Stoner stereotypes have been around for decades, since the days of the classic ‘Cheech and Chong’ flicks, and even before. A new study conducted by New York-based strategic research agency Miner and Company indicates that legal cannabis users are ready to see various forms of the entertainment they consume shred the tired pothead trope.
Of the 800 participants in the survey, 77% of them are employed full-time and earn an annual salary of $75,000. About three quarters of the participants were either married or in a long-term relationship, and also had children. These figures are obviously a small sample size, but clearly an indication that Hollywood and other entertainment behemoths need to get with the times, and stop portraying cannabis consumers as losers and buffoons, baked out of their minds, too incompetent to function in the real world. Netflix recently canceled its series ‘Disjointed’, which was chock full of stoner stereotypes, with a few positive industry characters sprinkled in. It’s not clear if this is the reason why Netflix canceled the series, but it wouldn’t be much of a surprise.
“Media has played an incredibly important role in the societal acceptance of cannabis consumption, but there’s still work to do,” Robert Miner, president of Miner & Co. Studio, said in a statement. “The same recognizable trope of the harmless silly stoner that drove normalization has now become an impediment to acceptance for productive and engaged consumers of cannabis.”
Of the 800 survey participants, about 8 out of 10 feel that cannabis consumption in TV shows should be no different than seeing a character consume an alcoholic beverage.
“TV and media in general have played a role in reinforcing these perceptions,” Miner said. “When a character on a show drinks, they aren’t presented as an out of control drunk – but consumption of cannabis in any amount far too consistently turns that character into a zoned out, bumbling stoner.”
Because of this outdated stigma still placed on cannabis consumers, many of those who don’t partake might still place similar judgments on those who responsibly enjoy the plant medicine.
“Recreational consumers feel concern that non-consumers of cannabis will take them less seriously and question their judgment,” Miner added.
One show that comes to mind that actually tended to break the mold of the age-old stoner stereotype was the Showtime series ‘Weeds’, which spanned 8 seasons from 2005-2012. While the show had its share of other stereotypes, at least it portrayed some cannabis users as wealthy professionals who happened to have a goofy side – my personal favorite of which being Councilman Doug, played by Kevin Nealon.
What are some shows or movies that you appreciate for their more accurate portrayal of responsible cannabis consumers? Let us know in the comments.
Agreed. Cheech y Chong have done a lot of harm to cannabis’ acceptance and legitimacy worldwide.
I can’t stand either one of those two idiots.
I personally disagree but we are all entitled to. Cannabis has always been a medicine at heart as it was years ago for spiritual or personal/physical healing when used in medicines in 1800-early 1900s. Cheech and Chong are a massive reason why legalization even occurred. I am a MMJ patient and love/live the Cannabis Culture and will never stop promoting it. If the dye shirts, glass art, music like Cypress Hill or Snoop Dogg or Mendo Dope, Berner etc about getting high, and comedy like say Doug Benson and other comedians or movies like Super Troopers, Grandmas House, Harold and Kumar, Big Lebowski etc stopped or ceased to exist it would be horrible.
There are plenty of movies AND COMMERCIALS showing DRUNKS drinking for fun, on a beach, or at a party. Alcohol is the devil and one of the worst poisons you cn put into your body, and people glamorize it with at most a bullshit message saying “drink responsibly” when it’s irresponsible to drink in the first place. Drinks are shown like in the Drew Carey Show, Cocktail the Tom Cruise movie, and others as reasons to get together and get trashed with of course feeling shitty(after you poison your body it’s going to) the next day. Many times at colleges and backyards. Or adults gathering together and drinking playing cards or dancing you name it.
You cannot take away the Cannabis Culture and I will fight tooth and nail to keep it as a part of society. Movies that are comedies such as the ones listed or Pineapple Express, Ted, or Ted 2 are all great and enjoyable and show the culture in a humerous manner. People stumble and bumble out of bars and shit all the time.
Now a commercial for example showing someone half consious slurring their words, yelling and being belligerent then getting into a car and driving into a tree then getting out and attacking someone than a message “this is you on booze” should pop up. Now THAT would be more accurate than attacking a culture.
People smoking cannabis casually and acting normal is reality, but so is smoking in a room with drippy posters and drawings with many bongs around and such and with smoke filling up the room and people eating food, laughing, and enjoying themselves.
I can understand why someone would want stereotypes to be lessened. But go away completely is nonsense. Some people enjoy it. I do. Don’t use it all the time and showing people lighting up as if or while they are drinking a coffee should be normalized.