WHO research shows.
And why wouldn’t
What Would
they? In the Hollywoodt
portrayal of marijuana use, portr
Gekko Think?
tthere is rarely any negative here
cconsequence for getting high.onseq
WitnWitness the wildly popular e
COMMENTARY
HaroHarold & Kumarld fi lms that tar-
geget teenagers.t tee
MoreMore TThe fihe rst, Harold & Kumar
often thanoften than Go tGo to White Castleo , essential- A
FAMOUS AD CAMPAIGN ONCE
featured Robert Young, who
played the little-screen role of
not, marijuana isnot, marijuana is lly a movie about getting they a m Marcus Welby, M.D., saying, “I’m not a
played for laughs, played for laughs, rreefer-induced munchies, madeeefer- doctor, but I play one on TV.”
such as the scene in just $18 million in theaters in Back in the 1980s, Sissy Spacek,
The 40-Year-Old Virgin in which 2004 but earned four times that Jane Fonda, and Sally Field appeared
Steve Carell’s pals casually pass amount on DVD — hence this before the House Agriculture
some weed around and con- year’s sequel, Harold & Kumar Committee to speak about the plight of
vince Carell’s virginal character Escape from Guantanamo Bay. American farmers. Their
to indulge. That fi lm goes out of its way expertise? All had played
That same team of fi lm- to portray the primary protago- farm wives in fi lms.
makers was behind Pineapple nists as the ones who object to Our current woes have
Express, this year’s hit movie smoking dope, while the pot reporters seeking celebrity
about a carefree dealer of a rare smokers are depicted as heroic. advice for fi nancial
strain of marijuana who is sud- The exception, if you can call it solutions.
GES
denly being pursued by a mur- that, is the fl ick’s President Bush Although Michael
TY IMA derous drug lord. character, who turns out to be a Douglas is no biz whiz,
GET
The constant portrayal in regular guy — but only after
JAMES
he has played one in
movies and TV shows of cool smoking weed with Harold and
HIRSEN’S
the movies. That was
dope smokers — in some cases Kumar and then cussing out his apparently enough for
T
ON ARCHIVE/
contrasted with nerdy nontok- dad, former President George
LEFT COAST
reporters to seek his sage
ers — probably has had a more- H.W. Bush. stage advice.
powerful effect on America’s Curiously, the DVD features Douglas starred in the 1987 Oliver
T
OCK / REEFER/HUL children than has the “Just a public service announcement Stone fi lm, Wall Street, a role for which
Say No” campaign champi- just prior to the start of the he was awarded an Oscar for Best
SUPERS
oned by Nancy Reagan in the movie, warning people not of Actor. Gordon Gekko, the character he
1980s. More than 125 million the dangers of marijuana but of portrayed in the fl ick, was a corporate
MARIJUANA/ people regularly smoke pot, tobacco products. takeover artist best known for his
catchphrase, “Greed is good.”
While in a recent press conference
‘REEFER MADNESS’
to promote the idea of a new treaty to
ban the testing of nuclear weapons,
committing suicide, raping women, and forgotten until Keith Stroup, founder of Douglas was asked, “Are you saying,
killing their friends because NORML (National Organization
Gordon, that greed is not good?”
they’d smoked some weed. for the Reform of Marijuana
“I’m not saying that,” the actor
The producer recut the Laws), discovered it in 1971.
movie and changed its title to Stroup, recognizing the
replied. “And my name is not Gordon.
Reefer Madness, intending to hilarity of the over-the-top
He’s a character I played 20 years ago.”
distribute it as a cheap, campy characters and plot, bought Douglas was quick to straighten out
comedy. a print for $297 and began
the issues of his real name and the big-
Reefer Madness was a failure, showing the fi lm to college
screen time frame, but interestingly,
though, despite being reissued students.
under at least four different Alas, the church-fi nanced
still up in the air is the question of
titles, including Doped Youth movie meant to discourage pot
whether greed is good.
and The Burning Question.
HIGH CAMP The
smoking has since become a If it could, Congress would be
Eventually, the fi lm fell into
1936 fl op became
cult favorite of stoners from
begging Robert Young to make a
the public domain and was a ’70s cult classic. coast to coast. — P.B.
House call right about now.
AP IMAGES / ISTOCKPHOTO / © 2008 JUPITERIMAGES CORP.
DECEMBER 2008 / NEWSMAX 17
0016_NF_Showbiz.indd 1716_NF_Showbiz.indd 17 111/6/08 6:00:33 PM1/6/08 6:00:33 PM
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