The Journal's lead story, “Teenagers Prefer Hard Liquor” by Olivier Uyttebrouck, dutifully reports the results of a CDC study showing a new and recent change in teen preference for hard liquor over beer and alcopops in teen alcohol consumption.
However, Uyttebrouck fails miserably when he tries to fathom a REASON for the switch.
Uyttebrouck brilliantly reports that hard liquor can be mixed with . . . well . . . mixers . . . to make it taste better.
Uyttebrouck cleverly suggests that hard liquor could be easier to conceal than beer.
Uyttebrouck suggests that hard liquor might be easier to obtain or shoplift. (Or it "might" be passed out by little green men on St. Patrick's Day.)
Boring keenly to the heart of the dilemma, Uyttebrouck suggests that hard liquor makes people drunk faster. Wow, bio-chemestry, right on the front page of the Journal!
Great reporting, Olivier, but you missed the cultural boat.
FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS HARD ALCOHOL HAS BEEN ADVERTISED NON-STOP ON TELEVISION.
Since Smirnoff vodka aired the first hard liquor ad of the 21st century on Saturday Night Live on December 15, 2001, cable TV has saturation bombed our youth with hard booze ads, particularly on sports programs, and the comedy channel.
Tons of research, not to mention common sense, shows that advertising works. So how did Uyttebrouck miss this one?
Is he clueless, or is this just more of the Journal's blind, Republican, pro-business slant?
Friday, July 27, 2007
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