Life — May 2, 1918 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Murad Cigarette Advertisement This is a **cigarette advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Murad Turkish cigarettes at 15 cents per package, using an Orientalist fantasy scene. The ad depicts a harem-style setting with figures in exoticized "Turkish" costumes—turbans, elaborate robes, and jewelry—arranged around a woman smoking. The accompanying man appears menacing or predatory (the figure behind). A peacock and decorative props reinforce the "Oriental" theme. The copy asks "Everywhere—Why?" suggesting these cigarettes' widespread popularity. This reflects early 20th-century advertising that exploited Orientalist stereotypes and exoticized imagery to market luxury goods. The implicit appeal combines cigarette consumption with sexual fantasy and imperial imagery—common tactics in period advertising that modern readers would recognize as deeply problematic in its racial and gender stereotyping.