A question about a commercal on the 1961 Nationals DVD.

[FSWer]

Say,in 1 on the Black and White commercals on that DVD., there is a Pair Team smoking to advotize a cigerite. Does anyone know who they are? I seriously hope those are just actors. Are they still around btw.? I was just wondering.

Say,while I'm at it...does anyone know who the guy commentating with Dick Button is on that DVD,...and what has become of him? Thanks.

[Rob]

Sandra Loosemore says in her review of the coverage that the smoking skater were pro skaters, but she does not name them. http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/a...ationals.shtml


This wiki entry says that the guy with Dick was Bud Palmer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Un..._Championships
Bud was a former pro basketball player turned sports caster. Here is an interview with him.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/sp...nds.html?fta=y

[FSWer]

Sandra Loosemore says in her review of the coverage that the smoking skater were pro skaters, but she does not name them. http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/a...ationals.shtml


This wiki entry says that the guy with Dick was Bud Palmer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Un..._Championships
Bud was a former pro basketball player turned sports caster. Here is an interview with him.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/sp...nds.html?fta=y

How could they let Pro. Skaters get away with smoking in a commercal? BTW. did they smoke...or just for the ad? Does anyone know if Bud is till alive? If so..what's he doing now?

[overedge]

How could they let Pro. Skaters get away with smoking in a commercal?

People smoked on TV all the time in the 1950s and 1960s, not just in commercials.

Does anyone know if Bud is till alive? If so..what's he doing now?

Being retired, I would guess. Wikipedia says he was born in 1921.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Palmer

[FSWer]

People smoked on TV all the time in the 1950s and 1960s, not just in commercials.



Being retired, I would guess. Wikipedia says he was born in 1921.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Palmer

I'm surprised though that the USFSA. didn't ban their Skaters from Smoking. Even in the 60's.

[VALuvsMKwan]

I'm surprised though that the USFSA. didn't ban their Skaters from Smoking. Even in the 60's.

Times were different then and smoking in most parts of society was considered acceptable and sometimes normal for adults.

Attitudes towards smoking have changed greatly in the last 50 years.

[Sasha'sSpins]

I'm surprised though that the USFSA. didn't ban their Skaters from Smoking. Even in the 60's.

There still was just not that much of a 'fear factor', just wasn't the stigma that's attached to it in modern times. It was still not considered politically incorrect for athletes (or doctors!) to be filmed smoking. As I mentioned in another thread the late Jacqueline Kennedy was photographed heavily pregnant (with the child she would eventually lose) smoking away on a cigarette. Today, modern eyes would be shocked, very concerned at such an image of a celebrity. Back then no one apparently thought anything of it.

[Skittl1321]

I'm surprised though that the USFSA. didn't ban their Skaters from Smoking. Even in the 60's.

There is no reason to ban people from doing something that isn't perceived as bad.

That would be like 60 years from now us finding out that tomato soup is bad for you, and wondering why USFSA didn't ban Michelle Kwan from advertising for Campbells. Because when she didn't there was nothing wrong with tomato soup (I doubt there ever will be...)

Not only did almost everyone smoke (hospitals even had smoking rooms), it wasn't entirely clear it was bad for you (there are some advertisements that say it is -good- for the lungs, because it helps you take a real deep breathe...they just didn't know.) In the 50s and 60s research was just starting to link smoking with cancer, and then people switched to filtered cigarettes thinking it would solve the problem (it didn't),

Here are some ads: http://www.time.com/time/photogaller...777633,00.html
Even doctors were in advertisements, not just skaters.

[berthesghost]

There is still no ban on smoking today. It's just that most athletes both then and now are aren't stupid enough to smoke. It ruins your training quite noticeably.

There was a known link between cancer and smoking nearly a half century before this ad aired. But the cigarette companies spent big $$$ on getting even more people hooked as it is highly addictive and quitting is hell.

[FSWer]

There is still no ban on smoking today. It's just that most athletes both then and now are aren't stupid enough to smoke. It ruins your training quite noticeably.

There was a known link between cancer and smoking nearly a half century before this ad aired. But the cigarette companies spent big $$$ on getting even more people hooked as it is highly addictive and quitting is hell.

Betherghost,you have the right idea to what shocks me about that commercal. Even if people did smoke a lot in the era. Athleetes and smoking. Even in commercals..there's something wrong.

[Sasha'sSpins]

There is still no ban on smoking today. It's just that most athletes both then and now are aren't stupid enough to smoke. It ruins your training quite noticeably.

There was a known link between cancer and smoking nearly a half century before this ad aired. But the cigarette companies spent big $$$ on getting even more people hooked as it is highly addictive and quitting is hell.

Oh athletes can be stupid alright. I've read that Tonya Harding smoked when she competed even though she has asthma, as well as other Olympic athletes-like Michael Phelps although it wasn't cigarettes... I also remember some scandal about male U.S. gymnasts testing positive for cannabis. Also snowboarders, and so on. Well they've got to inhale just like with cigarettes.