Disney bans Smoking

Yahoo Movies (found via The Movie Blog)...

Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday became the first major Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking, saying there would be no smoking in its family-oriented, Disney-branded films and it would "discourage" it in films distributed by its Touchstone and Miramax labels. Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger also said in a letter to U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, whose committee last month held hearings on the effects of movie images on children, that the studio would place anti-smoking public service announcements on DVDs of any future films that feature cigarette smoking. He said the company would encourage theater owners to show screen anti-smoking public service announcements, or PSAs, before such films.

You see, a character like Cruella De Ville HAS to be depicted smoking in something like 101 Dalmatians That's her character and it's one of her traits and she just wouldn't quite be so evil and cool without it. And honestly, has Cruella De Ville really encouraged anyone to take up smoking... I DOUBT IT. This feels to me like Disney trying a P.R. move to keep up with the times as smoking in public places becomes less and less of a possibility around the world for smokers. I've been of the opinion that you should show kids these things at a young age because hiding them away... only adds to the curiosity and the want factor for young people who don't like to be told they can't have something.