Smoking Kidman Sparks Controversy

Sydney Morning Herald ^

[Lunatic Fringe]

Australian actress Nicole Kidman has raised the ire of anti-smoking groups by lighting up a cigarette during her press conference at the Cannes Film Festival.

Footage was beamed around the world yesterday of Kidman lighting up at the annual event while promoting her new movie, Dogville.

The Oscar-winning actress was immediately admonished by the film's Danish director Lars Von Trier, but Kidman shrugged her shoulders and kept smoking.

It appears Kidman has smoked for years, with newspaper reports dating back to 1994 saying she had been spotted smoking.

Anti-smoking groups today said the image of Kidman smoking was a free advertisement for the tobacco industry and glamorised the habit.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) chief executive Anne Jones said Kidman was perpetuating the image that smoking was associated with glamour, independence and success.

"It's worth millions to the tobacco industry to have celebrities smoking," she told AAP.

"It's unfortunate that she smoked at a media conference that potentially went to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Ms Jones said she would write to Kidman's Australian publicist highlighting the actress's responsibilities as a role model to millions of young women.

"She does have a right to smoke, but what I'm just saying is that smoking in front of millions of people contains this unfortunate association between smoking and glamour and success," she said.

"I will leave it to her to decide how she wants to use that information.

"I think given her role model status it would be really greatly appreciated by health groups and maybe parents in general if she didn't smoke in such a way."

Six thousand Australian women die each year from smoking-related illnesses, and 21 per cent of all Australian women over the age of 18 smoke.

Australian Democrats Senator Lyn Allison said tobacco use cost $21 billion a year in Australia and Kidman should use her position to discourage smoking.

"Many of Nicole Kidman's fans are young women and they have particularly alarming rates of addiction to tobacco," she said.

Senator Allison called on the federal government to fulfill its promise to introduce legislation requiring all films depicting smoking to carry a warning.

AAP

[CaptRon]

It appears Kidman has smoked for years, with newspaper reports dating back to 1994 saying she had been spotted smoking.

Gambling at Rick's?!

Of course, she could have been doing blow for years and we'd hear nary a word from the Hollywoodistas.

[freedomlover]

Yeah, I know when I saw the conference, I just had to run out and buy a carton of smokes. I wanna be cool like Nicole

Same here when I saw the conference I wanted fun out and put on my white pumps/stockings/garter set and red wig and powder my face to that "dead gorgeous" pale look. But my wife was using the shoes and I was all out of hot red lipstick . . darn.

Uh, this IS a PRIVATE reply, isn't it???

[Nexus]

PHOTO?

[Mister Baredog]

When you die if you EVER smoked then you died from tobacco, if you add up the number of smoking deaths each year(according to the nazis) and the number of second hand smoking deaths each year, THEY ADD UP TO MORE DEATHS that all the deaths in the country. It reminds me of when Masters and Johnson said 10% of the country is homosexual. The gay community pushed this number for years, but it's pure BS!

[Liberal Classic]

That's exactly right, Chief. Smoking lamp is lit, smoke em if you got em.

[Cincinatus]

[CaptRon]

Ms Jones said she would write to Kidman's Australian publicist highlighting the actress's responsibilities as a role model to millions of young women.

And if I were Ms Kidman's publicist I would write to Ms Jones reminding her of her resposnibility to mind her own business.

[KarlInOhio]

Upon hearing this, I put an ashtray on my nightstand - just in case.

[Nexus]

[bray]

But glamorizing homosexuality which shortens your life an average of 20 years is great! Stone her!!!

Pray for GW and the Truth

[Nexus]

Hope I don't break any "rules" with this:

[HEY4QDEMS]

[Nexus]

Wow. Is that really her?

[gridlock]

Hope springs eternal in the human heart.

[Gamecock]

As requested, but just to keep bias out of it, I won't tell you which is which until you decide:

[Cincinatus]

Is that really her?

So Google.com tells me.

[netmilsmom]

She's now a hero of mine!

[ewing]

Is that 'Eyes Wide Shut' or 'To Die For?'

[Welsh Rabbit]

But I DO like her better for smoking in public and shrugging it off.

Me too. It's funny, I'm not a smoker, but all PC anti-smoking hysteria has made smoking seem like an act of rugged individuality nowadays, so I applaud people who shamelessly light up in public.

[mr.pink]

LOL...thanks.