Why is there a disclaimer about not accepting money from tobacco companies at the end of movies?
Maybe the answer is obvious, but still:
I just finished watching Movie Gravity, and at the end of the movie, I saw this disclaimer:
No person or entity associated with this film received payment or anything of value, or entered into any agreement, in connection with the depiction of tobacco products
I don't even remember that any tobacco related product was portrayed during the movie, but still there was this disclaimer at the end of the movie.
Why do movie producers put such disclaimers at the end of the movies?
Best Answer
According to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, 1998, tobacco companies cannot pay for tobacco brand placement in movies.
Additionally, there is a history of litigation for “negligent advertising”:
Negligent advertising - the tobacco companies failed to warn consumers of the risks of smoking cigarettes
By my non-lawyer reasoning, there appears to be certain risks in accidentally portraying a movie as somehow advertising a tobacco product. Because it would be an accident, they have no way of being completely sure that they did not make a mistake. But they can include a disclaimer saying they did not get paid for any tobacco advertising. If they did not get paid, there was no advertising contract because there was no consideration (a legal term indicating that something of value, like money, exchanges hands in order to have a legal contract).
There even has been research associated with trends in showing tobacco products in movies as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement.
There has been a marked decline in the number of movies with TBAs [tobacco brand appearances] released after the MSA [Master Settlement Agreement]. However, the greatest absolute decrease occurred in R-rated movies, and the decrease seen in movies rated for adolescent audiences was not statistically significant.
Pictures about "Why is there a disclaimer about not accepting money from tobacco companies at the end of movies?"
Does smoking in a movie make it rated R?
Scenes of smoking have become increasingly rare in non-R-rated movies, according to the MPAA. Of the movies portraying smoking in recent years, 72% were rated R, 21% were rated PG-13, and 6% were rated PG.Is smoking banned in movies?
The US banned advertising of tobacco products in the 1970s, in light of damning federal reports on the health hazards of smoking. So, tobacco companies turned to product placement in popular entertainment until the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement outlawed the practice in TV, film and video games.Should tobacco advertising be prohibited Why or why not?
Advertising, promotion and sponsorship normalize tobacco, making it seem like any other consumer product. This increases its social acceptability and hampers efforts to educate people about the hazards of tobacco use. Marketing falsely associates tobacco with desirable qualities such as energy, glamour and sex appeal.Why is there so much cigarette smoking in movies?
So, why is smoking still in movies? Many movies contain tobacco imagery, even though it may not add anything to the movie itself. This is due to the influence and funding from tobacco companies.15 Things You Didn't Know About The Tobacco Industry
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Answer 2
From Warner Bros' website, it appears to be their policy not to do so. For what it's worth, Universal have a similar policy.
As for why they place the notice at the end of movies? A cynical view might be that this is just a PR stunt - they might just not want to be associated with negative effects of cigarette smoking.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, RODNAE Productions, Monstera, Karolina Grabowska