# thetruth.com - Go F\*\*\* yourselves!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 28, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304 "2002-06-28T01:09:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/21 "2002-06-28T07:09:52Z")
Gotta jump in here with a ‘Me, too!’ post. You know what? I smoke. And you know what else? I know it’s bad for me. I know cigarette smoke smells bad. I know I am running a greater risk of contracting numerous diseases due to my habit. But you know what else? I don’t care. I choose to smoke. I am a polite smoker. When it’s bothering someone, I put it out. But I will not be forced, through fear propaganda, to stop. If verified medical statistics have not stopped me, some do-gooding college kid with a beard and a fake rat is not going to stop me. I reserve the right to smoke. And every single time I see a [thetruth.com](http://thetruth.com) ad, I light up. In fact, I’m smoking right now. And I like it. So fuck you, [thetruth.com](http://thetruth.com). Fuck you straight up the rectum and into your abdominal cavity, where with luck a raging infection will take root, and you will die screaming and writhing in a pool of your own filth. Fuck you, idealistic trust-fund babies, out to save the world. Fuck you until your mother cries. Fuck you and your college campus mentality, your student-life-center propagandizing. Fuck you and your sign-toting ‘shock tactics.’ You are neither clever nor original, and I sincerely hope that all of you will contract botulism. And fuck you, **Com2Kid**. ---
**Author:** ![Com2Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Com2Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Com2Kid)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/22 "2002-06-28T07:10:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*RexDart wrote: > > It’s because, to a non-smoker, **cigarette smoke smells bad.** \*\* Amen. Smokers stink, smoker’s cloths stink, the areas that smoker’s hang out in stink, smoker’s houses stink, and when smoker’s come into your house, your house stinks for quite some time afterwards too. The walls in resturants that smoker’s inhabit stink, the restrooms used by smoker’s stink, smoker’s STINK, period. ---
**Author:** ![Com2Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Com2Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Com2Kid)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/23 "2002-06-28T07:15:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ratty \* > \*\*Gotta jump in here with a ‘Me, too!’ post. > > You know what? I smoke. And you know what else? I know it’s bad for me. I know cigarette smoke smells bad. I know I am running a greater risk of contracting numerous diseases due to my habit. But you know what else? I don’t care. I choose to smoke. I am a polite smoker. When it’s bothering someone, I put it out. But I will not be forced, through fear propaganda, to stop. If verified medical statistics have not stopped me, some do-gooding college kid with a beard and a fake rat is not going to stop me. > > I reserve the right to smoke. And every single time I see a [thetruth.com](http://thetruth.com) ad, I light up. In fact, I’m smoking right now. And I like it. > \*\* Thus raising the question; If you do not care about your own life, why should anybody else? Hell, you know what? Worlds a small place, lots of people. Smoking is such a horribly inefficient way to kill yourself, really, it is. Slow and all that, often times painful too. How about you just do us all a favor and take some high grade poison and kill yourself off nice and quick like? I mean think about it, it is really the responsible thing to do. If you do not care about your life worth a shit, then mine as well end it. After all, plenty of other people in this world who DO want to live need food, and shelter, and clothing, and all of the other resources that you are just taking up by sitting there. So hey, go on, commit suicide today, hell, you actually already are, just look at this is a bit more of a direct path to the same ends. If you don’t give a shit about your life, why bother? (the alternative argument being that smoking is irresponsible since it can often times end up consuming vast quantifies of resources in the resulting cancer treatments and other treatments needed in medical problems that are caused by smoking. ) ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/24 "2002-06-28T07:21:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Com2Kid \* > \*\* > The walls in resturants that smoker’s inhabit stink, the restrooms used by smoker’s stink, smoker’s STINK, period. \*\* I’ve been to clubs and restaurants with a ground-in smoke smell, but I’ve apparently been fortunate enough to meet smokers of the class who_bathe_ and use _detergent_. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/25 "2002-06-28T07:25:24Z")
> [@](#): > > the alternative argument being that smoking is irresponsible since it can often times end up consuming vast quantifies of resources in the resulting cancer treatments and other treatments needed in medical problems that are caused by smoking. Since the health nazis are jumping on the bandwagon to twist that around to ban McDonalds, lets just drop that argument before it starts. And the only ads dumber than Truth\* are by JEL, aka Just Eliminate Lies, Iowa’s own mini-Truth\*, but so pathetic that you just want to shoot your TV and move to Yap. ---
**Author:** ![Com2Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Com2Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Com2Kid)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/26 "2002-06-28T07:35:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\* > > Since the health nazis are jumping on the bandwagon to twist that around to ban McDonalds, lets just drop that argument before it starts. > > \*\* On the flip side, anybody who tries to take away my fatty foods will have the living shnitz kicked out of them. 😃 😃 😃 (no it doesn’t mesh with what else I have said, but I gotta draw the line someplace, I just draw it a few feet futher back then most. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/27 "2002-06-28T07:40:09Z")
Yeah, I agree that those ads are pretty lame. My personal umm favorite is the one that points out that dog-poop contains certain components that are also contained in cigarettes. So what?!? What’s really sad is that it’s such a total waste of money. I doubt they’ve convinced more than 100 people to not start smoking. IMHO, a much better approach would be to show images of dumpy, unnatractive uncool people smoking cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/28 "2002-06-28T07:43:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Great way to encourage people not to start smoking either. I know at least five people who have started to smoke _because_ of the Truth ads. Hell, I was almost one of 'em. Face it, Chuckles, anal-retentiveness and self-righteousness is NOT the way to get their information across. The Truth ads are just about as dishonest as the Tobacco companies ever were… just because they’ve jumped on the PC bandwagon, that somehow makes it better? ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Earthworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Dirty\_Earthworm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Earthworm)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/29 "2002-06-28T08:00:36Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by lucwarm_\*\* > My personal umm favorite is the one that points out that dog-poop contains certain components that are also contained in cigarettes. So what?!? \*\* Iced tea contains water. Dog urine contains water. BAN ICED TEA! :rolleyes: -Dirty ---
**Author:** ![sirjamesp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@sirjamesp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirjamesp)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/30 "2002-06-28T08:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Com2Kid \* > So hey, go on, commit suicide today, hell, you actually already are, just look at this is a bit more of a direct path to the same ends. Smokers aren’t doing something that _will_ kill them - they are doing something that _may_ kill them. That’s an important distinction. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/31 "2002-06-28T09:10:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Iced tea contains water. Dog urine contains water. Not only that, but water can kill you if you inhale it. Further, if it gets on the brakes of your car, it can reduce their effectiveness. And not only that, but traces of water have been found in cancers in the human body! Clearly, water is the greatest threat to life on Earth and must be eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/32 "2002-06-28T10:13:28Z")
> [@](#): > > no it doesn’t mesh with what else I have said, but I gotta draw the line someplace, I just draw it a few feet futher back then most. You mean right at the point where it starts affecting _your_ lifestyle choices? Well, imagine that. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/33 "2002-06-28T11:30:28Z")
If I remeber right one of the truth.coms finicinal\ supporters is the lorilliard tobbaco company I think Its set up among the tobbaco companies becuase of the lawsuit Sort of like all the beer companies making a group and talking about the dangers of booze and drunk driving ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/34 "2002-06-28T13:10:24Z")
I read somewhere not too long ago that a recent poll showed thetruth ads were remarkably ineffective. Funny enough, the ads that feature “Lumpy” (I can’t remember who sponsors them) actually work. That’s 'cause those ads tell kids that their breath is gonna stink, girls (and boys) won’t wanna kiss them, they’ll be broke, their teeth’ll be nasty yellow, etc. I did a happy little “take that, thetruth!” dance when I read that one. Unfortunately, I can’t for the life of me remember where I read that or when it was, so I can’t provide a cite and therefore can’t provide concrete evidence, dagnabbit. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/35 "2002-06-28T13:41:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aguecheek \* > \*\*I read somewhere not too long ago that a recent poll showed thetruth ads were remarkably ineffective. > \*\* [Wrong](http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2002-05-29-youth-smoking.htm). Keep in mind that this study was paid for by the same foundation that produces the ads. However, there are no other studies of the efficacy of the “truth” ads that I’m aware of. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/36 "2002-06-28T13:57:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nightshadea \* > \*\* > I think Its set up among the tobbaco companies becuase of the lawsuit > \*\* Which to the more conspiratorially-minded among us may bring up this scenario: - The lawsuit settlement requires Tobaccorp to fund a mega-bux campaign against smoking… -…so they fund the group that showed up with the most annoying, self-defeating proposal. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/37 "2002-06-28T14:14:16Z")
Thing is, I think that these ads are targeting teenagers, not adults. And their basic message is this, near as I can tell: > [@](#): > > Smoking makes you a fucking corporate stooge, dude. Don’t be such a sucker for The Man. Tobacco companies are evil, greedy folks, and if you give them your money, you’re contributing to that. Look at us cool edgy college kids, playing pranks and sticking it to the man. We’re kickass and funny, and you can choose to be like us or like the corporate fools who smoke. This, as compared to the message of ads put out by the tobacco companies themselves: > [@](#): > > Hey, kids. Don’t smoke. Smoking is something that adults do, not that little kids do. Plus, grownups don’t want you to smoke, so if you smoke, it’s a sure sign that you’re a rebel. Oh, did I mention that goody two-shoes kids don’t smoke? You know, the kind of kids that do ballet dancing and act as role models for younger kids? If you want to be a goody two-shoes, you better not let me see you with a cigarette in your mouth! Given the target audience, I’d guess that TheTruth ads are effective. Sure, they exaggerate. They use misleading statistics. They demonize their opposiiton. They use all sorts of propaganda tools. They simplify the health risks. But I bet they’re effective with their target audience. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/38 "2002-06-28T14:34:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beagledave \* > \*\*[Wrong](http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2002-05-29-youth-smoking.htm). > > Keep in mind that this study was paid for by the same foundation that produces the ads. However, there are no other studies of the efficacy of the “truth” ads that I’m aware of. \*\* Crap. I think that’s the one I was reading. Which only begs the question: what the hell was _ **I** _ smoking?!? And, apparently, have been smoking since I read the goddamned thing? Huh. Mea culpa. My apologies to anyone who read my previous post. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/39 "2002-06-28T14:49:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DanielWithrow \* > \*\* > Given the target audience, I’d guess that TheTruth ads are effective. Sure, they exaggerate. They use misleading statistics. They demonize their opposiiton. They use all sorts of propaganda tools. They simplify the health risks. > > But I bet they’re effective with their target audience. > Daniel \*\* Exactly. We could have a reasonable debate about whether it’s “OK” to mislead, use sloppy science or use “over the top” techniques to communicate the message, but I think that Daniel is right about the target audience. Contrast the truth ads with the Philip Morris “just say no” ads and consider which ads might be received more favorably by the target audience of teens. In spite of the selective anecdotal stories here (oh gee weez, I ran out and bought a carton of Camels to **protest** these ads ), I suspect that they make more an impact than other types of ads. FWIW…I think a better alternative is what is done in my state. The “Just Eliminate Lies” campaign has billboards that direct the viewer to their [web site](http://www.jeliowa.org/). ---
**Author:** ![airdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@airdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/airdisc)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304/40 "2002-06-28T14:59:03Z")
As much as I hate smoking, I have to agree. The Truth ads are fucking obnoxious, and I’m sure if some independent group did a study, they’d find a rise in smoking since the airing of those ads. Although I do suspect that the tobacco companies are making these ads as horrible as possible, just to make non-smoking look bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thetruth-com-go-f-yourselves/116304.md?page=3)