Reefer Madness
The early twentieth-century implementation of government-funded anti-marijuana propaganda, and the twenty-first century satirical views of such.
While wrapping Jack’s heart in a newspaper, Mae noticed the headline, “President to visit sick child…arrives at 6:00 PM today,” (Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical scene 12) giving her an outrageous plan. Mae does, however, manage to convince president Roosevelt to pardon Jimmy of his crime.
Not surprisingly, the final song is most likely the biggest jumble of propaganda to ever roll off of anyone’s tongue. With lines like, “Our children teeter on the brink/we need to teach them what to think,” (Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical scene 13) and the Statue of Liberty singing, “Give me your tired/give me your poor/give me your huddled masses yearning to breathe free of reefer smoke,” (Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical scene 13) it’s clear that the propaganda here is mostly political, and stronger than most propaganda ever published in any form.
Propaganda is a powerful tool, when used correctly it can seemingly change peoples’ opinions on just about any topic. Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical captures the true essence of propaganda, and turns it into a hysterical musical. Fear and other strong senses, when stimulated, can often achieve almost any desired result. The movie is truly summed up in the last stanza, “It’s time for parents to take a stand/for the preservation of this great land/’till the things that scare us are burned or banned/or smashed to smithereens/and once the reefer has been destroyed/we’ll start on/Darwin and Sigmund Freud/and sex depicted on celluloid/and communists and queens/when danger’s near, exploit their fear/the end will justify the means!” (Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical scene 13)
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