Young, hip and rising advertising icons may get to cut in line at clubs, but they won’t get a break from the police. Just ask Ben Curtis, better known as the “Dell Dude” from the advertising campaign for the computer manufacturer.

Curtis was charged with criminal possession of marijuana in New York City after a narcotics task force observed him allegedly purchasing a bag of weed from 19-year-old Omar Mendez on Feb. 9.

In a triumph for sanity in this country’s on-going war on drugs, Curtis was released from jail the following day. His record will be expunged if he stays out of trouble for a year.

But you can’t expunge the countless newspaper and magazine articles with clever headlines like, “Dude, you’re getting a cell,” and less clever headlines like, “Dude, you’re getting arrested.” The opportunity to incorporate the word “dude” into the page is too tempting for any editor to pass up.

But the damage to Curtis may already be done. Dell had already been using less of the Dell Dude in favor of the less entertaining “Intern ads,” but they had not announced plans to cease the Dell Dude campaign. In fact, the Dell Dude’s popularity has spawned numerous fan sites and brand recognition for Dell. Dell even had a page on their website devoted to the Dell Dude.

Many in the advertising community give the Dell Dude credit for some of their recent success. Dell just announced record earnings and revenues for the fourth quarter, beating the street estimates and pocketing $603 million in profits. The “slacker next door” image of the Dell Dude obviously hit home with consumers as Dells desktop and laptop shipments were up 24 percent and 33 percent respectively.

And it is not as if spliff smoking is completely out of character for the Dell Dude, whose casual dress, easy going demeanor, hemp necklace, messy hair and constant use of the word “dude” are all consistent with stereotypes associated with pot smokers. It is not like we are dealing with Big Bird getting busted for buying tar heroine.

Still, it is hard to imagine that Dell won’t shy away from future Dell Dude promotions. It seems silly to conclude that the recreational pot use of their spokesman would hurt sales, but why take the chance? The parents of the Dell Dude’s friends may not have assumed he was straight edge, but every parent begins to ask questions when the house guest has an arrest on his record, and that’s bad for business.

Marijuana use is becoming increasingly accepted in this country, but it has a long way to go before it enjoys the legal status afforded to such drugs as alcohol and tobacco. While some states and localities have legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized recreational use, many states and the federal government continue to track down and arrest the most minor drug offenders in a continuing war on drugs.

Despite our culture’s slow moves towards rational marijuana control policies, many law enforcement officials stick to their hard line when it comes to illegal substances.

Considering that Manhattan and the entire nation are on high terror alert, you would think that the narcotics task force would have more important things to do than busting dime bag dealers. I don’t know how many police hours are spent busting pot smokers or how much money is spent booking, processing and prosecuting offenders, but it does seem that our priorities are a little messed up.

While Curtis may have escaped with little worse than a tarnished reputation (or increased character credibility, depending on how you look at it), countless other recreational drug users and dealers around the country are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Wisconsin’s budget woes are due in part to a ballooning prison budget, due in part to the increased incarceration of non-violent drug offenders.

Curtis was not a victim last week. He knew that marijuana possession is illegal and he purchased it anyway. The court even gave him a pretty good deal, considering he will have no criminal record if he purchases his weed with extra caution over the coming year.

Come to think of it, there weren’t any victims on that particular evening, except for the taxpayers of this country who foot the bill for “lock ’em up” law enforcement when it comes to non-violent offenders.

A.J. Hughes ([email protected]) is a software developer and UW graduate.