Movie Reflection: Thank You for Smoking

 This was my first time watching the movie, and it made me think more than I expected. The main character in the movie is Nick Naylor, and he works as a tobacco lobbyist. Basically, his job is to defend cigarettes in public. Somehow he always wins. 

Watching this movie, I saw that being right sometimes doesn’t really matter. The interesting part is that he never mentions that cigarettes are healthy or good for you.

His strategy is to turn the conversation into something else. For example instead of just saying “Smoking is bad for you," he changes it to “People should be free to choose what they do." Now the situation changes, and it is harder to argue against him. 

We all know situations where we argue with others, for example, about politics, and the conversation just doesn't go anywhere. It feels like it's stuck. The movie showed me how powerful conversations can be, and most of the time it is not exactly about what I say but more about how I say it. 

 

I came across the word "Framing" in marketing and did some further research about it. I found an article  that is talking about what the description and psychology behind “the framing effect” are. 

 

One example they used is that “90% fat-free” sounds better than “10% fat." Even though it is the exact same thing. This is the same thing that Nick Naylor does in the movie. In the article it says that the framing effect says that people decide based on feelings. In the movie, Nick stays calm, and he sounds very confident and uses humor. This makes people trust him more. 

 Some more words I came across in the article are "Loss vs Gain framing." So I looked deeper into it and found another article going deeper into details. If we look at the example from the movie again. “Smoking can kill you” is the loss frame, and “People have the right to choose” is the gain frame. 

 

What I thought was very interesting is that they sell harmful products, but because they frame it differently, it makes it seem like it is acceptable. Alcohol ads often show fun moments and parties, not health risks. 

 

Examples: 

Alcohol -> fun and social. 

Guns -> safety and protection. 

Cigarettes -> freedom.

Just because something is legal does not mean it is right. Important to know is that companies can follow the law while still influencing people in a harmful way.

It is not just a movie; those things also happen in real life. The movie made me think about how different countries handle cigarette marketing and framing. 

In Germany cigarette packages include graphic warning images, and the goal is to shock people and show real consequences.

In the United States we often only see small text warnings. One reason for this is the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. The United States gives companies more room to frame the message, and Germany limits that by forcing the reality in front of customers. 

Watching the movie made me ask myself the question: Could I do Nick Naylor job for $100k? $200k?  My answer is probably not.

I do not smoke, and I care a lot about my health because I had to deal with health issues like pancreatitis, which make me more aware of how important health is. And I know how fast your health can change from one day to another. Promoting cigarettes would feel wrong for me, and it goes against my personal values.

 

For me, health isn't something you can just "reframe." Sometimes it is not just about the money. 

Netflix- EOTO project

 When we think of Netflix today, we think of binge-watching and watching one episode after another. But how did someone even come up with that idea, and what is the story behind it? It started with a simple problem: late fees.  

Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. The story behind it is funny-Reed Hastings was frustrated over a $40 late fee from a video rental store for a rented copy of Apollo 13. The goal was to create a more convenient and subscription-based rental system. 

The very  first DvD shipped was a copy of Beetlejuice on March 10, 1998. After that 

Netflix.com launched on April 14, 1998. We all associate Netflix with the color red, but at the beginning the DVD envelopes were actually white.

 I came across an article going more into detail about Netflix. Something I thought was interesting is that the original name, for Netflix was Kibble. It was used as a placeholder name and the story behind it is that “No matter how good the advertising, it’s not a success if the dogs don’t eat the dog food,” said Randolph. 

 

In 2007 Netflix introduced streaming, which allows us to watch anytime, anywhere, and use multi- device streaming. Netflix is available in 37+ languages and in over 190 countries worldwide. This makes it available for so many different people around the world, no matter what cultural background. 

But how did Netflix have such a big impact on our society? By releasing full seasons, it created a binge-watching culture around the world. We don't have to leave the house anymore or pay late fees. It shifted from mass broadcasting to personalized media with algorithm-driven recommendations for each user.

 Each of us has a personalized homepage. I don't know how you guys feel, but when I am watching sample TV, I tend to get really annoyed by all the advertisements and I get impatient. Netflix gave us an opportunity to consume entertainment without advertisements and on-demand digital access. 

Netflix got so popular that in 2021 Ben & Jerry's created a Netflix & Chill ice cream flavor. 

I came across another article talking about how Netflix redefined what counts as "television", and it changed the storytelling structure. Important to know is Netflix did not invent television, but it expanded and digitalized it. 

One of the first major shows Netflix published was House of Cards in 2013. It was a really huge success, and it received many Emmy nominations. For Netflix this was just a motivation to invest billions of dollars to create original content. Some other popular Netflix shows that most of us know are Squid Games and Stranger Things. 

Squid Game, for example is a non-English show and Netflix gave it the opportunity to have a worldwide success. Being an international student myself, I know that language can be a barrier. That's why the global success of Squid Games is so interesting. Squid Game showed us that good stories can still reach people everywhere around the world. It connects! 

Even though Netflix made our lives more convenient, there are also some negative effects. People spend hours watching series on Netflix, and this can lead to too much screen time.

 I did some research on this, and I found an article explaining that, for example, watching multiple episodes in a row can lead to sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and difficulties concentrating. We have to be aware of both sides
of effects from Netflix. 

What started as a small idea to solve late fee problems has now turned into one of the biggest entertainment platforms that connect millions of people around the world.