My 58th movie this year was Valkerie with Tom Cruise and I wont really get into a review rather, but just right to my challenge.It is as follows......Smoking in the movies is maybe, just maybe the most irresponsible aspect of the movie making industry.I am well aware that this was brought on by having just seen a period piece war movie and I am also very much aware that there were a lot of smokers back then, but here is my point.Would anyone having just seen this movie set in nazi Germany in 1944 even notice if the film went the entire 2 hours without one cigarette?
Probably not.
I have a fun little game for you all in fact, and it goes like this.
STEP 1
Name 10 movies off of the top of your head that you have seen in the last couple of years or even some of your all time favourites.
STEP 2
To the best of your knowledge, try to recall how many of the 10 include scenes with either smoking or guns.
STEP 3
Marvel at the ignorantly high percentage in wich one or both of those occur.
It may not be fair to lump in guns with the cigs but the two actually typically go hand in hand.And it might not seem obvious at first with the guns, but keep in mind any scene with a cop in the backround.
These are sad staples in the movie industry and in most cases completely unneccesary.Its sort of like watching a soap opera during a scene with just one person.Idealy that single actor is busying him or herself with a glass of water/coffee or talking on the phone to take way from the fact that absolutely nothing else is going on in that scene.
More to the point and there is a point here, movies are the big brother to the world of television and t.v has its fair share of this pandemic as well.Never mind the cop shows.How about the sitcoms that the youth are watching.I wont get into the mass amounts of booze consumed on the small screen or even the guns but the whole point of attacking these dinks about smoking is that soooooo many stupid kids out there can get there hands on smokes a lot easier than booze or guns.Most high schools have areas just outside the school limit where these geniuses gather in there attempt to look cool.But there arent any gun/booze pits readily available.
So sorry smokers, you guys are bearing the brunt of this particular rant, but dont blame me.
Blame the movies.
There you go Hollywood, can you do it?Can you make a movie without guns or smoking, better yet, can you make 10 movies in one year without them?
This probably wont sway anyone in a high enough position to matter, nor will it sway any of the weak minded cool kids that still smoke.But if I dont start this movement now, no one will help it take off.
My closing comment is a fun one and lends creedance to my challenge.
Ive seen 58 movies so far this year.
40 of them had either smoking or guns or both in them.
Put THAT in your pipe Hollywood.
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Nice post!
ReplyDeleteDrugs, smoking, booze and guns have been a crutch for lazy storytelling for as long as there has been celluloid. It was more acceptable and ignored back in the 50's and 60's when the dangers of smoking weren't so prevalent, but in today's society it's almost inexcusable to glorify such a disgusting habit. The TV show Mad Men in particular, makes a point to highlight the booze and smoking of a 1950's Advertising exec. Mixing smoking, booze and sex is what lead to the culture of cool that has always accompanied these vices. I don't think that the elimination of smoking in particular would mean that people would quit, but I do think that it would deter new smokers from picking up the habit. Instead, we have a whole new generation indoctrinated with the idea that smoking = cool.