Shocked, angered, confused, betrayed: all words that can be used to describe Snoop Dogg fans worldwide after he announced his intention to “quit smoke” via Instagram on Thursday, Nov. 16. But were all these emotions felt for nothing?
Snoop Dogg, rapper, actor and marijuana enthusiast, was quick to rescind his statement of “quitting smoke” and clarify that it was a part of an ad campaign for Solo Stove, rather than an announcement that he was giving up what he is famously known for: smoking weed.
Many fans were shocked by Snoop Dogg’s original statement but ultimately showed support and love for the beloved artist.
Many others were skeptical of the credibility of the statement from the start, and for good reason, as the original post was part of a publicity stunt. This type of behavior isn’t uncommon for celebrities, however. For years, celebrities have been following a similar type of behavior as Snoop Dogg in order to gain traction from their fans and the media. Celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jonathan Van Ness, have taken part in similar behavior as a way to earn a profit and gain traction for their news business ventures or political stances.
While Snoop Dogg’s trickery was meant to gain traction for a brand, Paltrow’s plan was to highlight a “real problem” in the economy. In May of 2022, Paltrow’s luxury wellness brand, Goop, announced that they were releasing a new luxury item: “The Diapér.” The fake $120 disposable adult diapers were meant to open the public’s eyes to the taxing of essential items.
Jonathan Van Ness’ stunt, however, was not as admirable or eye opening as Paltrow’s. Van Ness, American hair stylist and television personality, announced via Twitter, now referred to as X, that he and Antoni Porowski were “finally together,” which was accompanied by a rainbow flag emoji. Despite fans’ excitement and support, Van Ness later revealed that the post was to commemorate the launch of their new pet food brand. This stunt was met with loads of backlash and referred to as “the celebrity stunt to end them all” as many fans were upset by their insensitivity to the queer community.
Luckily for all the Snoop Dogg fans out there, he decided to approach his campaign in a less upsetting or drastic way as Paltrow and Van Ness; though he still upset some fans, and even some marijuana and addiction experts, along the way.
Snoop Dogg’s statement instilled hope in addiction experts around the country as they believed his announcement to “quit smoke” would inspire people who struggle with cannabis addiction to quit.
However, to the disappointment of addiction experts and the relief of Snoop Dogg fans, he just decided to pull an early April Fools joke and lean into the ad campaign for Solo Stove, a smokeless fire pit.