Reality Check to Hollywood: Shame on you

Christina Hodges, director of Delaware County Reality Check, said the youth-led movement against Big Tobacco is celebrating the culmination of a five-month, statewide initiative titled "Hollywood and Big Tobacco: Headed for a Breakup."

The anti-tobacco group, with representatives from 17 counties, will stage its "mock Oscar" presentation, complete with a red carpet and formal dress at the Crown Plaza beginning at 6 p.m.

"I have never seen so many glittery dresses," Hodges said. "They will all be totally dressed in Hollywood glitz and glam."

Hodges said the 30 members of Delaware County's Reality Check put a lot of time and effort into getting the word out to the public concerning the relationship Hollywood has with tobacco companies.

Kaity Francisco, 17, a junior at Walton Central School, is one of the students who will go to Albany for the event, which will culminate in a dance.

Francisco said she is wearing a black dress and is looking forward to the opportunity to mingle with all the other people who have been working on the statewide initiative.

Francisco said the group has been focusing on the role tobacco plays in movies. The group has screened a range of motion pictures and discovered that tobacco products are often seen on the screen, she said.

"It's good to teach people how tobacco companies are manipulating people with product placement," Francisco said. "A lot of teen movies have smoking, but most of the smoking in movies is in films that are rated G or PG-13, and it's proven that kids who see smoking in the movies are most likely to smoke."

Francisco, who said she wants to go to medical school to become a pediatrician, got involved with Reality Check after attending a few of its events.

Hodges said a lot of the group's activities are fun, but there is also a lot of work involved. She said the 30 core members active in the Delaware County Reality Check are from Walton, Delhi and South Kortright. She said she is looking to start groups in Downsville and Sidney.

Hodges said the group has spent hours watching movies, learning to spot the various products prominently placed throughout them.

"We are raising awareness about the amount of smoking in movies," Hodges said.

She said the group, in conjunction with other groups statewide, has waged mail campaigns targeting stars such as Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt for smoking in their movies.

"We think that if you are a good enough actor, you can appear tough or cool or nervous or sexy without using cigarettes," Hodges said.

Hodges said the tobacco companies know the best way to attract new smokers is through product placement.

"We hold 'stomps,' in which we watch a movie and do things like stomp our feet or shoot silly string or clap every time we spot a product placement," Hodges said. "Some of the kids have told me they will never watch a movie the same way again."

———

Patricia Breakey can be reached at (607) 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.