Smoking in films

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....Smoking-in-films.html

It has been suggested that films that show people smoking should be given an 18 certificate, do you agree?

Interesting to note most of these photographs show the ladies smoking, but there is one very famous old film scene missing, see video.

Why is it that females smoke differently to males? They generally fold their arms while holding a cigarette, and then put the cigarette in their mouth, draw on it, cock their head backwards and blow the smoke out into the air, just an observation, but personally I don't like to see the fairer sex smoke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KGiwGn1d8

[EvianBaby]

No, I dont' agree at all. I think it's pathetic.

Besides that, if you look at smokers in modern films it is not portrayed as something cool. Quite the opposite.

[bednobs]

personally i think that kids seeing eastenders, with people resolving all their troubles by just shouting at each other is worse. PS i have never seen anyone smoke like that - man or woman

[cazzz1975]

they definitely influenced me when I was a child, I used to find it hypnotising.

[sandyRoe]

You ever notice an actor, or actress, who doesn't smoke pretending that they do? They don't inhale and then immediately blow the smoke out. A waste of good carcinogenics.

[ummmm]

No....they see more smoking since the ban.

[EvianBaby]

I agree Bednobs. The sexual content in 'family' shows concerns me more.

[hc4361]

I can't wait to see your description of how a man smokes.

[Meg888]

It's total rubbish. If that's the case, anyone brandishing a gun or a drink in a film should be restricted to an 18.

Even with this in mind - what difference does it make. I doubt many smokers were actually encouraged to smoke by films - more like peer pressure. Plus, most of the youngsters I know watch what the hell they like - regardless of age restriction.

[cazzz1975]

I though bet lynch and her cigarette holder was very sophisticated..

[emmie]

i read that actors these days, if there are scenes showing them smoking, use these herbal cigarettes, so no harm done presumably. As to the old movies, well that was then, it was part and parcel of everyday life. In fact if anyone has seen the new film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, smoking features heavily, because that's what it was like at the time, almost everyone smoked.

[snags]

''Besides that, if you look at smokers in modern films it is not portrayed as something cool.''

Watch last year's London Boulevard starring Ray Winstone, Colin Farrell and Keira Knightly: in almost every scene at least one of the 'cool' characters is smoking or lighting one up...

In answer to the original question: no.

[craft1948]

As a smoker I don't think I notice an actor smoking as much as a non-smoker does..................

[anotheoldgit]

If they did away with drinking in films and TV programmes, we would all be glaring at empty screens.

No Queen Vic, no Rovers Return, no Woolpack, no pouring a stiff drink when one arrives home from the office, etc, etc.

[anotheoldgit]

em10

/// because that's what it was like at the time, almost everyone smoked.///

Yes remember those WW2 films, a service man gets badly wounded, and the first thing they did was to thrust a cigarette in his mouth and light it up.

[emmie]

AOG, that a fair point, and what gets me, is how many of these actors in soaps, swash down loads of booze, then get in the car and drive off, that's a poor way to behave in a tv drama, drinking and driving.

[AlBags]

As much of it the better.

I do like a nice rollie tho : )

[DrFilth]

i blame fred and barny
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZRxBtZLeUY

[EvianBaby]

"Watch last year's London Boulevard starring Ray Winstone, Colin Farrell and Keira Knightly: in almost every scene at least one of the 'cool' characters is smoking or lighting one up... "

Never heard of it but it happens to be an 18 anyway.

[andy-hughes]

I remember my dad telling me that during the war, all military personnel got their cigarette ration whether they smoked or not, so there was always plenty of ciggies around.

In films, it was seen as 'sophisticated' - hence the mannered way in which actresses smoked - it was a kind of code for flirting when actual flirting was frowned upon.

I don't think an '18' is appropriate for smoking - more so for the language and violence that is common in modern films.

Films like 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'The Blues Brothers' were 'X' rated - for eighteens and over, on their release in the 1970's - now they show as '15' - times have changed.

I do not object to swearing per se - just the notion that it is acceptable modern speech to be used anywhere by anyone.