Did Crockett stop smoking ?

[pahonu]

43 minutes ago, Paul Veres said:

In terms of the addiction, I think it's more in circumstantial associations rather then the biochemical pathways. It's always something like... a rainy day? Great to stand under a cover and smoke a cigarette watching the rain go down... Winter? A cigarette while you're brushing the snow off your heating up car... Cup of coffee? Better enjoyed with a cigarette... Alcohol? Well obviously... Exiting the airport? That's a good first one after surviving the flight... Waiting for a bus? You know one arrives as soon as you light up... Etc. When you quit it takes a long time to adjust living through all these things without a cigarette and craving.

But in terms of the image, there is certainly something interesting and almost mesmerizing, if you think about it (and stupid of course), in having a literal fire just few centimeters from your face, from which you are breathing. Like what kind of weird fire master are you to harness the flame like that and why?? It reminds me of combustion engine - sure, electric cars are the future, but there is just something cool about having literal explosions in front of you, thousands per minute, which magically propel you forward.

Then there are the accessories. A Zippo lighter sound... or no less classic sound of a S.T. Dupont lighter which can also be a stylish luxury piece:

An ashtray can make for some decor on your patio coffee table, and the variety is endless.

Cigarette boxes can be works of art, and made from everything from precious metals to pearl.

Which brings me to another point - it can be an element of your personal style. Jack Nicholson's Jake Gittes in Chinatown hitting a cigarette a couple of times on his silver cigarette box to pack the tobacco is just like Kevin Spacey's Frances Underwood double-tapping a hard surface with his signet ring, except the former usually signified a start of a conversation while the latter ended it.

But you can end a conversation with a cigarette alright: flick it forcefully to the side, or put it out assertively in an ashtray, either way it is clear you just delivered your punch line and this conversation is over.

And speaking of film, there are way too many movies where a character's smoking is almost a signature move. Whole actors really. De Niro's face when he's taking a drag - would be something else without it. 

Then there is sex... but of course, it's an oral fixation after all. In Body Heat it's so hot already in South Florida the last thing you need is a heat source at your face, but when she's standing out there trying to catch a breeze and smoking, our protagonist lighting up next to her means they're already almost acquainted. 

What would Sharon Stone do in Basic Instinct without a cigarette?

And a cigarette completes the handsome image of Don Draper. It's almost like he sounds wiser because of it.

And just as much as after sex one appears to need a cigarette after a deadly battle. You just managed to survive a barrage of bullets, surely some smoking stick can't kill you.

And this last screenshot from Altered Carbon brings me to the cyberpunk genre, where cigarettes appear to just stick around. Maybe as a dystopian symbol of death, or to contrast the technological advancements of the future. Here is a scientist, a scientist, of the future for Pete's sake, lighting one up getting ready to work on Major in Ghost in the Shell. 

So in summary, accessories are cool, blowing out smoke is cool, another way to express your style is cool... oh if only they didn't stink and weren't harmful!

But you know what, maybe cigarettes are cool exactly because we know they are harmful and annoying. It's almost like a gesture saying you can afford to smoke - look, I'm rich and in great health, this don't matter to me. Almost a sign of invincibility - you can't hurt me mother***kers, I'm already smoking:

And a token of defiance - I don't care what you think, I'm my own man/woman, I'm above you.

In my opinion Crocket shouldn't have quit, it was indelible part of his character since his very first scene of the pilot.

But I'm glad DJ smoked fewer cigarette due to that character change - every one counts for your health. 

I would argue that Sharon Stone, lacking the cigarette in Basic Instinct would be completely inconsequential given her other, more evocative gesture.  Seriously, I watched that film in the theater and didn’t even recall she had a cigarette after her “reveal”. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by pahonu

[johnnyfarragut]

[johnnyfarragut]

 Smoking looks great in old black and white films. With color it loses aesthetic appeal methinks

[pahonu]

12 hours ago, johnnyfarragut said:

 Smoking looks great in old black and white films. With color it loses aesthetic appeal methinks

I don’t think you could even have film noir without smoking! 

[johnnyfarragut]

On 12/15/2023 at 1:28 AM, pahonu said:

The remarkable detail is that all units, from three bedrooms to studios had a wet bar!  Think about that.  A unit that didn’t even have a bedroom, still had a wet bar with built in blender!!!  

The director Fritz Lang had a wet bar ... in the library! It's a thing of beauty.

 

[pahonu]

18 hours ago, johnnyfarragut said:

The director Fritz Lang had a wet bar ... in the library! It's a thing of beauty.

 

That’s amazing.  It looks like the shelves behind with glassware and bottles hinges closed into the rest of the bookcases.  Do you know what year this photo was?  I’d wager it was during Prohibition from ‘20-33, or at least it was built during that period.  Architects actually began to design hidden liquor storage into homes during the period.  

The Playboy mansion was built in the 20’s originally for a businessman named Letts and it had a hidden door with a spiral stair to a wine/liquor cellar.  A friend of mine from work used to live in a really cool 20’s French style cottage.  It had a fireplace at one end of the living room with small windows on each side and low bookcases below them.  The bookcase on the right hinged open and had three shelves just high enough for wine or liquor bottles and just deep enough for the same.  It was about three feet wide.  The one on the left was about four inches deeper but you would never notice it, especially with books or other things on the shelf.  I tell my students about it when we learn about Prohibition each year.

Edited December 30, 2023 by pahonu

[johnnyfarragut]

The picture was taken in 1932, so you're right on the money.

[TylerDurden389]

Seeing as how my avatar has me smoking, I guess I should chime in. When I actually stick to a proper exercise regimen, I can pretty much stop completely (I might have 1 a day or every other day) but between back pain and foot pain, I just haven't had the incentive, and as such, I've been lighting up more. Thankfully, 2 years ago I decided to cut back a bit. Instead of smoking 8-10 a day, I only have about 6 (maybe 7 on a bad day).

[Dadrian]

11 minutes ago, TylerDurden389 said:

Seeing as how my avatar has me smoking, I guess I should chime in. When I actually stick to a proper exercise regimen, I can pretty much stop completely (I might have 1 a day or every other day) but between back pain and foot pain, I just haven't had the incentive, and as such, I've been lighting up more. Thankfully, 2 years ago I decided to cut back a bit. Instead of smoking 8-10 a day, I only have about 6 (maybe 7 on a bad day).

“The secret to success, whether it’s women or money, is knowing when to quit.” Maybe the same for smoking, too.   

[RedDragon86]

What should motivate anyone to stop smoking is it puts years on your face, because it breaks down all of your collagen.

 

Edited January 13 by RedDragon86

[Paul Veres]

17 hours ago, TylerDurden389 said:

Seeing as how my avatar has me smoking, I guess I should chime in. When I actually stick to a proper exercise regimen, I can pretty much stop completely (I might have 1 a day or every other day) but between back pain and foot pain, I just haven't had the incentive, and as such, I've been lighting up more. Thankfully, 2 years ago I decided to cut back a bit. Instead of smoking 8-10 a day, I only have about 6 (maybe 7 on a bad day).

Try zyn bud.