Smoking

Smoking

So what is the continued fascination with smoking and what makes smoking so attractive as a pursuit…?

The act of smoking itself is not sexy or cool but is determined by how the cigarette is being held and further whom it is being held by. The cigarette depicts males and females differently. An attractive man would be shown smoking to assert his 'maleness' as well as looking cool and sexy to the opposite sex whereas as attractive woman smoking would be seen a sex symbol of seduction. Marginalising those who are not considered attractive. If a fat, ugly woman/man was holding a cigarette I doubt we would find it too sexy! ‘Wealth could be indicated by a long cigar, poverty or desperation by a short stub clenched in the teeth’. In this way, being a man, woman, upper class, lower class, young and old demonstrates what it means to smoke.

Just because we see the ‘hottest celebrities’ smoke we are stupid enough to forget about the serious health implications involved in smoking e.g. lung cancer. Although, this was not the main aim of the lecture I feel that it is key in demonstrating what kind of society we live in - a copycat society in which there are 13 million adult smokers and many young smokers as young as 12 and 13.

No matter how many health hazard signs we put up it will always boil down to personal choice. Peer pressures hold a greater significance than any other, being able to ‘gel’ with other people is always vital whether in the education system or in the world of work or just 'doshing'. Smoking is a good excuse for socialising in ‘fag’ breaks, looking cool in front of fellow colleagues and showing that you are an exciting person willing to try different things. Having been to a number of different schools I noticed that it was always the ‘popular’ students who tended to smoke and of course those who wanted to gain popularity followed. Media again had a large influence. Many of the large icons in the entertainment industry depict smoking as ‘cool’ and ‘sexy’ and because of this it is an increasing problem among school children. Although smoking ban in public places helps combat the problem I think that people will just do it elsewhere. After all 'bad' is good!

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/01/141918.php