Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Latest Nicotine Addict


New Smoker Discovers That She's Hooked

This video has proven to be pretty popular on Youtube. There have been a number of comments stating that -- given her well developed style -- she's clearly not a brand new smoker.
I think that's right. It seems clear to me that this girl has been doing it for a little while and a good number of cigarettes have passed between those lips. I think the video tries to capture that moment of realization that she's flat out hooked. No possibility of denying it to herself any longer ... she is encountering the dramatic lifestyle adjustments of the full-time smoker, and all the private regrets that come with developing such a foolish habit.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

To start ....
















I'll start with these photos because they capture something very basic about the attractiveness of female smoking for me. A group of friends smiling and smoking together. Such images always suggest to me various stories of starting ... maybe having a picture taken with her 'first cigarette', inhaling a little, getting that giggling encouragement from the more experienced among you, etc, etc, until each member of the group falls in line.
Perhaps only one of these girls was a smoker when they first met ... "It's a disgusting habit, but she's really nice." Nights out drinking lead to the inevitable first cigarette, which steadily leads to regular bumming, buying the first pack, second pack, etc. Then having it extend past "only when I drink" ... before long each of you has picked a favorite brand that becomes a permanent fixture in your backpack and handbag, and, sadly, there will be a tear-filled conversation with mom and dad sometime soon.
Still, it's your life and you're old enough to make your own decisions. The thing is, you never really put any thought into this at all. No one really chooses to allow things to get to this place ... getting irretrievably hooked on the steady nicotine fixes ... it just sort of 'happens'. Eventually, you realize that you're just the latest dupe of Big Tobacco in an age when anyone with half a brain should be able to steer clear. But then the urge comes knocking again, and each time you fulfill it without much consideration of the consequences.
The beast couldn't gain a grip until you invited it in. But, alas, you did, and a lifetime as (gasp) a smoker is now your fate.