Govt. Milks Stoner Stereotypes in Anti-Pot Propaganda Film

[Nargyle]

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter...opaganda_film/

Stoners in the Mist is one of the most offensive and outrageous pieces of anti-drug propaganda ever produced.

Note: This essay originally appeared in High Times Magazine.

[Scene:] suburban neighborhood ... Daytime: Our host, Professor Barnard Puck, and his trusty assistant, Baldric, cautiously scan for some unseen creature. Puck motions Baldric to the house on the left. Baldric sneaks off, taking slow, cautious steps. Puck addresses the camera.


Professor Puck: It is a beautiful day. And while most people are out and about enjoying friends, activities, life in general -- the creature that we seek is sedentary, uninspired, and remarkably unmotivated. My associate and I are in search of the lair of a magnificent specimen: the mature stoner.

So begins the script of one of the most offensive and outrageous pieces of anti-drug propaganda ever produced. Part Reefer Madness, part Birth of a Nation (the notorious 1914 film that was condemned by audiences for its hateful and overtly racist portrayal of African Americans), Above the Influence's faux documentary, Stoners In The Mist, is a film so prejudiced that even the White House -- which commissioned the interactive video -- is hesitant to promote it.

Available online at the AbovetheInfluence.com website (a project of the White House's multi-billion dollar National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, Stoners In The Mist is a series of vignettes -- each designed to grossly exaggerate and exploit common pothead stereotypes. But promoting falsehoods about the physical and mental effects of weed is nothing new for federal politicians and bureaucrats. What sets Stoners In The Mist apart from prior examples of government-financed anti-pot excrement is the film's shocking and exceedingly malevolent tone.

In this case, cannabis consumers are portrayed, quite literally, as less than human. Rather, they are mockingly characterized as wild game -- to be hunted, tagged, and bagged by the film's 'Crocodile Hunter' inspired narrator. Once captured, the so-called 'stoners' are subjected to a myriad of mental, physical, and psychological tasks -- such a navigating a simple obstacle course and catching various objects thrown to them at close range.

Naturally, the film's 'stoner' subjects fail to perform even the most rudimentary tasks competently -- including remembering one another's names ("In his current condition the stoner exhibits an inability to communicate effectively," the hosts informs us.) or bathing ("In fact, we have learned through our intensive research that both male and female stoners tend to lack the motivation to maintain proper hygiene.") The mockumentary's slanderous message: marijuana smoking turns human beings into animals -- a denigrating theme the film's host gloats about repeatedly.

"The stoners' fascinating courtship rituals highlight the extreme difficultly these animals have fitting into other social groups," 'Professor' Puck states matter-of-factly, having dropped all pretense that his 'stoner' subjects are even capable of human traits, rational thought, or communication.

In another scene, the host refers to pot smokers as lab "specimens" whose safety requires them to be locked up in an "artificially controlled environment" (a not-so-subtle endorsement of jail, perhaps?)

In yet a third vignette, a "pack" of 'stoners' are tracked by the 'professor' and his assistant and eventually collared with a radio transmitter. ("The creatures are docile and unresponsive," the host observes.)

Finally, in a closing monologue that could be readily interpreted as the director's justification for current federal drug policy, 'Professor' Puck summarizes the cannabis consumer as "a tragic species…. They are an endangerment to themselves and to the public in general."

Categorically offensive? You bet. So much so that even the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy -- which is estimated to have spent some six-figures in taxpayers' dollars (NORML recently filed a federal Freedom of Information Act Request to learn the exact total; the White Houses' reply failed to provide an answer.) to produce this dreck -- is having second thoughts? Perhaps.

To date, the White House has made little, if any, effort to promote the interactive website -- which, in addition to the exploitive vignettes, includes the online game "Mission to Cannabis Isle," some funky jungle theme music, and a pop quiz full chocked full of disinformation (A case in point: "What has more cancer-causing chemicals: marijuana smoke or cigarette smoke?" The correct answer, according to the film's creators, is marijuana smoke. The actual answer is cigarettes.

So far, none of the vignettes have been broadcasted as public service announcements on radio or television. A teaser for the film appears on youtube.com (Naturally, the viewers' comments portion of the site has been disabled for the video), but has gone virtually unnoticed in cyberspace -- attracting a pitiful 6,900 visitors in twelve months. Even the AboveTheInfluence.com site seems to be shying away from the film. As of this writing, the website's homepage displays prominent links to various Above The Influence PSAs and user-submitted content, but features nary a peep about Stoners.

Ironically, it appears that the only folks tuning in to Stoners In The Mist are, well, stoners. Various drug law reform groups (as well as the political gossip website Wonkette have weighed in with scathing critiques of the online film, no doubt stimulating the bulk of the website's otherwise nonexistent traffic. In hindsight, it's almost hard to imagine precisely whom else its creators could have been hoping to attract. Clearly, the film's content is far too derogatory and over-the-top to appeal to it's supposed target-audience (teens), and its premise is far too juvenile to gain interest among the general public.

Could it be that the ONDCP spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to purposely produce a film that would only be taken seriously by those whose job description includes castigating the very agency that commissioned it? Now that would be a parody worth talking about.

[cra$h]

hahhah! I watched the videos, they're hilarious! these "stoners" (their eyes aren't even beat) look like they're all doped up, completely brainfucked, like they just had a stroke or something. rather rediculous, and is nothing like any stoner I know. It's rediculous enough for even kids with no drug interactions at all would say wow, propaganda.

[crunchyblack]

I loved that one video of the stoner girl with a brownie stuck in her hair!

[leadcoffin]

Clearly the *real* stoners in this film are the wack-jobs darting behind garbage cans in pursuit of some mystical imaginary creature.

[fiveleggedrat]

Yeah, Swim has seen this before.

Only slightly offensive (As in, people actually believe this as it's presented?) and rather hilarious.

Swim gathered his pothead friends, telling them he had a treat, and had them watch a bunch of this.

Ahaha.

[cra$h]

of course it seems only funny to those who have blazed, and for little kids it could be used like a scare tactic, or for parents to use as a scare tactic. Everyone blazes atleast once. Have your fun, and keep it when fun is meant to have. That's the message they should give off. Instead of teaching people to stay narrow-minded, teach them to be smart while expanding, if you consider weed expansive.

Reputation Comments on this post:

use of drugs in moderation

[Flayed]

every thing in those videos is completely true
but if swim drives completely perfect while high, perfect enough to cure swims munchies

[doggy_hat]

This is so incredibly ridiculous. I just watched it and it's so funny. Most drug propaganda just pisses me off, but this almost feels like it was made by stoners that were making fun of drug propaganda.

I love the part where someone points out to the girl that she had a piece of brownie in her hair and she picks it out and eats it.

[gardis]

Originally Posted by Nargyle

A case in point: "What has more cancer-causing chemicals: marijuana smoke or cigarette smoke?" The correct answer, according to the film's creators, is marijuana smoke. The actual answer is cigarettes.

I noticed the way they state this on the website is a joint can contain more cancer causing chemicals than a cigarette. just reading that made me notice the crazy play on words putting the word can in a statement of fact. i can say that too. talking on the phone can be more dangerous than setting fire to your own house.(can means that you can be talking on the phone after you set fire to the house while inside the house.) quite ridiculous, i think one can make a lot of money if they decide to go into the propaganda business though, it seems so simple. ;p

[SullyGuy]

Hahaha! I was pissed when I read the article, but the video was hilarious.

[Euthanatos93420]

Ironically, it appears that the only folks tuning in to Stoners In The Mist are, well, stoners. Various drug law reform groups (as well as the political gossip website Wonkette have weighed in with scathing critiques of the online film, no doubt stimulating the bulk of the website's otherwise nonexistent traffic. In hindsight, it's almost hard to imagine precisely whom else its creators could have been hoping to attract. Clearly, the film's content is far too derogatory and over-the-top to appeal to it's supposed target-audience (teens), and its premise is far too juvenile to gain interest among the general public.

I think this is evidential of that people just arent buying government propaganda anymore. At least not over weed. We're pretty close to universal decriminalization. It's time to push people.

Swim has traded paranoia for voice. Sure he smokes weed, but he aint afraid to tell anyone. He plays it smart with this business so as not to get busted for shit but given the slightest opportunity he'll start preaching to anyone and everyone who will randomly stop and listen to him. He lives in a small midwest town where the Stereotypes and misinformation hold the strongest. His ability to Ramble on rapidly spouting off facts and references while claiming to be a 7 year toker causes people to question their perception about Marijuana.

[kemikal_nation]

Most of these PA's are pretty much bullshit to have some in a govt job. Some of these thing stoners actually find to be hilarious. Sometimes by the stupid situations they portray happening but also the people who blindly belief that these situations actually happen when you party with Mary Jane. Why they dont make a Spider Man movie with Mary Jane being teh villain flabbergasts me. Plot line: Spidey keeps trying to taker her downtown but every time he catches her she shoots smoke bombs at him and he gets blazed the fuck out and ends up buying an O from her. Last shot: Spidey swingin through NYC bong in one hand, lighter in the other and big blue/red smoke trailin behind him. Name of the weed: Super Spidersense Webwaster

[Nacho]

Well fuck SWIM sideways. That's funny as hell. Most of their "facts" come from 2 sources on "heavy usage". I have faith in the general population that stuff like this isn't taken as fact or truth. If I'm wrong, I don't know what I will do.

[dark12]

Wow. Great find.
This reminds of the movie 'Harold and Kumaar go to White Castle' where an anti-pot commercial comes on while they're high.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbsBj8NRufw