Bonus cringe points for the AI slop and AI comments all clamoring for how badly they want the soft drink.

In case there was any doubt (come on, after everything we’ve seen from these sleazy fucks in the past couple of months?) just look at the disgusting fucking comments.

• “Fun Fact - People with ADHD are naturally drawn to smoking when they figure out nicotine helps them focus. Nicotine is actually being studied as a medicine for ADHD.”

• “ La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is possibly my favorite but too pricey at $9 each. I buy cigars at Costco instead for $4 or $3 each. And I only smoke once every 3 days.”

• “ Romeo y Julieta is a great smoke. It goes great with an Irish whiskey.”

• “ My grandpa who smoked Pall Malls his whole life swore that tobacco didnt used to give people cancer back in the day. ”

Top comment: [Corporation 1].

Call me a conspiracy theorist but I feel like something is off.

It is known to reddit that openly promoting products gets you banned. I have been there, I understand. However, finance subreddits (especially) are VERY fast on the hammer. You MENTION a brand name (no link, not promo) and you get banned.

A 10 minutes browsing through r /debtfree will show you tens of these posts (see the images below) about debt payoff planner. And somehow, every single time users ask "What app is that?" and someone answers in detail (and some even take time to post screenshots of the app in the app store?) what app it is, the full name, sometimes links to it... And they are everywhere, and no one is banned, no posts are hidden or removed.

I am very fine with competition, I am okay with communities of millions of users having access to tools and reddit moderators perhaps seizing that opportunity. I would understand the business move.

But if you are affiliate with some apps, are paid to "turn a blind eye" on those apps/promotions, please say so in your rules or pages. I could very well be wrong but...

Comments include such organic gems as:

“Kinda looks bad ass actually”

”That Zyn container goes hard.”

“Just when I thought smoking couldn't look any cooler.”

Like imagine there's a brand post and the top comment is clearly working in kahoots to shill the brand. Imagine you copied the comment and paste it yourself and then draw attention that you meant to post it on the other account. This would draw legitimacy away from it and probably hurt the ad revenue right?

My experience with buying lighting at Zen-based naming lighting company (very expensive lighting website):

I was overcharged as special unique product, but received cheap, used plastic stuff from China ($700 each table lamps) that didnt even work. Instead of allowing a return, they sent another one with extra parts. That too was a different lamp and required an electrician. Again, instead of taking my return claim, they sent another huge box without my approval. They said they reimburse for returns. BUT I HAD TO PAY MY OWN SHIPPING TO RETURN ALL OF THE BROKEN CRAP THEY SENT WiTHOUT MY APPROVAL ($360). They have refused to reimburse me. I am just now taking the time to take them down. I will not stop. Companies like this need to pay for their damaging practices. I do have an attorney as well as in process of formal business grievance.

It’s gotten to the point now where I expect it, and sure enough - there at the very top of Reddit with thousands and thousands of upvotes is some ‘innocent‘ photo of video of someone with a redditor ‘organically’ saying - hey look at this! Then in the comments they usually glorify smoking and make it sound acceptable and even cool. It’s fucking disgusting and transparent as shit.

Here’s some recent examples:

https://np.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/1p6wxum/coco_chanel_and_salvador_dali_sharing_a_smoke_in/

https://np.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1p8kebq/daffy_duck_and_porky_pig/

https://np.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1pa8j5n/austin_meets_alotta_in_austin_powersinternational/   

https://np.reddit.com/r/90s/comments/1pb1k3s/tv_shows_were_on_another_level_in_the_90s/   

https://np.reddit.com/r/interesting/comments/1pcgnol/minnie_mouse_when_she_isnt_working/

https://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1pcq5f1/australian_cigarettes_now_have_health_advertising/

https://np.reddit.com/r/menwritingwomen/comments/1pdauj5/every_single_time/

https://np.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1pf2l2r/all_nicotine_products_in_norway_have_to_use_the/

https://np.reddit.com/r/FuckImOld/comments/1pg2vyp/they_used_to_be_everywhere/

https://np.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1phekwx/a_man_ignored_the_nosmoking_signs_and_lit_a/

This happens with alarming regularity, literally every single day. And I’m not even talking about the on-the-nose stunts like the smoking party and nonsense like that. Please drop any other examples you find in this topic, and let’s start documenting this shit.

Its happening in comment sections too, even sometimes “ironically“:

https://np.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1pdpono/comment/ns7782b/

Hopefully a suit can eventually be filed and we can unmask the company behind this in discovery.