OpEdNews - Page 2 of Article: Tell your children, a paradigm of dope.

The Devil Character.

Jack Perry is clearly the "devil" character. He is the one who keeps the endless supply of joints coming in the front door of the reefer den mentioned above. He is seemingly a small-time hood with a taste for corrupting some of Dr. Carrol's students, especially the males. I have often wondered if there is an underlying statement contained in that bit of the movie. Most likely not, but it does provide for that little question mark to pop up.

Jack and his female accomplice, Mae Coleman, run the reefer den that is Dr. Carrol's bane. While Mae is definitely no snow-white dove, she continuously voices concern over Jack bringing up "those kids." His response to this, "...you've got more static than the radio," clearly shows what he thinks of Mae's mothering instinct. How devilish of him!

Misinformation

Of course, the appearance of the primary characters of good vs. evil is only a part of the story. Good propaganda requires some form of misinformation. Reefer Madness is brimming with misinformation. It begins with a "foreword" that rolls past setting up the basic ideas.

"Foreword: The motion picture you are about to witness may startle you, It would not have been possible, otherwise, to sufficiently emphasize the frightful toll of the new drug menace which is destroying the youth of America in alarmingly increasing numbers. Marihuana is that drug-a violent narcotic-an unspeakable scourge-The Real Public Enemy Number One! Its first effect is sudden, violent, uncontrollable laughter; then come dangerous hallucinations-space expands, time slows down, almost stands still....fixed ideas come next, conjuring up monstrous extravagances-followed by emotional disturbances, the total inability to direct thoughts, the loss of all power to resist physical emotions...leading finally to acts of shocking violence...ending often in incurable insanity. In picturing its soul-destroying effects no attempt was made to equivocate. The scenes and incidents, while fictionalized for the purposes of this story, are based upon actual research into the results of Marihuana addiction. If their stark reality will make you think, will make you aware that something must be done to wipe out this ghastly menace, then the picture will not have failed in its purpose... Because the dread Marihuana may be reaching forth next for your son or daughter... or yours...or yours!" (Emphasis in the original.)

Form that point, things only become sillier, and much less than truthful. The first person we actually see smoking "pot" is a guy with a far out hairdo, and an interesting piano playing style. Our Bozo-haired hero finishes his tune and slips into a closet of some sort. He whips out a cigarette case, and uses the cigarette he's already smoking to light his "joint". He then begins a ritual of hot-boxing said joint while laughing and looking just a bit on the insane side. While it is clear from watching the film he's getting more smoke into his lungs through his nose than by actively inhaling it via mouth, he seems to be catching one hell of a buzz. He is my favorite character, and he doesn't speak a word! His eyes say it all!

I have been an on-and-off pot smoker for about fifteen years of my life. I have smoked some pretty amazing buds in my lifetime. However, just puffing has NEVER given me a buzz. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until my third attempt at smoking pot at age sixteen that I even felt high, and I was inhaling deeply and holding the smoke from the get-go. Considering the fact that today's weed is considerably more potent than it was in 1936, it's pretty clear there is no way the people in the film are actually getting high.

Then there's the laughing. The first effect that comes from puffing these "joints" is laughing. One or two puffs, and suddenly, everyone has the giggles. Once again, I have never had that happen to me from smoking weed. I have had it happen from taking acid, but never weed!

Then there's the murder of Mary Lane; the veritable flower of feminine innocence. She goes to the reefer den in search of her boyfriend, Jimmy Harper. Jimmy is in a back bedroom embroiled in a "tawdry love affair" with Blanche, another resident of the reefer den. Mary shows up while Jimmy and Blanche are in mid coitus. Ralph, the supreme pot addict in the story, attacks Mary. Jimmy exits Blanche's boudoir. Because he is "stoned", Jimmy thinks he is watching Mary "give" herself to Ralph. He begins to fight with Ralph. Jack tries to pistol-whip Jimmy and accidentally shoots Mary through the heart. Jimmy is framed for the murder.

Finally, there's the inevitable insanity of pot use. Due to his guilt of knowing that Jimmy is being framed, as well as his pot use, Ralph winds up going criminally insane. From shouting, "play faster," as Blanche bangs away on the piano to killing Jack with a fireplace poker, it is clear poor Ralph has lost his mind. The message is Ralph has been made insane by his use of pot. Jimmy, now acquitted of Mary's murder is ordered to stay in the courtroom to see Ralph declared innocent by reason of insanity for killing Jack. Ralph shows up looking like he just swallowed a garbage can full of Purple Jesus (acid and wine mixed in a garbage can).

From only needing to puff a joint (without inhaling) to get "high" to the onset of insane laughter to the final onset of actual "insanity", there is little truth in Reefer Madness.

About the only truth they got right in the movie is, "the munchies." Jack has a case of the munchies, which draws a snide comment from Mae. Other than that, they got it all wrong.

Propaganda relies on misinformation. Of that there can be no doubt. One need only look back through all the classical appearances of propaganda to know this is the truth. From painting Jews as the devil in Nazi Germany to painting DUBYA as a hero, without the paintbrush of misinformation, propaganda simply wouldn't exist.

But there is something more sinister behind the idea of propaganda that is clearly illustrated in the film. Simple misinformation, while damaging, doesn't carry the impact of propaganda. Propaganda is used to influence people's opinions or behaviors actively. It is not simply mis-communicating the facts about something or someone. Therefore, propaganda is far more pernicious than a simple lie, even though, lies of some sort are the substance of what makes propaganda, propaganda.

Emotional Appeal

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