The Great American Hacking Cough

Marlboro, a brand of cigarette made by Philip Morris USA and produced mainly within the US, capitalizes on American nationalism in its advertisements, which are now infamous for featuring masculine Marlboro Men as rugged cowboys with no concerns or responsibilities (only cigarettes...and maybe a horse.) Though all three of the original Marlboro Men died of lung cancer, the campaign is considered one of the most brilliant and successful of all time.



And while these ads may appear to only appeal to American audiences, selling the wild western way of life that seems to be disappearing as technology encroaches upon our existence, the Marlboro Man sells cigarettes to smokers all across Europe and in the East, including Japan, where a large percentage of the male population smokes. Images of rugged cowboys at once reinforce the stereotype of America as a land of freedom, horses, and denim - already shoved into international psyche through the endless film and music texts that engender such a depiction - and offer the American way of life to those outside the nation, implying that even those who are unconnected to the culture can still benefit from the kick-ass-ness of cigarette-smoking cowboys.


(Marlboro advertisement in the Czech Republic)

Indeed, cultural imperialism comes not only in the form of coffee and fast-food, but tobacco. Still, Marlboro has received significantly less 'slack' for its international endeavors, somehow excused from the criticism that McDonalds experiences. This may relate to the subtle nature of Marlboro, which does not have glowing arches and slips easily into the pockets or bags of smokers rather than dripping in a logo-covered paper bag, or the fact that Europeans were smoking cigarettes before Marloboro came along: McDonalds introduced ultra-cheap, ultra-quick, ultra-oily food to cultures that were accustomed to well-prepared, time-consuming, health-conscious meals. Hence, we see cultural imperialism as a non-issue when it comes to already established cultural practices. In other words, keep smoking that American cigarette, foreigners: you'd be puffing on tobacco either way.