Smoking Cartoon Characters Disney Wants Us To Forget
Ever since its founding, Hollywood as had a unique relationship with the tobacco industry. While today it keeps these ties under wraps, American film producers have always been close to tobacco. From the 1920’s to 1950’s, most film advertisements came from tobacco companies. Smoking was so popular that a majority of Hollywood stars had tobacco advertising contracts. Between the 50’s and 70’s, tobacco companies started backing TV dramas and placing products all over TV.
While this seemed like the perfect partnership, one law caused this relationship to go up in smoke. Once smoking advertisements were banned in the U.S. in 1971, smoking within TV dramas dropped 70%. The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement took the law a step further by prohibiting tobacco products in entertainment accessible to kids. Even though many of these demands are reasonable, it's impossible for Hollywood to completely erase its ties with the tobacco industry.
To showcase how drastically things have changed, we compiled a list of famous cartoons whose characters smoked cigars. These films were the staple of an era, and to this day they are being remade to cater to new generations. These timeless classics offer a glimpse into a different world. Cigars are an inescapable part of our culture, so discover which films Disney is trying to erase!
Top Cigar Smoking Cartoon Characters
Character #3: Hercules – Unlike the other entries on this list, Hercules smoked a cigar on screen within the last three decades. In this iconic film Hercules hurriedly smokes a cigar to its last remnants, which causes an explosion of fire. This was done in 1997, right before the Master Settlement Agreement took effect. It will undoubtedly be the last time an animated main character smokes a cigar, so enjoy its novelty!
Character #2: Captain Hook – In many ways, this villain took Peter Pan to the next level with his outlandish behavior. On top of being the perfect antagonist, Captain Hook added some much needed flair to the film. One of the traits he was most known for was smoking cigars. Captain Hook loved cigars so much that he had a cigar holder that allowed him smoke two sticks at once. This impressive dedication easily put him on this list.
Character #1: Pinocchio – Out of all the characters who dabbled with cigars, none are more beloved than Pinocchio. This rebellious runaway got a taste of his first cigar after being shipped off to Treasure Island. No other character captured our hearts like Pinocchio, so review the original film to see him indulge in alcohol, cigars & gambling!