View source for Tobacco (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver)

{{Short description|HBO news satire television episode}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series       = [[Last Week Tonight with John Oliver]]
| image        = 
| alt          = 
| caption      = 
| season       = 2
| episode      = 2 (segment)
| director     = 
| writer       = 
| airdate      = {{Start date|2015|02|15}}
| length       = 18 minutes
| presenter    = [[John Oliver]]
| guests       = 
| prev         = 
| next         = 
| episode_list = List of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver episodes
}}

"'''Tobacco'''" is a segment of the [[HBO]] news satire television series ''[[Last Week Tonight with John Oliver]]'' about the [[tobacco industry]]. It first aired on February 15, 2015, as part of the second episode of the series' second season. During the eighteen-minute segment, comedian [[John Oliver]] discusses tobacco industry trends and practices.

Toward the end of the segment, Oliver introduces Jeff the Diseased Lung, a mascot he created for the American global cigarette and tobacco company [[Philip Morris International]], the makers of [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro]] cigarettes. The [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] diseased lung, who smokes and coughs, has been compared to [[Joe Camel]] and the [[Marlboro Man]]. Oliver and his team promoted the cartoon character by sending shirts with Jeff's image to [[Togo]] and displaying billboards in [[Uruguay]], and by encouraging use of the [[hashtag]] #JeffWeCan, which trended on [[Twitter]] following the broadcast.

After the segment, Philip Morris issued a response that received some criticism. The "Tobacco" segment received widespread media coverage, with several outlets praising Oliver's ability to launch successful marketing campaigns and change perceptions about smoking through the creation of the mascot. The Jeff caricature was later used at a May 2015 protest organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in [[New York City]].

==Description==
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|video1=[http://www.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver/episodes/02/26-february-15-2015/index.html ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'': Season 2 Episode 26] on [[HBO]]
|video2={{YouTube|id=6UsHHOCH4q8|title=''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'': Tobacco (HBO)}}
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"Tobacco", an eighteen-minute segment about the [[tobacco industry]], was delivered by [[John Oliver (comedian)|John Oliver]] on February 15, 2015, during the second episode of ''[[Last Week Tonight with John Oliver|Last Week Tonight]]''{{'s}} second season.<ref>{{cite news|last=McDonald|first=Andy|title=John Oliver Lights Up The Tobacco Industry And Their International Legal Shenanigans|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/16/john-oliver-tobacco-last-week-tonight-video_n_6692270.html|access-date=January 20, 2016|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=February 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213191612/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/16/john-oliver-tobacco-last-week-tonight-video_n_6692270.html|archive-date=February 13, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Tovey 2015">{{cite news|last=Tovey|first=Josephine|title=John Oliver highlights Australia's cigarette plain packaging laws, introduces new tobacco mascot 'Jeff the Diseased Lung'|issn=0312-6315|oclc=226369741|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/john-oliver-highlights-australias-cigarette-plain-packaging-laws-introduces-new-tobacco-mascot-jeff-the-diseased-lung-20150217-13gjl3.html|access-date=January 20, 2016|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]|date=February 17, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112154627/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/john-oliver-highlights-australias-cigarette-plain-packaging-laws-introduces-new-tobacco-mascot-jeff-the-diseased-lung-20150217-13gjl3.html|archive-date=January 12, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Oliver introduces the topic of [[tobacco smoking]] by showing video clips of "trusted newsmen, cartoon characters, and cowboys in TV commercials" who are smoking cigarettes.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UsHHOCH4q8|title=Tobacco|date=February 15, 2015|publisher=[[HBO]]|via=[[YouTube]]|last=Oliver|first=John|author-link=John Oliver|access-date=August 16, 2016|df=mdy-all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812125118/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UsHHOCH4q8|archive-date=August 12, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> He says that the cowboy in the clip is [[Marlboro Man]], a figure used in [[Tobacco advertising|advertising]] campaigns for [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro]] cigarettes, and notes that four of the actors portraying Marlboro Man have died from [[lung cancer]] or [[Health effects of tobacco|smoking-related illnesses]].<ref name=Inquisitr>{{cite web|title=The Marlboro Man Has Been Replaced: Meet Jeff, the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/1848782/the-marlboro-man-has-been-replaced-meet-jeff-the-diseased-lung-in-a-cowboy-hat-video/|website=[[The Inquisitr]]|date=February 17, 2015|access-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223051659/http://www.inquisitr.com/1848782/the-marlboro-man-has-been-replaced-meet-jeff-the-diseased-lung-in-a-cowboy-hat-video/|archive-date=December 23, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=Grisham>{{cite news|last=Grisham|first=Lori|title=John Oliver's Marlboro mascot idea? 'Jeff the Diseased Lung|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/02/17/john-oliver-marlboro-diseased-lung/23572447/|access-date=November 25, 2015|work=[[USA Today]]|date=February 18, 2015|issn=0734-7456|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031211619/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/02/17/john-oliver-marlboro-diseased-lung/23572447/|archive-date=October 31, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/> Oliver says that cigarette smoking is no longer as prevalent in the United States because of, among other things, mandatory [[Tobacco packaging warning messages#United States|warnings on all cigarette boxes]] and a ban on TV advertisements for cigarettes.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/> The comedian says that tobacco executives adamantly refused to acknowledge the potential drawbacks to smoking, despite strong evidence to prove these drawbacks. He shows a video of [[Joseph Cullman]], the former CEO of the tobacco company [[Philip Morris International]] (PMI), saying that "some women would prefer having smaller babies" in response to a reporter's comment that pregnant women who smoke will give birth to smaller babies as a result.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/><ref>For a reference for the quote, see:
* {{cite web | last=Kaufman | first=Michael T. | title=Joseph F. Cullman 3rd, Who Made Philip Morris a Tobacco Power, Dies at 92 | website=The New York Times | date=2004-05-01 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/01/business/joseph-f-cullman-3rd-who-made-philip-morris-a-tobacco-power-dies-at-92.html | access-date=2017-12-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206074606/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/01/business/joseph-f-cullman-3rd-who-made-philip-morris-a-tobacco-power-dies-at-92.html | archive-date=December 6, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref> Even so, the restrictions on smoking advertisements contributed to a decline in smoking rates among American adults, as only 18% of adults smoked in 2014, compared to 43% of adults in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/full-report.pdf#page=6|title=The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress|publisher=[[United States Department of Health and Human Services]]|website=[[Surgeon General of the United States|surgeongeneral.gov]]|date=2014|access-date=December 4, 2017|page=PDF p. 6|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202092549/http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/full-report.pdf#page=6|archive-date=December 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/>

Oliver then shows a clip of a tobacco farmer saying, "This is the best time ever to be a tobacco farmer." The comedian says that while American smoking rates have gone down, smoking rates in the rest of the world have gone up.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/> He displays a [[viral video]] of a chain smoking baby in [[Indonesia]]<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/> who reportedly threw tantrums when he did not get to smoke.<ref>{{cite web | title=Dad says smoking toddler is 'addicted' | website=MSNBC | date=2010-05-26 | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37358195/ns/health-childrens_health/t/dad-says-smoking-toddler-addicted/ | access-date=2017-12-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206081603/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37358195/ns/health-childrens_health/t/dad-says-smoking-toddler-addicted/ | archive-date=December 6, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Meyersohn Harris 2011"/> Oliver then states that the baby's favorite brand of cigarettes is owned by PMI, one of the tobacco companies that has "flocked" Indonesia and contributed to its smoking epidemic.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/> He cites the [[World Health Organization]]'s report on the [[prevalence of tobacco consumption]], which stated that 67% of Indonesian males smoked in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.who.int/entity/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/idn.pdf|title=WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic: Country Profile: Indonesia |publisher=[[World Health Organization]]|date=2013|access-date=December 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025034552/http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/idn.pdf|archive-date=2013-10-25|url-status=unfit<!--technically not dead, but showing the 2013 stats-->}}</ref> and shows an ABC News video of Indonesian schoolboys lighting cigarettes at a kiosk outside their school.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/><ref name="Meyersohn Harris 2011">{{cite web | last1=Meyersohn | first1=Jon | last2=Harris | first2=Dan | title=From Age 2 to 7: Why Are Children Smoking in Indonesia? | website=ABC News | date=2011-09-12 | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/age-children-smoking-indonesia/story?id=14464140 | access-date=2017-12-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206074537/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/age-children-smoking-indonesia/story?id=14464140 | archive-date=December 6, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref> He also says that PMI, by its own count, sells "seven of the world's top 15 international brands" of tobacco, including Marlboro.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/>

Afterward, Oliver tells his viewers about tobacco companies' worldwide actions to "attack laws intended to protect public health".<ref name="Tovey 2015"/> One of these laws was in Australia, where the federal government replaced all branding on [[cigarette packets in Australia|tobacco boxes]] with [[Plain tobacco packaging|"plain packaging"]] photographs that showed the effects of smoking, including "the toe tag on the corpse, the cancerous mouth, the nightmarish eyeball, [and] the diseased lung".<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/> He references the [[Department of Health (Australia)|Department of Health]], which states that smoking consumption had declined to historically low levels after the law was passed.<ref>{{cite web | title=Tobacco control key facts and figures | website=Department of Health | date=2017-07-26 | url=http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/tobacco-control-toc | access-date=2017-12-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206074611/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/tobacco-control-toc | archive-date=December 6, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref> Following the passage of this legislation, [[British American Tobacco]] and [[Japan Tobacco]] unsuccessfully sued the Australian federal government in the [[High Court of Australia]] and, in the process, were forced to pay the government's legal fees.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215"/><ref>{{cite AustLII |litigants=JT International SA v Commonwealth of Australia | court=HCA |year=2012 |num=43 |parallelcite=JT International SA v Commonwealth of Australia, British American Tobacco Australasia Limited v The Commonwealth [2012] HCA 43 | date=2012-10-05 }}</ref> PMI then transferred the ownership of its Australian division to one of its other businesses located in [[Hong Kong]],<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /> taking advantage of a treaty that prevented Australia from seizing the property of businesses located in Hong Kong.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1993/30.html|title=Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Hong Kong for the Promotion and Protection of Investments|date=1993|publisher=[[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010501215526/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1993/30.html|archive-date=2001-05-01|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-12-05}}</ref> PMI Hong Kong then sued Australia's government in international court, claiming that Australia was stealing the brands on its boxes by adding the photographs of the effects of smoking.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /> (PMI would lose this lawsuit as well in July 2017.)<ref>{{cite web | last=Knaus | first=Christopher | title=Philip Morris cigarettes charged millions after losing plain packaging case against Australia | website=the Guardian | date=2017-07-10 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/10/philip-morris-cigarettes-charged-millions-after-losing-plain-packaging-case-against-australia | access-date=2017-12-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127183840/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/10/philip-morris-cigarettes-charged-millions-after-losing-plain-packaging-case-against-australia | archive-date=January 27, 2018 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Oliver says that Ukraine, [[Honduras]], and the [[Dominican Republic]] had also filed complaints with the [[World Trade Organization]] over Australia's tobacco-box law.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-18/dominican-republic-joins-fight-against-plain-packaging/4139748|title=Dominican Republic joins plain packaging fight|date=2012-07-18|work=ABC News|access-date=2017-12-05|language=en-AU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922130107/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-18/dominican-republic-joins-fight-against-plain-packaging/4139748|archive-date=September 22, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He points out that according to Ukrainian MP [[Lesya Orobets]], Ukraine and Australia did not trade any tobacco products with each other, so Ukraine's complaint was unwarranted.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /> The comedian says that according to [[Bloomberg.com]], these nations' complaints to the WTO have been funded by PMI, British American, and other tobacco companies.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-22/philip-morris-leads-plain-packs-battle-in-global-trade-arena|title=Philip Morris Leads Plain Packs Battle in Global Trade Arena|date=2013-08-22|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=2017-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119104908/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-22/philip-morris-leads-plain-packs-battle-in-global-trade-arena|archive-date=November 19, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Oliver next describes tobacco companies' lawsuits against smaller nations.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Schneider|first=Steven|title='Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' Attacks the International Tobacco Problem|url=http://www.techtimes.com/articles/33102/20150216/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver-attacks-the-international-tobacco-problem.htm|access-date=January 20, 2016|work=Tech Times|date=February 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120230/http://www.techtimes.com/articles/33102/20150216/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver-attacks-the-international-tobacco-problem.htm|archive-date=March 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=UPI>{{cite news|last=Stanton|first=Kate|title=John Oliver wants tobacco companies to adopt new mascot, 'Jeff the Diseased Lung'|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2015/02/17/John-Oliver-wants-tobacco-companies-to-adopt-new-mascot-Jeff-the-Diseased-Lung/2831424149554/|access-date=January 20, 2016|publisher=[[United Press International]]|date=February 17, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217120736/http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2015/02/17/John-Oliver-wants-tobacco-companies-to-adopt-new-mascot-Jeff-the-Diseased-Lung/2831424149554/|archive-date=December 17, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He says that PMI has sued [[Uruguay]] for including obligatory health warnings on tobacco boxes,<ref name=Levin>{{cite news|last=Levin|first=Matt|url=http://www.chron.com/news/medical/article/John-Oliver-campaigns-to-make-Jeff-the-Diseased-6083938.php|access-date=December 21, 2015|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|issn=1074-7109|title=John Oliver campaigns to make 'Jeff the Diseased Lung' the new face of the tobacco industry|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106031822/http://www.chron.com/news/medical/article/John-Oliver-campaigns-to-make-Jeff-the-Diseased-6083938.php|archive-date=January 6, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and that Uruguay's legal fees had become so costly that the billionaire [[Michael Bloomberg]] donated $500,000 to help pay these fees.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /><ref name="Locker 2015"/> According to the International Tobacco Control Project, the law helped reduce smoking rates between 2006 and 2012, and the rate of smokers who supported federal regulation of smoking had also risen.<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /><ref>{{cite web | title=Uruguay's Tobacco Control Policies Reducing Smoking Rates, Encouraging Quitting, Finds Six-Year Survey | website=ITC Project | date=2014-08-20 | url=http://www.itcproject.org/node/119 | access-date=2017-12-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206074635/http://www.itcproject.org/node/119 | archive-date=December 6, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, PMI had also sued [[Togo]],<ref name="Locker 2015"/><ref name=Levin/> which had mandated that each tobacco box sold in the country contain health warnings written in French, a language many of the nations' residents did not read. Oliver compares PMI's US$80 billion revenue in 2013 to Togo's $4.3 billion GDP during the same year. He then reads a cease-and-desist letter from PMI to the Togolese government and says that PMI had [[Cherry picking|cherry-picked]] a quote from the one dissenting judge in the Australia lawsuit who had ruled in favor of the tobacco industry. The comedian states that British American and its affiliates had sent similar letters to the governments of [[Namibia]] and the [[Solomon Islands]].<ref name="youtube-lwt20150215" /><ref name="Locker 2015">{{cite magazine | last=Locker | first=Melissa | title=Watch John Oliver Burn Big Tobacco | magazine=Time | date=2015-02-16 | url=http://time.com/3710949/john-oliver-tobacco/ | access-date=2017-12-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714144028/http://time.com/3710949/john-oliver-tobacco/ | archive-date=July 14, 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Jeff the Diseased Lung===
{{Infobox character
| name             = Jeff the Diseased Lung
| series           = <!-- use without the italic on the outside -->
| image            = File:Marlboro Mascot Parody by John Oliver (Jeff the diseased lung).png
| image_size       = 175px
| alt              = 
| caption          = 
| first            = 
| last             = 
| creator          = [[John Oliver (comedian)|John Oliver]]
| portrayer        = 
| voice            = 
| info-hdr         = 
| noinfo           = 
| full_name         = Jeff the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat
| species          = <!-- for non-humans only -->
| gender           = <!-- if not obvious -->
| occupation       = Cowboy
| affiliation      = 
| title            = 
}}
Toward the end of the segment, Oliver offers the mascot Jeff the Diseased Lung for [[Philip Morris International]]'s use, free of charge.<ref name=Kreps>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/videos/watch-john-olivers-epic-takedown-of-the-tobacco-industry-20150216|title=Watch John Oliver's Epic Tobacco Industry Takedown|access-date=November 23, 2015|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=February 16, 2015|first=Daniel|last=Kreps|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124210847/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/videos/watch-john-olivers-epic-takedown-of-the-tobacco-industry-20150216|archive-date=November 24, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=Lu>{{cite journal|last=Lu|first=Aliciia|title=Jeff the Diseased Lung, John Oliver's Gift to Marlboro, Is Taking the World by Storm|url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/64792-jeff-the-diseased-lung-john-olivers-gift-to-marlboro-is-taking-the-world-by-storm|journal=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]|access-date=November 23, 2015|date=February 17, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125002904/http://www.bustle.com/articles/64792-jeff-the-diseased-lung-john-olivers-gift-to-marlboro-is-taking-the-world-by-storm|archive-date=November 25, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=Guardian>{{cite news|title=John Oliver creates 'Jeff the diseased lung' inspired by Australian cigarette packaging – video|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/video/2015/feb/17/john-oliver-jeff-diseased-lung-cigarette-video|access-date=December 22, 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=February 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223131332/http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/video/2015/feb/17/john-oliver-jeff-diseased-lung-cigarette-video|archive-date=December 23, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Jeff, whose full name is "Jeff the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat", is a fictional [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] cartoon character who smokes and coughs.<ref name=Parker>{{cite news|last=Parker|first=Ryan|title=John Oliver targets cigarettes on 'Last Week Tonight'; Philip Morris reacts|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-philip-morris-john-oliver-20150216-story.html|access-date=November 24, 2015|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122195954/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-philip-morris-john-oliver-20150216-story.html|archive-date=November 22, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He has been compared to the Marlboro Man and described as Oliver's version of [[Joe Camel]].<ref name=Kreps/><ref name=Wasserman/>

Jeff has been described as a "cartoon-like, diseased lung cowboy created by crossing the diseased lung pictured on cigarette packs in Australia with the Marlboro Man".<ref name=Wasserman>{{cite web|last=Wasserman|first=Jeffrey|title=Last Week Tonight's Jeff the Diseased Lung Is No Joke|url=http://www.rand.org/blog/2015/02/last-week-tonights-jeff-the-diseased-lung-is-no.html|publisher=[[RAND Corporation]]|access-date=November 25, 2015|date=February 20, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125231122/http://www.rand.org/blog/2015/02/last-week-tonights-jeff-the-diseased-lung-is-no.html|archive-date=November 25, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Similarly, ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'s}} Daniel Kreps said Jeff helps to "bridge the gap between the Marlboro Man ... and a 'lung that looks like you're breathing through baked ziti'".<ref name=Kreps/> Alicia Lu of ''[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]'' wrote:<blockquote> Sure, he may be an anthropomorphic lung that's decaying from being exposed to years of cigarette smoke, which might not be Big Tobacco's first choice for branding, but he's a ''cowboy''. Look at his regal cowboy hat, his spiffy red cowboy boots, and the way that cigarette nonchalantly dangles from his lips – doesn't Jeff remind you of a figure from days of yore? If you squint, I swear you'll see the Marlboro Man.<ref name=Lu/></blockquote>

Oliver and his team promoted the character by sending shirts with his image to Togo and displaying billboards with his likeness in Uruguay.<ref name=Kreps/><ref name=Lu/> During the segment, Oliver encouraged viewers to use the [[hashtag]] "#JeffWeCan", which later trended on [[Twitter]].<ref name=Grisham/><ref name=Guardian/><ref>{{cite web|title=Let's make Jeff the Diseased Lung the new face of #Marlboro by getting #JeffWeCan to trend worldwide!|url=https://twitter.com/lastweektonight/status/567179252010061824|publisher=Twitter|access-date=November 25, 2015|date=February 15, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910131151/https://twitter.com/LastWeekTonight/status/567179252010061824|archive-date=September 10, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He also called on viewers to upload images of the mascot to [[Google+]] accounts so Jeff would be displayed on [[Google Images]] searches for "Marlboro".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bort|first1=Ryan|title=Watch John Oliver Expose How Tobacco Companies Bully Health-Conscious Nations|journal=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|date=February 16, 2015|url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/news/a33153/last-week-tonight-john-oliver-tobacco/|access-date=December 24, 2015|publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]]|issn=0014-0791|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225025754/http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/news/a33153/last-week-tonight-john-oliver-tobacco/|archive-date=December 25, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=Vox>{{cite web|last=Lopez|first=German|title=John Oliver wants "Jeff the Diseased Lung" to become the face of tobacco companies|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/2/16/8045745/john-oliver-tobacco|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|access-date=December 24, 2015|date=February 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225115202/http://www.vox.com/2015/2/16/8045745/john-oliver-tobacco|archive-date=December 25, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> A live version of Jeff appears at the end of the "Tobacco" segment. Sarene Leeds of ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' called Jeff's appearance "a full-on Disneyland-ish nightmare" and wrote: "there is nothing more disturbing – or awesome – that you will see today than the sight of John Oliver dancing around a guy dressed up as a smoking, infected lung surrounded by more than a dozen children".<ref name=Leeds>{{cite news|last1=Leeds|first1=Sarene|title=John Oliver Pitches 'Jeff the Diseased Lung' to Promote Cigarettes|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/02/16/john-oliver-pitches-jeff-the-diseased-lung-to-promote-cigarettes/|access-date=December 22, 2015|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|publisher=[[News Corp (2013–present)|News Corp]]|date=February 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223103610/https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/02/16/john-oliver-pitches-jeff-the-diseased-lung-to-promote-cigarettes/|archive-date=December 23, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> After the segment, the HBO Shop started selling T-shirts that depicted the mascot.<ref>{{cite web|title=Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Jeff! T-Shirt|url=http://store.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver-jeff-t-shirt/detail.php?p=810678|publisher=HBO Store|access-date=November 25, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126065818/http://store.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver-jeff-t-shirt/detail.php?p=810678|archive-date=November 26, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

A performer in a Jeff costume appeared at Kick Butts Day, a protest organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and youth advocates, which was held outside Philip Morris' annual shareholders' meeting in [[New York City]] on May 6, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Olmstead|first1=Erica|title=Youth advocates head to New York City to #StopMarlboro|url=http://www.kickbuttsday.org/updates/detail/2015_05_22_nyc|website=Kick Butts Day|publisher=Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids|access-date=December 24, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225050033/http://www.kickbuttsday.org/updates/detail/2015_05_22_nyc|archive-date=December 25, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The protests featured a [[flash mob]] with fifty dancers performing a choreographed dance to a song with the lyrics, "We don't want your cigarettes. Jeff we can!" The performance ended with the mascot: "rolling around on the floor in a coughing fit and loss of breath". Shana Narula, the campaign's coordinator, said: <blockquote>The whole concept is to use Jeff and the hashtag #JeffWeCan and #StopMarlboro to show that these marketing tactics are not allowed and tobacco is still the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the world. And the fact is it's the only consumer product that when used as intended, it kills its user. This is very, very unique — no other consumer product does this. Most people think that tobacco is not really an issue in this country anymore and that's completely not true. That's what we want to shed light on today, in a fashion where people will take notice.<ref name=Olson>{{cite web|last=Olson|first=Samantha|title=John Oliver's 'Jeff The Diseased Lung' Hits Times Square For Anti-Smoking Awareness Flash Mob|url=http://www.medicaldaily.com/john-olivers-jeff-diseased-lung-hits-times-square-anti-smoking-awareness-flash-mob-332252|website=Medical Daily|publisher=[[IBT Media]]|access-date=January 20, 2016|date=May 6, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119122228/http://www.medicaldaily.com/john-olivers-jeff-diseased-lung-hits-times-square-anti-smoking-awareness-flash-mob-332252|archive-date=January 19, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref></blockquote>

==Reception==
[[File:John Oliver November 2016.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[John Oliver]] (pictured in 2016) was praised for his ability to market the mascot Jeff the Diseased Lung.]]

By the morning of February 16, the "Tobacco" segment had been viewed more than two million times.<ref name="Morran">{{cite web|url=http://consumerist.com/2015/02/17/philip-morris-does-horrible-job-of-defending-itself-after-john-oliver-mocking/|title=Philip Morris Does Horrible Job of Defending Itself After John Oliver Mocking|last=Morran|first=Chris|date=February 17, 2015|work=[[Consumerist]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208044321/http://consumerist.com/2015/02/17/philip-morris-does-horrible-job-of-defending-itself-after-john-oliver-mocking/|archive-date=December 8, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=November 26, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The segment received widespread media coverage, with several outlets praising Oliver's ability to launch successful marketing campaigns and "alter perceptions about smoking" through the creation of the mascot Jeff.<ref>{{cite news|last=Balantrapu|first=Mihir|title=The old Oliver oil|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thread/entertainment-variety/article7735070.ece|access-date=January 20, 2016|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=October 12, 2015|issn=0971-751X|oclc=13119119|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728032509/http://www.thehindu.com/thread/entertainment-variety/article7735070.ece|archive-date=July 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Klein|first=Brett|title=John Oliver is speaking, and you should listen|url=http://www.villanovan.com/news/view.php/1011042/John-Oliver-is-speaking-and-you-should-l|access-date=January 20, 2016|work=[[The Villanovan]]|publisher=[[Villanova University]]|date=September 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125013942/http://www.villanovan.com/news/view.php/1011042/John-Oliver-is-speaking-and-you-should-l|archive-date=January 25, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Her Campus]]''{{'}}s Kelly Tierney noted the enthusiasm displayed by Oliver's fans during the segment and wrote:<blockquote> While John Oliver simply considers himself a comedian, it is apparent that he is doing much more than comedy.  He informs us of real issues we otherwise wouldn't hear or think deeply about, which in and of itself is brilliant, but what really sets him apart is his way of calling his audience to action about these issues. He shows us that there really is something we can do and helps us to see how we can enact change.<ref name=HerCampus>{{cite web|last=Tierney|first=Kelly|title=Why John Oliver Should Be Your New Favorite Celebrity|date=October 12, 2015 |url=http://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/why-john-oliver-should-be-your-new-favorite-celebrity|publisher=Her Campus Media, LLC|access-date=January 20, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207105852/http://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/why-john-oliver-should-be-your-new-favorite-celebrity|archive-date=February 7, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref></blockquote>

MediaPost Communications' ''Marketing Daily'' published an article called "What Marketers Can Learn from John Oliver", in which James G. Brooks, Jr. complimented Oliver's ability to encourage audience participation. He wrote, "Jeff trended worldwide. This kind of reaction is ideal for any marketing campaign."<ref>{{cite news|last=Brooks, Jr.|first=James G.|title=What Marketers Can Learn from John Oliver|url=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/247436/what-marketers-can-learn-from-john-oliver.html|access-date=November 25, 2015|work=Marketing Daily|publisher=MediaPost Communications|date=April 10, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126062133/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/247436/what-marketers-can-learn-from-john-oliver.html|archive-date=November 26, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Alex Frail of ''The Massachusetts Daily Collegian'' said, "One of his funnier bits, Jeff the Diseased Lung, took aim at the tobacco industry; landed on cigarette packs throughout Australia and on billboards throughout Uruguay; and delivered t-shirts to Togo. The power to spark a movement like Jeff the Diseased Lung isn't shared by Oliver's contemporaries."<ref>{{cite news|last=Frail|first=Alex|title=Why "Last Week Tonight" is the new champion of sanity in fake news|url=http://dailycollegian.com/2015/04/16/why-last-week-tonight-is-the-new-champion-of-sanity-in-fake-news/|access-date=November 25, 2015|work=The Massachusetts Daily Collegian|date=April 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126072242/http://dailycollegian.com/2015/04/16/why-last-week-tonight-is-the-new-champion-of-sanity-in-fake-news/|archive-date=November 26, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Jeffrey Wasserman, vice president and director of [[RAND Corporation|RAND Health]], opined: "John Oliver's 'Jeff' character is of course a mockery of an iconic figure, the Marlboro Man, whose legacy turned out to be cruelly ironic. As Oliver noted in his show, four former Marlboro men died of smoking-related causes. Let's hope that 'Jeff' going viral causes current and prospective smokers—mainly teens and preteens—to recognize cigarette smoking for what it is: the most deadly habit."<ref name=Wasserman/>

In July 2015, ''[[Slant Magazine]]''{{'s}} Julia Pressman describes the "Tobacco" segment in her article "The British Dude Who Is Winning America's War on Bullshit", in which she features five ways Oliver "has owned 2015 thus far".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Pressman|first=Julia|title=The British Dude Who Is Winning America's War on Bullshit|url=https://www.slantnews.com/story/2015-07-04-all-the-ways-john-oliver-has-owned-2015-thus-far|website=[[Slant Magazine]]|access-date=December 24, 2015|date=July 4, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225084459/https://www.slantnews.com/story/2015-07-04-all-the-ways-john-oliver-has-owned-2015-thus-far|archive-date=December 25, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The website Inverse included the February 15 segment, the second most effective from the show's second season, saying it "may be the most lasting of the entire year". Furthermore, the website's Matthew Strauss wrote, "Jeff shows up when you Google Image-search 'Marlboro'; he's on bus stops in Uruguay; and he's on t-shirts in Togo. Jeff is an icon. Oliver hasn't taken down Big Tobacco, but he sure didn't make them look too good."<ref>{{cite web|last=Strauss|first=Matthew|title=John Oliver's Ten Most Effective Segments From 'Last Week Tonight,' Season 2|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/8446-john-oliver-s-ten-most-effective-segments-from-last-week-tonight-season-2|website=Inverse|access-date=January 20, 2016|date=November 23, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207095557/https://www.inverse.com/article/8446-john-oliver-s-ten-most-effective-segments-from-last-week-tonight-season-2|archive-date=February 7, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In August, the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' named Oliver, and costume designer Mikaela Wohl, winners in the "Costume designer's quietest cry for help" category for the paper's 2015 Envy Awards, a parody of the annual [[Emmy Award]]s. Randee Dawn complimented both for their hard work and humor, but said Wohl's work on "amazing" costumes, such as Jeff and Russian Space Sex Gecko, distracted her from using her "creative energies" for dressing Oliver.<ref name=Dawn>{{cite news|last=Dawn|first=Randee|title=To fill in Emmy gaps, Envy Awards salute 'Mindy,' Jon Snow and more|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-st-envy-awards-20150813-story.html|access-date=November 25, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 13, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124044420/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-st-envy-awards-20150813-story.html|archive-date=November 24, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Response by Philip Morris International===

[[Philip Morris International]] issued a statement which read in part: <blockquote>On February 15, 2015, the 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' show dedicated a significant portion of its program to our company [...] ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' is a parody show, known for getting a laugh through exaggeration and presenting partial views in the name of humor. The segment includes many mischaracterizations of our company, including our approach to marketing and regulation, which have been embellished in the spirit of comedic license [...] While we recognize the tobacco industry is an easy target for comedians, we take seriously the responsibility that comes with selling a product that is an adult choice and is harmful to health [...] We support and comply with thousands of regulations worldwide – including advertising restrictions, penalties for selling tobacco products to minors, and substantial health warnings on packaging. We're investing billions into developing and scientifically assessing a portfolio of products that have the potential to be less harmful and that are satisfying so smokers will switch to them. And, like any other company with a responsibility to its business partners, shareholders and employees, we ask only that laws protecting investments, including trademarks, be equally applied to us.<ref name=Parker/></blockquote>

The statement also provided readers with a "balanced view", and facts about the issues raised by Oliver, including the company's marketing practices and "approach to regulation". Philip Morris included links to its "Be Marlboro" campaign, which is "aimed at competing for existing adult smoker market share", reasons why the company is challenging Australia and Uruguay's censorship of its trademarks, and "facts about smoking prevalence in Australia after the introduction of plain packaging".<ref name=Parker/>

Chris Morran of ''[[Consumerist]]'' said Philip Morris did a "really poor job of trying to defend its actions". He wrote, "[...] this should be where the very serious folks at Philip Morris go point by point and explain where Oliver exaggerated and embellished, but they don't. It's a classic non-response in which the accused tried to undercut the accuser's argument by claiming he can't possibly be providing the truth."<ref name=Morran/> He noted that Philip Morris does not deny making legal threats to suppress regulations on cigarette packaging and questions how the company: "[expects] to be taken seriously when it readily admits that the products it sells are 'harmful to health'".<ref name=Morran/> Furthermore, Chris Morran takes aim at the company's claim that it "[supports] and [complies] with thousands of regulations worldwide", writing: <blockquote>[...] the tobacco industry doesn't support these regulations. It only supports the ones it can't fight in a courtroom. Once it loses a battle – or realizes a battle can't be won – then suddenly Big Tobacco, just like every other heavily regulated industry, claims to support and abide by the rules.<ref name=Morran/></blockquote>

Finally, he said of the statement's final sentence: "That's honestly the best Philip Morris and Big Tobacco can come up with – We've spent a lot of money and have a lot of investors so please don't mess with our packaging because it might cause us to earn smaller profits [...] It's an argument that might be tenable if cigarettes did anything other than poison the people who buy them – or live in the same house with them."<ref name=Morran/>

==See also==
* [[Cigarette packets in Australia]]
* [[Prevalence of tobacco consumption]]
* [[Tobacco in the United States]]
* [[Tobacco marketing targeting African Americans]]
* [[Tobacco packaging warning messages]]
* [[Usage of electronic cigarettes]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver/episodes/02/26-february-15-2015/index.html ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'': Season 2 Episode 26] on [[HBO]]
** [http://www.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver/episodes/02/26-february-15-2015/video/ep-26-clip-big-tobaccos-still-at-it.html?autoplay=true Ep. 26 Clip: Big Tobacco's Still At It] on HBO
* {{YouTube|id=6UsHHOCH4q8|title=''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'': Tobacco (HBO)}}
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/hbo-john-oliver-rips-tobacco-companies-with-diseased-lung-mascot-jeff-video/|title=John Oliver Smokes the Tobacco Industry with Diseased-Lung Mascot 'Jeff'|first=Alicia|last=Banks|date=February 16, 2015|website=[[TheWrap]]|publisher=The Wrap News Inc.}}
* {{Cite web|url=http://zap2it.com/2015/02/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver-takes-down-tobacco-industry/|title='Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' takes down the tobacco industry|date=February 16, 2015|first=Sarah|last=Huggins|website=[[Zap2it]]|publisher=[[Tribune Media]]}}

{{Last Week Tonight}}
{{Philip Morris International}}
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[[Category:2015 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Advertising and marketing controversies]]
[[Category:American mascots]]
[[Category:Cartoon mascots]]
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[[Category:Fictional anthropomorphic characters]]
[[Category:Fictional cowboys and cowgirls]]
[[Category:Last Week Tonight with John Oliver]]
[[Category:Male characters in television]]
[[Category:Philip Morris USA]]
[[Category:Smoking in the United States]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 2015]]
[[Category:Tobacco advertising]]