Delving into the 'It's Gay to Smoke' Advertisement
Was the Statement 'It's Gay to Smoke' Attributed to the CDC within This Footage?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was alleged to have distributed a visual recording proclaiming, "It's gay to smoke."
During the second week of April in 2021, a visual recording circulated on TikTok, asserting it displayed an anti-smoking public service announcement (PSA) featuring the declaration, "It's gay to smoke." At the footage's conclusion, an assertion was made: "Presented by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
An Examination of the TikTok Footage
The TikTok recording initiated by posing the question, "Could you show me an advertisement that would not be deemed appropriate in today's society?" Subsequently, the footage depicted a recording device aimed directly at a display, which was actively playing the particular "It's gay to smoke" segment.
Within the alleged public service announcement, a pair of adolescent males are seen exchanging smiles while situated in a school's main corridor. They then proceed to approach one another, their faces nearly making contact. Subsequently, both individuals retreat into the entrance of a restroom, ensuring no other persons are present within the vicinity.
One of the adolescent males then whispers something softly into the ear of the other. With their hands positioned in close proximity, the boy who had just whispered then extracts several cigarettes from his trouser pocket. Following this, the pair proceeds to enter the restroom facilities.
A disembodied voice poses the question: "Are they engaged in the act of smoking, or are they gay?"
This marks the conclusion of the TikTok visual recording.
Immediately after the phrase "It's gay to smoke" appears, a reference to the CDC is presented.
Examining the Source YouTube Footage
It is important to note that this content did not constitute an authentic public service announcement (PSA) originating from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The individual operating the TikTok account deliberately aimed a recording device at a display monitor in order to present the short segment. Evidently, this person took precautions to avoid disclosing that the source material was, in fact, footage being displayed in full-screen mode, originating from The Onion's official YouTube channel.
To articulate this differently, given that The Onion functions as a publication primarily known for its satirical content, the public service announcement (PSA) in question fundamentally began as a piece of satire.
Understanding the Authentic Footage
The Onion's humorous digital footage had been originally published over a decade prior, specifically in the year 2010. This content had accumulated viewership approaching 2.9 million instances. Concurrently, within a period of fewer than seven days, the TikTok visual recording garnered viewership exceeding 3.4 million instances.
The authentic footage visibly featured the specific "Today Now!" emblem situated in its lower-left quadrant. However, this particular emblem was not discernible within the TikTok visual, primarily due to an individual having positioned a recording device quite closely to the display screen while capturing the footage.
To summarize the findings, the alleged public service announcement (PSA) attributed to the CDC, which purportedly asserted "it's gay to smoke," fundamentally had its genesis as a piece of satirical content from The Onion.