Hollywood's Responsibility for Smoking Deaths

The New York Times ^ | 8/9/02 | Joe Eszterhas

[GeneD]

You know Joe, I could say something about your moral obtuseness -- after all, anyone saying that Hollywood is responsible for more than smoking you'd label a NAZ -- a conservative, but we'll let it pass. Your famous and controversial scene is another thing. You seem a brave man, Joe: could you describe that scene for us -- in detail?

P. S. I think you're boasting about Basic cigarettes. Anyone know when they were introduced?

[Argus]

Liberal soul-searching always has this quality of being highly selective. Joe would never blame himself for contributing to higher rates of Aids and other STD's by glamorizing promiscuity and perversion in his movies, but CIGARETTE SMOKING! Ah, that's the great evil.

[funkywbr]

Sort of like Jane Fonda finding Jesus NOW!

[Rockiesrider]

I wonder if Joe will get on board with the tobacco companies states litigation. You know, maybe put monies in escrow to pay for the smoking related law suites? Just a thought Joe. It would help those whom your hurt. Bwaaaaaa...fat chance of that happening.

[chimera]

Yes, a rather selective sense of guilt. But its the liberal way, the easy way out. Blame smoking, and forget about all the other seaminess and various and sundry harmful addictions and lifestyle choices Hollyweird has glamorized over the years. And, of course, ignore and/or downplay any thought of individual choice or responsibility in any of it. I mean, geez, in my relatively short time (50 years) on this Earth, nobody has ever tried to force me to smoke. I chose not to, just as those who smoke likely made that choice themselves. Its no big deal. Like the Lady said, just say no...

[Psycho_Bunny]

"My, My! Look at me! Aren't I important!"

If he said anything else, let me know because I missed it.

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[Richard Kimball]

I had a helluva time getting off cigs. Amazing what seeing a guy with his jaw missing smoking through a stoma will do to you. Hope he makes it a while.

Amazing how many of us don't need God until we're looking the big D right in the face. Hope he's truly found Jesus.

[ClearCase_guy]

I don't get it. Does the media influence the behavior of the young or not? Do people smoke because the movies make it look glamorous? Rob Reiner recently said so, too -- so I guess it's true.

But what about the sex and violence? Do the movies convince young people to indulge in these risky behaviors? Should we get Hollywood to clean up it's act when it comes to sex and violence?

Silence from Joe.

[RabidBartender]

Wait, wait, wait....there might be something to this.

I'm certain that Ole Horseface herself, Julia Roberts, smoked in a few of her movies - which caused me to smoke. Therefore, one of the bleeding heart activist judges in California (preferably the 9th Circuit) should give me a lot of money. So much money that she'll have to marry 4 other guys to pay me....yeah, that's the ticket!

[vikingchick]

Does the media influence the behavior of the young or not?

That's a good point. And isn't the standard Hollywood scumbag response is to tell everybody to just turn off their TVs if they see something they don't like? But not when it comes to portraying smoking? What's going on here?

[Great Dane]

And the blame game goes on and on, I am responsible for my smoking..... no one else.

[Great Dane]

Joe would never blame himself for contributing to higher rates of Aids and other STD's by glamorizing promiscuity and perversion in his movies, It would be most refreshing if someone did, it won't be in my lifetime.

[Taliesan]

Let's see if we can summon the rationality to make distinctions: some of what he says is right, some is not. (surprise!)

When he says Hollywood has blood on its (sic) hands, he is right. Movies do glamorize smoking, smoking is a nasty and lethal habit, kids do try to be the "cool" people they see on the screen.

Artists are morally responsible for the foreseeable influences of their art.

But when he extends that moral argument to make a legal one, that smoking ought to be proscribed like heroin, he is suffering from the inability to make distinctions which typifies liberal culture, and in an ironic way, most on this thread.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I don't think smoking is every person's right anymore. I think smoking should be as illegal as heroin.

Just exactly what the world needs, Joe: another excuse for masked LEOs to kick in peoples' doors in the middle of the night.

But as long as it makes you feel better, Joe. That's the important thing.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

If this reasoning holds, then they are responsible for the majority of armed robberies, adulteries, murders, gangs, Mafia, and most sin, because they glorify all of it.

Hey...not too bad.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

Hollywood is also responsible for gun deaths and the wrongheaded use of firearms in general.It is not the tobacco industry or the gun industry that should be sued BUT HOLLYWOOD.

[Khepera]

How insensitive can you be?

[cubreporter]

You hit the nail on the head. Nobody forces anybody else to smoke! I smoked since I was 14 years old as did a lot of people. Most everyone I know has quit because we WANTED to quit. It was a choice to start and it was a choice to quit.

I don't like nudity and filth in the movies and therefore, it is MY CHOICE to not go and pay those ridiculously high prices to see these "stars" nude. Who cares? Anyway, it is MY choice.

As for the cigarette smoking...don't go where people smoke! It's like they all jump on the bandwagon when people want to see porn taken off a show. What do they say? they say "don't turn it on" or "turn off your TV" or "don't go to the movie"... well, its the same thing. Freedom of choce to smoke or not to smoke.
If there is a restaurant or bar that allows smoking then it is choice to go or stay away. It's simple. They just like to make it difficult when it suits their purpose.