Disney+ has added a smoking trigger warning to its adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, with some fans of the hit show labelling the move ‘totally pathetic’.
The bestselling author famously embraced smoking as part of her persona, making the warning seem ironic to longtime readers.
At the start of the new series—a steamy, eight-part adaptation of Cooper’s 1988 bonkbuster—a warning reads: ’18+. Violence, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Sex. Some flashing light sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers. Contains tobacco depictions.’
The irony has not gone unnoticed.
One fan told the Mail: ‘It’s totally pathetic. In those days we smoked a lot. It was fun and true to those times. We are much too woke now.’
Disney+ has added a smoking trigger warning to its adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, with some fans of the hit show labelling the move ‘totally pathetic’
The bestselling author famously embraced smoking as part of her persona, making the warning seem ironic to longtime readers
At the start of the new series—a steamy, eight-part adaptation of Cooper’s 1988 bonkbuster—a warning reads: ’18+. Violence, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Sex. Some flashing light sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers. Contains tobacco depictions’
The irony has not gone unnoticed. One fan told the Mail: ‘It’s totally pathetic. In those days we smoked a lot. It was fun and true to those times. We are much too woke now!’
Ms Cooper, who sold over 11 million books in the UK and made her name with witty, decadent stories of British upper-crust antics, was known for her open enjoyment of smoking.
A 2006 Daily Mail article described Cooper urging guests to join her in a cigarette, with the writer noting: ‘Jilly keeps insisting I smoke. I love this. There are hostesses who allow you, grudgingly, to smoke, and there are the few who say: ‘Smoke. I beg you.’ Jilly produces an ashtray and paints her younger self as chaos in lipstick.’
The racy eight-part series is based on Jilly Cooper’s raunchy 1988 novel, and follows the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986
And in 2020, the Irish Daily Mail looked back on Cooper’s heyday, remarking that her early journalism was penned in an era when people ‘seemed to do little except eat, drink, and smoke.’
The adaptation of Rivals, which premiered on October 18, stars Aidan Turner, David Tennant and Emily Atack.
The racy tale—infamous for its depictions of sex, power, and privilege—focuses on the heated rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant).
The book, part of the Rutshire Chronicles, soared to the top of the charts and sold more than a million copies.
The story focuses on the tense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).
The racy eight-part series aired in October – with many viewers left wondering how its themes would be translated for a modern audience.
Writer and executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who has previously worked on EastEnders, has shed light on the much anticipated new TV series.
He told The Times: ‘We’ve been equal opportunities in our nudity. There’s a willy for every pair of t***.’
The adaptation of Rivals, which premiered on October 18, stars Aidan Turner, David Tennant (pictured) and Emily Atack
The story focuses on the tense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant)
A 2006 Daily Mail article described Cooper urging guests to join her in a cigarette, with the writer noting, ‘Jilly keeps insisting I smoke. I love this. There are hostesses who allow you, grudgingly, to smoke, and there are the few who say: ‘Smoke. I beg you.’ Jilly produces an ashtray and paints her younger self as chaos in lipstick’
Disney assured viewers that the 1980s classic has been reinterpreted through a ‘2020s lens,’ promising a modern take on Cooper’s politically incorrect portrayal of English social elites.
But Disney’s choice to flag the show’s ‘tobacco depictions’ alongside its famously provocative themes leads to questions on whether the warning is overkill.
Disney has applied similar ‘sensitivity’ labels in recent years.
In 2020, the platform added content advisories on several animated classics, including Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, Lady and the Tramp and Dumbo, warning that racial stereotypes ‘were wrong then and are wrong now.’
But Mike Cameron, CEO of anti-smoking group Smoko, defended Disney’s decision, arguing that these warnings offer valuable caution, particularly to younger audiences who might be influenced by what they see on screen.
‘The impact media has on our actions is immense,’ he said.
‘Disney’s move to spotlight smoking scenes may seem minor, yet it is a significant step in preventing the normalisation of such habits among the young.
Meanwhile, UK shows like Big Brother and Love Island have allowed smoking to take, albeit with restrictions.
Love Island, for example, bans smoking on-screen but provides a designated smoking area for contestants off-camera, permitting only one islander at a time to smoke.
Craig Lawson, a former contestant, revealed that in earlier seasons, each cast member received an allowance of 20 cigarettes per day, and some only smoked out of sheer boredom.
‘You get so bored when you’re in there,’ he said, ‘that’s why you see so many people smoking. There’s only so much you can talk about your life.’
Whereas, on Big Brother, CCTV cameras are in operation in the smoking area
MailOnline has contacted Disney and Cooper’s representatives for comment.
