Laramie Cigarettes

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Bart in front of a Laramie Cigarettes billboard

Laramie Cigarettes is a fictional brand of cigarettes that recurs throughout the series and is vigorously marketed to the cartoon's underage characters. Their slogan is "Laramie Cigarettes - high tars".

[edit] Laramie users

Several people smoke Laramie Cigarettes. Edna Krabappel smoked one in right before writing on the board with it.^[1] Bart tests Laramie Cigarettes on Santa's Little Helper.^[2] Patty and Selma Bouvier are both seen consistently smoking Laramies almost every time they appear, and the playground bullies are seen smoking.

[edit] Laramie marketing

Lisa as Laramie's sponsor

Laramie Cigarettes is constantly trying to market their cigarettes to minors. They sponsored the Radioactive Man television show in the 1950s, and the company's mascot is called Menthol Moose. They are also the main sponsor of the Little Miss Springfield competition. They tried to buy the rights to Homer's new 'Tomacco' fruit.^[3]

In an old infomercial that the cigarette of choice of Itchy and Scratchy is "Laramie Extra Tar," now with more "nico-glycerol." According to fellow celebrity endorser Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, contents of the cigarette are unknown, but he claims "I just know I can't stop smoking them." Itchy, Scratchy and Rochester proceed to laugh, smoke, and cough heavily.^[4]

There is a commercial of Radioactive Man pitching Laramies.^[5]

[edit] Behind the Laughter

Laramie Cigarettes is a parody of cigarettes and cigarette advertising in general, and in particular of cigarette advertising in the USA during the 1950s and 1960s.
Menthol Moose is a parody of Joe Camel.
The logo and package design of Laramie cigarettes look almost identical to that of Marlboro Cigarettes.
The Radioactive Man commercial was a parody of 1960s-era Winston commercials where cartoon characters — including The Flintstones — starred in the commercials and were seen smoking.