Named in a new study for frequent depictions of cigarettes in youth-skewing series like Stranger Things and others, Netflix is vowing to stub out the practice, or at least curtail it, in new projec…
While committing itself to “artistic expression,” the streaming service responded to a newstudy by recognizing “that smoking is harmful and when portrayed positively on screen can adversely influence young people” and by pledging that going forward all new commissioned projects with ratings of TV-14 or below for series will be smoking and e-cigarette free “except for reasons of historical or factual accuracy.
For new projects aimed at older viewers, “there’ll be no smoking or e-cigarettes unless it’s essential to the creative vision of the artist or because it’s character-defining .”Netflix also vowed that, starting later this year, smoking information will be included as part of its age-appropriate ratings “so our members can make informed choices about what they watch.”
The pledge seems to provide plenty of wiggle room – why else would smoking be depicted unless it is considered “essential to the creative vision” or “character-defining”? – but the announcement at least acknowledges the Truth Initiative findings. In an update to its 2018 study “While You Were Streaming,” Truth Initiative found 1,209 total “tobacco depictions” in episodic programming during the 2016-17 season, with a whopping 866 of those depictions on Netflix. That leaves the other 343 tobacco depictions studied to the other broadcast and cable programming combined.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Netflix Pledges to Cut Back Smoking Depictions in Original Productions After Group Blasts ‘Stranger Things’Depictions of tobacco in the most popular TV shows among young people surged nearly fourfold in the past year — and Netflix’s “Stranger Things” season 2 was the worst offend…
Read more »
Netflix Stock Rallies on High Hopes for ‘Stranger Things’ — and Second-Quarter EarningsWall Street consensus calls for second-quarter revenues of $4.94 billion and profits of 56 cents a share.
Read more »
‘Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster’ Mockumentary Hits With First TrailerThe first trailer for the Netflix drama Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster is out, showcasing Stranger Things actor David Harbour’s quirky examination of the enigmatic but fictiona…
Read more »
5 of the Most Ridiculous Things the Military Has Spent Money On$41.6 million on Viagra?!
Read more »
5 Things You Must Do When You Start A New JobWhat can you do to ensure success in your new job?
Read more »