When Cartoons Shockingly Promoted Cigarettes

The Flintstones cigarette commercial from the 1960s is strikingly shocking by today’s standards, revealing a stark contrast to modern sensibilities. In the video, the endearing, family-friendly characters of Fred and Barney endorse a cigarette brand, an incongruity that seems almost jarring now. At the time, smoking was widely accepted and even glamorized, but today, the idea of beloved animated characters promoting tobacco would be unthinkable. The commercial underscores how dramatically our understanding of health and marketing ethics has evolved. Contemporary standards prioritize public health and responsible advertising, making such a commercial not only unlikely but also ethically and legally untenable in today’s media landscape.

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The Flinstones cigarette commercial from the 1960s pic.twitter.com/3h6d3PYYxi

— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) September 12, 2024