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Perhaps I just didn't notice previously, but now that I am a 62 day EX smoker, it seems that I see more and more tv characters smoking and many are chain smoking. On tv shows, NETFLIX originals, PRIME, HULU, theater movies, etc.
Does this bother anyone else?
Or is it because I am a Newbie?
I quit smoking in May of 2017. Four months later, the Ken Burns documentary, "Vietnam", came out on PBS. It was basically 15 hours of people smoking non-stop. I am not kidding! Almost every single scene had someone smoking a cigarette. I was just beginning to feel like I had my smoking craves under control, and couldn't believe how much seeing someone on TV smoke made me want one. I could be with a smoking friend in person and be OK, but somehow, watching it on TV or in a movie was hard. I only watched the first few episodes, and saved the rest for later. I also had to quit watching the AMC series "Mad Men" for the same reason.
Glad i watched mad men before i quit.
Alcohol and cigs were the focus of every hour in the office.
I'm aware of it, but it really doesn't bother me. People really do smoke, so they're going to smoke in movies too. Especially if the movie is set in a time period where smoking was even more common. Not saying it's good, but don't think we should pretend people don't smoke. There are many other things in movies that I wouldn't do either!
Barb
Love your last line...
CONGRATS AND GOOD JOB!!! LIVING YOUR NEW NON SMOKER LIFE STYLE THE WAY YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IT! YAHOOOOOOO AND WAY TO GO!!!
Funny you should bring this up. YES.....but not because your a Newbie. I still notice it. I also notice people driving and smoking more than I ever did.
It does not bug me but makes me grateful I am not a slave to them anymore ...or stink like they do.
The shows like Mad Men, Mash and the like depicted the times. EVERYBODY smoked ALL the time, everywhere. I remember my family doctor smoking when he spoke to me, and an overflowing ashtray on his desk.
One of the all-time most disgusting ads:
I did not enjoy Mad Men because of the smoking AND the drinking depicted. I know now how awful those addictions can be!
Those of us growing up then were brainwashed into thinking BOTH were a normal part of a normal life.
Shame!
Nancy
On the old time actors that smoked (Lucy, Desi, etc.,) look back and see how many died from lung disease ... so many...scary...today, I see smokers on Netflix (ever watch the story (I can't think of name) Columbian drug cartel) everyone smokes so much though that show it makes me sick...that I remind myself, it was the 80's and so many of us from the 80's got hooked on cigarettes...everyone in the industry smoked...(Madonna, Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, etc.,) ... I wonder when Hollywood thinks they are so great, they would realize how much they effect and role model to younger people...now I ranted...I am so sorry...but at 91 DOF ... it doesn't bother me...except for the impression they give to younger people...~ Happy Monday ~ Colleen
I think it's a combination of both: We're noticing more because we've quit, but it's almost being shown on TV and streaming a LOT more than before. It's somehow become less taboo to show it on screen in order to be in sync with the times they're portraying. It still bothers me, I'm not gonna lie. I'll bet you if I were still a smoker right now I'd be lighting up every single time I saw someone on TV do it. It's legitimizing smoking in a way I haven't seen in a long time.
After more than five years, I still NOTICE. It used to seriously bother me, I could not watch Mad Men because I didn't start until after I quit. My daughter has been quit for over three years and she told me that she is extremely bothered by the smoking on the Netflix series "Stranger Things." I have watched that but it did not bother me...I still noticed it. Like Mandolinrain says, I am really grateful to be FREE!
Ellen
I notice it more now on TV then I did before I quit. In the beginning of my quit and into NML I would have to take the show off. For me it would have been like drinking or being with friends that smoked. I wasn’t ready for it. But now I’m very well aware of it. It makes me realize how we saw smoking as a cool romantic thing to do in my time. Just like there were no warnings on cigarette packs. I only hope now that we can stop the Vaping. It scares me that you g people will. think it’s cool and not addictive and dangerous , just like we did. I feel very very strongly about wanting to help them before it’s too late and then turn out like me
A son of a friend, in 30s was vaping. He had to start smoking again as step
1, to get off vaping. Then, he cut back and back and quit. He told his mom
vaping addiction much worse to quit.
BugsNBats14 That's terrifying. Our local paper has been featuring articles on the number of kids at the high school who are vaping now...some are even substituting the pods...is that what they are called? In their Juuls for THC...we could never smoke in school without getting caught but it is much harder to see if someone is using a Juul...from what I understand.
We were all so ignorant, had no knowledge, no education and just ate it up:
The "miracle of Marlboros" Amazing what they fed us, isn't it?!
But yes, even today they promote the heck out of cigarettes. We are just more aware of it because we've quit. No doubt the more modern movies, tv shows will start showing Juuls as the "cool" thing to do. I was going to put up a link to "Actors that make cigarette smoking look cool Part 2" but it kind of reminded me of what I think I miss once in a blue moon, and that would be a stupid video to put up. What I learned from it was - all of those smoking scenes that made the character seem "cool" could have been done in other ways - simply by certain gestures.
To answer your question - yes, it's bothersome to see all these movies with people smoking in them. But we've only become aware of it because we've quit. It was always right there in front of our uneducated noses. It's good that you're noticing it. Means you're beginning the separation process.