they were playing them at every break the last time I listened. Does anyone actually believe that shit they're spewing?

Why not ads against meth? I haven't heard or seen one. Yet crank is destroying families. I've never seen marijuana use destroy a family.

[devilgrrl]

10. I KNOW they have to pay their bills!

That doesn't negate the fact that the ads are ridiculous! Also, who's paying to have them aired and where is the money coming from?

[ingac70]

15. The LOCAL STATIONS air them.

You know, like the Honda dealer in your city? They wouldn't advertise where I live, now would they?

Air America has nothing to do with who the local stations get to pay the bills.

[nashville_brook]

24. uh, no they don't

"The Partnership’s research-based, educational campaigns are disseminated through all forms of media, including TV, radio and print advertisements and over the Internet. In our 18-year history, we have utilized the pro-bono work of the country’s best advertising, PR and interactive agencies, and the donated time and space of major media, to create the largest public service campaign in the nation’s history.

the air time is donated on the corporate level. local stations can insert their own Partnership for a Drug-Free America PSA, but it's b/c they haven't sold the slot.

AAR uses PDFA at the syndicated level or else you wouldn't hear the PSAs on satellite.

[nashville_brook]

17. the production $$ came from taxes, probably

i'm sure we could chase this info down in Advertising Age, but my sense is that the govt does the production and distribution as a "public service," and radio stations can air them in slots that aren't paid for.

i believe they should be more discriminating in their choice of PSAs to run. surely GreenPeace, Amnesty International or Oxfam could use some exposure.

[nashville_brook]

26. their website says "pro-bono" on production, but

i bet there's money involved. again, Ad Age or Adweek would have the skinny.

[nashville_brook]

11. aren't they PSAs? public service announcements? unpaid filler.

[Webster Green]

6. I hate listening to that shit!

Guess they are hard up for bucks to be broadcasting that bullshit propaganda.

The Partnership for a Drug Free America spews nothing but lies.

It's like watching 'Reefer Madness'.

[devilgrrl]

13. Who funds The Partnership for a Drug Free America?

I know nothing about them other than these stupid ads.

[Webster Green]

19. Probably the DEA...

Assholes!

They need to fucking inhale.

Maybe a little acid to really kick it in.

Assholes!

[nashville_brook]

23. here you go -- from their website

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit coalition of communication, health, medical and educational professionals working to reduce illicit drug use and help people live healthy, drug-free lives.

The Partnership’s research-based, educational campaigns are disseminated through all forms of media, including TV, radio and print advertisements and over the Internet. In our 18-year history, we have utilized the pro-bono work of the country’s best advertising, PR and interactive agencies, and the donated time and space of major media, to create the largest public service campaign in the nation’s history.

[unpossibles]

9. The one I hate is the 'hypocrite' one

where it states it was ok for the parents to experiment with drugs when they were young, that it's not for the kids, and that being called a "hypocrite" by your kids is a good thing because it keeps your kids from toking up. yeah, right. I'm sure that setting a hypocritical example for your kids will make them listen to you. :eyes:

Whatever. If we look at history, we'll see that there are a lot of people we learn about who used drugs, and a lot who didn't.

I'm not glorifying drugs, but neither am I vilifying them either.

[noahmijo]

14. I never touched pot in my life and these ads annoy me

I'd rather hear ads that have slogans like "Be a fucking parent and take responsibility for your children-because the television is no subsitute for maternal care"

But like another DU'er said AAR has to pay the bills.

[porphyrian]

16. Does NORML have an advertising budget?

I would love to hear some pro-weed commercials.

[unpossibles]

30. great idea!

"Hi! My name is Carl Sagan. I was a celebrated and well published astronomer and exobiologist.

"I was a professor, had a TV show, and contributed not only to America's Space Program, but also the founder of The Planetary Society and a member of SETI.

"I lived a fruitful and successful life and was an avid user of marijuana."

[porphyrian]

33. Well, it'd be hard to get Sagan now...

...but how many professionals today have and/or still do smoke pot? I don't mean Wal-Mart managers, I'm talking about public officials, judges, attorneys, doctors, CEOs. When the majority of the population has smoked weed, I think it's time to tell the truth about it. It's ridiculous to maintain the criminality of marijuana, and someone with some cash should start a commercial campaign. That's why I thought of NORML. Would Air America play their commercials, I wonder?

[DemInDistress]

28. 2 of Abe Lincoln's favorite pastimes were

rocking in his chair while smoking a corncob pipe full of Hemp.That was in his diary 1855.....George Washington smoked and grew Hemp.Ben
Franklin wrote the "Declaration of Independence" on paper made from Hemp while writing under the light from Hemp Oil.Ben also smoked Hemp.
For well over 200 years Hemp was a viable commercial plant,Hemp was
vital during WW-II,our gov't in 1942 put out a film,"Hemp for Victory"
there are countless uses for Hemp but greedy scumbags like Hearst,JP.
Morgan and Dupont saw Hemp as a competitor to Big Oil so in 1937 Hemp
became "Marijuana" and "Reefer Madness" a propaganda movie set the
tone for madness that surrounds us today..Give me a joint before you
give me a beer/wine/liquor.......

[Kralizec]

29. Mute.

[Occulus]

31. Um, I did smoke pot, but

it wasn't pot that lept me from my degree. It was MY OWN PARENTS- and I've been haunted by it ever since.

My own flesh and blood did more to ruin my future for me than any drug ever did. They metaphorically ripped my heart of out my chest and ground it into the dirt.

No, Air America, for me, the "stable family" was what did the deed. I'll thank you to not try to propagandize to those who know better.

[EstimatedProphet]

34. I don't remember those commercials on AAR

But I do remember Willie speaking for NORML...

and frankly, smoking marijuana was part of all three of my degrees! SO THERE, Partnership for a DEA-run America! Go get a f*cking PH. D. like I did and then you can talk to me!

I hate them.

[RumpusCat]

35. I got 'High Honors' in my major at a top 20 university

Says so right on my diploma, which tickles me to death considering the state I was in when I wrote and researched my honors thesis. :smoke:

I do know a girl who dropped out because... get this... she got addicted to Everquest! I wish I was kidding!

[jane_pippin]

36. Well yeah. The government produced them, didn't they?

Of course they're going to insult our intelligence. It's what they do best.