Angry at Warner Brothers over images of cigarettes in the comedy He's Just Not That Into You, an arm of the American
Medical Association is demanding that the studio step up policing of tobacco images on screen. The association is chaffed at
the "images of specific cigarette brands in this youth-rated movie."
Among other things, the group wants Warner publicly to certify that it received no payment for the product placement and is
asking all Hollywood studios to ban filmmakers from showing specific tobacco brands in their work. "There is zero artistic
justification for this," Melissa Walthers of the medical association said. The film which has garnered more than US $100
million in tickets worldwide since its release in early February does not depict anyone smoking, and there is a prominent
story line placing cigarettes in a negative light. But there are shots of Natural American Spirit Lights in the movie,
identifiable by their bright yellow box.
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