Smoking in the Movies

"It's usually the bad guys and their henchmen who smoke [in the movies], because it helps the audience identify them as evil." (from Anybody Got a Light? by Scott Castle)

Hmmm...

Well, here are the results from our recent poll: "Do you think smoking should be portrayed in movies?"

• 3 out of 5 people said, "Yes, if the story really warrants it." (60% of the poll)
• 1 out of 5 thinks, "Maybe, but only in Period Films." (20% of poll)
• 1 out 8 people didn't know what to think. (13% of poll)
• 1 cheeky person out of 15 said "Yes, every film needs at least one heavy chain-smoker." (6% of poll)
• 1 person said "No, never." (6% of poll)

We didn't ask about the "bad guys" smoking, but we suppose that that could fit into the "Yes, if the story really warrants it" choice. So, the question is, do we follow the Hollywood convention and make our "bad guys" light up a few cigarettes?

And what about this? Is it "smoking" if a cigarette is portrayed in an ash tray? Or if someone is just holding the cigarette, but never actually takes a puff?

Something to think about...