'Lost' Child in Anti-Smoking Ad Really Cried

A new anti-smoking ad that shows a child crying after he loses his mother in a crowded train station portrays genuine distress, MSNBC reports. The 4-year-old—acting with his real mother—was allowed to lose sight of her for "a very brief moment," said an exec with the Australian group that produced the spot. In the ad, the narrator exhorts viewers to stop smoking for the sake of their kids.

“Toward the end, he lost sight of his mother, and he did shed some real tears,” said the exec, adding that child-welfare workers were on set. “Within seconds of those tears being shed, he was in his mother’s arms and giggling.”

www.newser.com...

So what do you say? Was this child abuse?
I agree with the message, since it's stupid to smoke. But I don't agree with exploiting a child's fear to get that message across.

Eh who cares

Its not gonna traumatize him for life


Im a sadist

MWAH AH AH AH AH AH AH


[edit on 3-4-2009 by stevedel0]

Originally posted by stevedel0
Eh who cares

Its not gonna traumatize him for life


Im a sadist

MWAH AH AH AH AH AH AH


[edit on 3-4-2009 by stevedel0]

I agree. The kid was fine, and there were child welfare workers on set. Nothing different than if he actually got lost from his mother in a store, which has probably happened to all of us at least once in our lives as little kids. Not even a conspiracy in this story. Should be in BTS.

[edit on 4/3/2009 by Epic Wolf]

I knew IT!
Haha. When this ad first came on I said to the person I was with that I absolutely knew it was for real and I got upset watching the kid in actual pain. It seemed obvious to me. I didn't know how they got away with it, pretty sadistic and for entertainment purposes too?

Does this happen everyday in the life of a typical toddler? Yes.

I can't find the shoes my kid wants and he gets upset.

What I have a problem with is the instigation of upsetting a child for the ad for an agenda. Losing a kid by accident is one thing, but for an agenda is another.

Whats next? Actually hit somone for a campaign against domestic abuse? Fight a couple of pit bulls as an ad against animal cruelty?


I have been lost in places as a kid. I still remember because it was quite frightening. I think it was out of line.

[edit on 3-4-2009 by nixie_nox]

reply to post by sadisticwoman


I am sure the mother and possibly an Agent knew of the tactic and OK'd it...

I think the ad is out of line and should be edited to more accurately represent the nature of the Health crisis's most nations have...

Little boy is with OBESE Mother whom he can see for 8 city blocks in any direction, then she disappears and he cries. That's more accurate for the health problems and funny to boot.

Obese people die more early and more often than smokers, sorry if you're fat and this upsets you. Put the Big Mac and diet coke down and get healthy so your kid don't watch you go away...

Egad! What a load of tripe.
Do you think this is the first time someone has done this?

I promise you that you've seen it before on TV and the movies and thought nothing of it, but now, since the media has blown it out of proportion and scandalized it, you feel some sense of moral outrage.

Pathetic! They tell you to jump and you don't even ask questions anymore. Stop watching that crap. It rots your brain. And you are contributing to this so called problem every time you go to the movies or watch TV.

reply to post by sadisticwoman
Sick bastards trying to make smokers look like our worst enemies. I would have a serious talk with the mom about that.I'm proud to say I'm a smoker and will continue despite taxes and moronic government types. Also overweight at the moment so I guess I'll just have to see which gets me first.

reply to post by theindependentjournal


But obese people don't make you fat by eating near you. There's no such thing as second hand obesity. :/

Hate on others all you want, the fact still remains that smoking is stupid and unhealthy.

Kinda makes me wonder to just what lengths the anti-smoking nazis will go to push their agenda. This act wasn't ENTIRELY horrible, but what's next? How important to them is it that they force people to give up the right to smoke?


TheAssociate

reply to post by sadisticwoman

There's no such thing as second hand obesity.

Don't be so sure...

Second Hand Fat

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/998c0e59750b.png[/atsimg]


'Lost' Child in Anti-Smoking Ad Really Cried

So what do you say? Was this child abuse?

So what do you say? Was this child abuse?

Yes. To use a child to further a political agenda is abuse in and of itself. To purposefully make a child frightened enough to cry in doing so, is even more abusive and frankly, despicable. That's not to say this shocks me, anti-smoking nazis have no shame, i'm really not surprised they stooped to this level.


TheAssociate