Does “Boston Legal” promote smoking?

The TV show Boston Legal is one of my favorite shows. Its courtroom drama is often well-written and I like its brand of humor. One of its popular episodes is when the main character Alan Shore tackles the cigarette industry. The closing argument on that case apparently really struck a chord with the audience and has been blogged several times.

So why do I say Boston Legal is encouraging smoking? First, be aware that since direct advertising of cigarettes is banned in a lot of countries, the tobacco industry was forced to be creative. One of its marketing channel is the TV and film industry. Tobacco industry claims that having movie characters that smoke help develop their personalities. But of course it is just a form of subliminal advertisement. (Note: Read the World Health Organization MPOWER report here).

Second, at the end of every episode you can see two of the main characters (Alan Shore and Denny Crane) smoking their cigars at the office balcony, celebrating the end of a hard working day. Yes, despite Alan Shore’s hatred of the tobacco industry, he still enjoys an occassional cigar with his best friend. The message is clear. Cigars are cool. Cigars mean success and the completion of a job well done. Hey, Will Smith smokes a cigar after kicking an alien’s butt. Of course they don’t tell you that cigars cause cancer and other heart and lung diseases.

Third, take a look at another character, Jerry Espenson. He is written as a brilliant lawyer but socially inept, due to Asperger syndrom. In the TV show, Jerry received treatment and started using a wooden cigarette as a prop to help with his condition. He would pretend to smoke the prop cigarette or twirl it in his hand so he can assume a different personality — one that is confident and even aggressive. Here again you see the connotation that cigarette makes you become a different person: a better you.

Cigarette companies use different tactics now, as anything seen pro-smoking will quickly be shunned by the public. What they want is for the public to keep associating smoking with coolness and devil-may-care attitude, and they will have the occasional and “social smokers” in their pockets.