WEIRDLAND: Smoking messages in movies

Friday, September 24, 2010

Smoking messages in movies

Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal in "The Good Girl" (2002)

Kristen StewartJason SegelMarilyn MonroeMontgomery CliftJohnny DeppCary GrantTippi HedrenMilla JovovichWinona RyderJulianne MooreMilo VentimigliaJoaquin PhoenixJanuary JonesJessica AlbaBrad Pitt
Alain DelonBruce WillisAudrey HepburnJim CaviezelIngrid BergmanScarlett JohanssonKathleen TurnerEvan Rachel WoodAmber HeardJavier BardemRobert Downey Jr.Lindsay LohanRyan Gosling

Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).
Humphrey Bogart had smoked cigarettes for many years, and his cumulative exposure to tobacco was estimated to be 60 pack-years.

Gloria Grahame and Humphrey Bogart in "In a lonely Place" (1950)

"Through most of the 20th Century, movies with characters puffing away on cigarettes helped make smoking a popular, and in some circles, necessary status symbol. In the 1940s' and 1950s', Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, and scores of other established Hollywood stars always had a smoke in hand at some point in their films.
Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

Not surprisingly, moviegoers of all ages tended to associate cigarette smoking with glamour, vigorous youth, sexiness, wealth, and occasionally rebelliousness.
Despite efforts to diminish the presence and discredit the allure of smoking in films, 54 percent of movies with parental guidance ratings still have smoking in their narratives.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Tommy Cahill in "Brothers" (2009)

As long as smoking is legal, it is unconstitutional to ban the practice from appearing on the silver screen. Nonetheless, films containing smoking can still be rated "R", be preceded by anti-smoking messages, and be prohibited from displaying actual brands and receiving compensation for such actions". Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

2 comments :

Erin (penny. LA) said...

It's gross - but there's something sexy about oral fixation (like the character Nancy Botwin in Weeds).

Elena said...

absolutely, Erin, there is an association between smoking and insinuation which can be very erotic!