Antonio Mcgowan
In the popular TV show 'That '70s Show', the characters regularly smoked marijuana, but due to censorship rules, the drug was never directly shown or referred to by name. Instead, the characters called it their stash and used the circle as a camera technique to imply drug use. In the show, the group of teenagers would sit in a circle, with the camera panning from person to person, imitating the passing of a joint. To further imply drug use, the show featured excessive smoke and changes in character behaviour. To cover up the smell of marijuana, the characters, most notably Hyde, would light incense, which some viewers believe to be strawberry-scented.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for using incense | To cover up the smell of weed |
| Type of incense | Strawberry-scented |
| Smoking paraphernalia shown? | No, but cigars are smoked and seen |
| Marijuana shown? | No, it's hidden inside a brown bag |
| Marijuana referred to by name? | No, it's called their "stash" |
| Location | Primarily Eric's basement |
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What You'll Learn
Incense was used to cover up the smell of weed
The popular sitcom That '70s Show is well-known for its depiction of teenage characters regularly smoking marijuana. However, due to censorship rules, the show could not explicitly show drug use. Instead, the characters are often shown sitting in a circle, passing around a "'stash'" in a brown bag, with the camera panning from person to person, implying the use of marijuana without directly showing it.
To further imply drug use, the show employed the use of incense to cover up the smell of weed. In several scenes, characters, most notably Hyde, are shown lighting incense to mask the scent of marijuana. This is referenced in one of the show's GIFs, where Hyde is seen holding a lighter, and in discussions by fans of the show. The use of incense is also mentioned in an article critiquing the show's plotlines and continuity errors, suggesting that lighting incense to mask the scent of weed is one of the unrealistic aspects of the show.
The show's use of incense and the "circle" technique is a creative way to imply drug use while adhering to censorship rules and accurately depicting teenage life in the 1970s. It is worth noting that the show runners of That '70s Show never broke any rules regarding the depiction of drug use, and the use of incense and the circle technique was a clever way to bypass censorship and create a popular and long-running series.
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The show used \the circle\ to depict drug use without showing it
The popular 70s show featured a group of teenagers who regularly smoked marijuana, or weed, in Eric's basement. The show used a unique camera technique, "the circle", to depict drug use without actually showing it. The camera would swivel from person to person, imitating the passing of a joint, without ever directly showing drug paraphernalia. The characters also never referred to their "stash" by name, always calling it their "stash". This technique allowed the show to abide by Fox's censorship rules while still accurately depicting bored teens living in the '70s.
The show's use of "the circle" started as a way to battle network censorship and avoid breaking Fox's rules regarding the depiction of teenage drug use. The series only featured the whole gang present in the circle four times, and the drug use was implied rather than explicitly shown. The immense smoke and change in character behaviour made it clear what was happening, but the producers never broke any rules regarding content censorship.
In addition to smoking marijuana, the characters in the circle also drank beer, smoked cigars, and consumed other substances such as hash brownies. On occasion, the circle scenes were followed by scenes where the characters acted sober while still being high. The circle became a prominent element throughout the show's eight seasons, with every character in the main cast sitting in the circle at least once.
While the show implied that the characters were smoking marijuana, the actors themselves did not smoke anything on set. Instead, they lit incense to cover up the smell, with some sources specifically mentioning strawberry-scented incense being used. This was done to avoid the cast having to breathe in cigarette or marijuana smoke.
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Characters refer to their weed as their stash
"That '70s Show" was a prime-time cable sitcom that aired in the late '90s. To avoid censorship and setting a bad example for its younger audience, the show's creators had to find clever ways to depict the significant, common teen behaviour of smoking marijuana. This led to the creation of "The Circle", a memorable gag that became synonymous with the show.
"The Circle" consisted of the gang sitting in a circle, usually in Eric's basement, with the camera panning from character to character, emulating the passing of a joint. The smoke and change in character behaviour implied drug use, but the drug itself and related paraphernalia were never directly shown. The characters also rarely referred to marijuana by name, instead using euphemisms like "stash".
The show's characters often refer to their weed as their "stash". For example, in the second-to-last episode, the gang acquires a particularly potent "stash" from Fez's friend. In another instance, Kitty raids the basement and finds Eric and Hyde's stashes, leading her to try it herself. The use of the word "stash" is a clever way to imply drug use without directly mentioning marijuana, allowing the show to bypass censorship rules while accurately depicting teenage life in the '70s.
The show's creative team intentionally used "The Circle" and euphemisms like "stash" to showcase drug use without crossing any lines. This allowed them to include a vital component of the '70s culture while adhering to network censorship rules. The immense smoke and character behaviour changes during "The Circle" scenes further implied drug use without explicitly showing it.
In conclusion, the characters in "That '70s Show" refer to their weed as their "stash" to navigate censorship rules while accurately portraying bored teens of that era. "The Circle" and the use of euphemisms became iconic elements of the show, allowing it to subtly include drug use and connect with its audience without breaking any network guidelines.
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The show depicts drug use by teens in the 1970s
The show 'That '70s Show' depicts drug use by teens in the 1970s, but due to censorship rules, the show's creators had to get creative in how they portrayed this. The series is set in a time when smoking marijuana was common among teenagers, and the show aimed to accurately reflect this aspect of the era. To bypass censorship rules, the show introduced the concept of "the circle".
The circle is a prominent element throughout the show's eight seasons and usually takes place in the basement of one of the teenage characters, Eric. During these scenes, the group of teenagers sits in a circle, and the camera pans from person to person, implying that they are passing a joint around. The marijuana is never directly shown, and the characters refer to it as their "stash". The circle was an effective way to depict drug use without breaking any rules, as the show's producers never showed the characters actually smoking marijuana. Instead, the implication of drug use is made through the use of immense smoke and changes in character behaviour.
In addition to smoking marijuana, the circle scenes also depict the characters consuming other substances, such as alcohol, cigars, and even hash brownies. On some occasions, adult characters also participate in the circle, unbeknownst to the teens. The circle was a clever device that allowed the show to accurately portray the culture of drug use among bored teens in the 1970s while still abiding by network censorship rules regarding the depiction of teenage drug use.
While the show heavily implies marijuana use, the only substance that is actually seen being lit and smoked is incense. This is used by the characters to attempt to cover up the smell of marijuana, with Hyde, in particular, being shown lighting incense on multiple occasions. The use of incense is a running joke in the show, with references made to the need to mask the distinctive aroma of marijuana, which would likely be noticed by the adults in the house.
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The cast didn't want to breathe in cigarette or marijuana smoke
The popular sitcom 'That '70s Show' is known for its depiction of teenage characters regularly smoking marijuana, or weed, in a setting known as "the circle". The show's creative team used a camera technique to showcase the characters smoking pot without directly showing drug paraphernalia or the use of drugs, abiding by Fox's censorship rules. The actors themselves did not smoke anything on set, and the smoke effect was likely added digitally or created using a smoke machine.
To illustrate the behaviour of smoking marijuana in the '70s, the characters were shown sitting in a circle, with the camera panning from person to person, implying the passing of a joint. The show's producers never broke any rules regarding the censorship of content, as drug use was only implied and never directly shown. The characters also never referred to their "pot" by name, instead calling it their "stash".
While the show heavily implied marijuana use, the few instances where smoke is seen, the characters are lighting incense. This is because the cast did not want to breathe in cigarette or marijuana smoke. The incense was also used to attempt to cover up the smell of weed, as the show's characters often got away with smoking in Eric's basement, which would likely have a distinctive aroma that would be noticed by the adults in the house.
The circle was a prominent element throughout the show's eight seasons and was used to depict the characters partaking in other activities besides smoking weed, such as eating dinner or ice cream, drinking alcohol, or even doing nothing at all.
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Frequently asked questions
The incense used in the show was strawberry-scented.
Incense was used to cover up the smell of marijuana.
No, the show used "the circle" as a way to depict drug use without showing it directly due to censorship rules.
"The circle" is a camera technique where the group sits in a circle and the camera swivels from person to person, imitating the passing of a joint.
No, the actors did not smoke anything on set. The smoke effect was added digitally in post-production or created using a smoke machine.
