What a shame.
Yesterday, as we were reviewing mainstream videos with smoking scenes for the upcoming issue of Smoke Signals, we paused to blog a beautifully-written diatribe against the anti-smoking zealots who repeatedly con the media into publishing the same story over and over again, claiming that there is more on-screen smoking in mainstream movies than ever.
However, the server company was doing maintenance work (which they said would be completed well before we wrote the entry) – and our Pulitzer-worthy rant was lost forever into the ether.
There’s no way we could re-compose such an incredible piece of prose.
Suffice it to say that the main points were:
- there is NOT more smoking in mainstream movies than ever – we watch a ton of them every month specifically looking for smoking, and we would love to see the anti’s REAL evidence.
- scenes that they *claim* are smoking scenes are usually just shots of a character holding a cigarette to establish something about the character (that they’re evil, perhaps?)
- Waxman, Reiner and the rest of that crowd, as well as the media that’s complicit in publishing completely untrue “facts” – should STOP LYING. If they want to make their case against smoking, so be it. But if it’s a valid case, there should be no reason to lie in order to make it.
Sorry you couldn’t see the original piece – we were very proud of it 
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Hmm…I think I have this post that you thought was lost in the ether.
Please correct me if I am wrong…but because of the magics of RSS…is this post what you were talking about?:
As we’re sitting here reviewing the last couple of month’s mainstream releases for smoking reviews in the upcoming issue of Smoke Signals, we’re once again getting a bit angry with the recent stream of articles we’ve seen about the prevalance of smoking in Hollywood movies. (It seems that the anti-smoking movement releases the same PR material once or twice a year, probably figuring correctly that after a few months, a press release with a new headline will seem “new� to the media.)
ATTENTION HENRY WAXMAN, ROB REINER AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA:
There is NOT more smoking in mainstream movies than there used to be. There is less. A LOT less. And much of the time when there IS what you call “smoking,� it is only actors briefly holding cigarettes to establish something about their character.
We know you don’t care. But as an organization that watches way more than our share of movies, watching for smoking scenes, we had to at least call attention to the facts – something you really don’t care about.
That is all.
Well? Is that the lost post of which you write? (according to my rss reader you blogged this yesterday.
Of course if I am right and I have retrieved your “incredible piece of prose” then I look forward to some kind of reward?
Comment by flamingo — February 12, 2006 @ 6:31 am
That’s it
And when we win the Pulitzer for it, you most definitely will share in the prize
Comment by Administrator — February 12, 2006 @ 5:59 pm
pleased to have been able to help you -keep up the great work!
Comment by flamingo — February 13, 2006 @ 3:19 am