Nicole Smokes? Oh No!!!

[mgidm86]

Nicole Kidman caught in the act! What will Hollywood do!?!?!

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/21/1053196627701.html

Australian actress Nicole Kidman has raised the ire of anti-smoking groups by lighting up a cigarette during her press conference at the Cannes Film Festival.

Footage was beamed around the world yesterday of Kidman lighting up at the annual event while promoting her new movie, Dogville.

The Oscar-winning actress was immediately admonished by the film's Danish director Lars Von Trier, but Kidman shrugged her shoulders and kept smoking.

Good for her!!!

First of all, I hate cigarettes. I'm not sure why this particular article got me going, but I am sick of the idea that we "common folk" are so stupid that we might start smoking if we see Nicole Kidman, or any other celebrity, lighting up.

Oh I know, it's because kids might see her. Well perhaps if children could see that these "role models" are just human beings who make mistakes and do dumb things like the rest of us, then they would know that these people are no better than anyone else and they should not be role models to begin with. Shouldn't parents see to it that they themselves are their childrens role models, and not some phony stranger on TV?

I'm sick of the Hollywood Hypocrisy. I watched "The Re-Animator" recently on TV. They showed a headless man walking around carrying his own severed head in a pan of blood so that he could see where he was going, nice and gross. Plenty of violence and blood in this movie (good flick too). But at the end of the film, when a woman is being given CPR (or something), they blur out her nipple. I am so thankful for Hollywood/Government for protecting me from such filth.

And now Nicole Kidman smokes!!! The world must be coming to an end!

People need to stop blaming others for their problems. Nicole made me smoke, McDonalds made me fat, Jackass (TV show) made me set myself on fire, Bush made me lose my job. A celebrity can take it upon themselves to be a role model, but society needs to stop expecting them to be one. We can get along just fine without you, thanks.

"Many of Nicole Kidman's fans are young women and they have particularly alarming rates of addiction to tobacco," she said.

[But it's okay for young women to see her tramping around on screen and showing her tits to her millions of adoring fans to make a few million bucks]

Senator Allison [Australia] called on the federal government to fulfill its promise to introduce legislation requiring all films depicting smoking to carry a warning.

WARNING: This film contains smoking and drug use (probably real drugs). Also, 35 bullets are fired, 8 nipples are clearly visible for several seconds, the lead actress eats at McDonalds, and midgets are exploited.

So I guess my point is that I'd be happy to see all celebrities show their "true colors" and bring themselves, and the rest of their adoring fans, back down to Earth.

 

[JAR]

Yes, it should be legal to have smoking commercials on television.

 

[mgidm86]

Uh...okay

Are they illegal in the US? I always thought hard alcohol commercials were illegal until the booze companies lifted their self-imposed ban on them. I do think you're correct about cigarette ads though, I'm just not sure.

I don't know if cig commercials should be legal. I don't see why not, cigarettes themselves are legal. It would be interesting to see what types of commercials would be created for pot if it was legalized.

 

[Cain]

This post lacks... focus.

Since you're almost apoplectic about the people criticizing Nicole Kidman's right to smoke (although doing so in public is bad taste), I'd suppose you'd never criticize a celebrity for speaking out against war because s/he acts on the big screen.

Hollywood has glorified smoking for years, but, omigod, the evil establishment has shifted course and it's open season.

The entertainment industry does not like how government blurs nipples (who put said nipples there in the first place?). Hardly any "hypocrisy" there. (The MPAA's ridiculous rating system deserves criticism: if a movie uses the f-word more than once, then it's automatically rated R. The sight of any kind of nipple gets an automatic R rating. The infamous orgy scene in Eyes Wide Shut (starring Nicole Kidman) was cut, but only North America. Europeans, because of slightly more enlightened culutral tastes, do not find bare breasts or nipples offensive.)

 

[hgc]

As a matter of fact, the US government does not regulate the showing of nipples (not directly anyway). This is self-censorship by the TV networks and stations (I assume the blurred nipple was on TV). Same goes for liquor ads and cigarette ads.

Now, as to why I added parenthetically above that the government doesn't regulate directly, it's that the broadcasters and cable channels self-censor partly to avoid the politicians getting so bent out of shape that they start taking intiative on such matters. They are always threatening.

 

[kittynh]

nicole...oh dear....

Well, considering that my pool boy has permission to leave me and become Nicole's pool boy anytime she'll take him, I feel saddened as he really hates cigarette smoke....


Nicole was on tv recently talking about how she swims and her healthy lifestyle that ensures her thinness. but, smoking helps! I know 2 teenage girls that took up smoking to control their weight. The sad part is that it worked.

 

[WildCat]

Nicole smokes? I'd better start now also. Did you see what brand of cigs they were? What brand should I smoke to impress her?

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I can't stand chicks that smoke. It's like kissing an ashtray, not to mention what it does to their skin.

Therefore, I want to be very clear about this, so as not to be accused of being a hypocrite - under NO circumstance will I ever sleep with Nicole Kidmann.

 

[Cain]

As a matter of fact, the US government does not regulate the showing of nipples (not directly anyway). This is self-censorship by the TV networks and stations (I assume the blurred nipple was on TV). Same goes for liquor ads and cigarette ads.

True, but as you say, "not directly". If network television chose to display female nipples in prime-time, then the government would immediately intervene. The current rating system, for example, was created to ward off government regulation.

I thought cigarette ads were banned by the government. For "hard" liquor, there's been unwritten rules (now broken by at least one network).

Laws governing content of the public airwaves date back to the supreme court case where a NY Pacifica station played George Carlin's seven dirty words bit. A man with his kid driving around decided to sue.

The point is... Hollywood cannot be branded "hypocritical" on this point. Otherwise we can call it "hypocritical" for the editing and formatting (against wide-screen in favor of full) done by Blockbuster (owned by Viacom).

 

[corplinx]

So I was on the Fiji island of Kandavu kicking it at an islander shindig. Some older aussies are there and are all lighting up their cigarettes.

Now, one thing I have found in travelling is that the easiest group to fit into is smokers. I don't smoke, but I can smoke one just to get into a group.

So, I walked up, asked if I could bum a smoke. Lit up. And I listened for a while as they talked about this and that. Then one of the aussie women says "smoking, its a filthy disgusting habit.... and I love it."

So no, I don't think Nicole is a bad example to aussies because of her smoking, we all know its bad. She's a bad example to aussies because she is in a cult.

 

[Crossbow]

Nicky does not have to worry about me kicking her out of bed for smoking!

She can saitate my anti-smoking ire with a giant bag of money.

 

[mgidm86]

Cain:
Since you're almost apoplectic about the people criticizing Nicole Kidman's right to smoke (although doing so in public is bad taste), I'd suppose you'd never criticize a celebrity for speaking out against war because s/he acts on the big screen.

Why would I? I may disagree with their opinion but they're free to say, or do whatever the choose. If people don't like it then they will suffer the consequences, just like anyone else. Just like Kidman is now.

True, but as you say, "not directly". If network television chose to display female nipples in prime-time, then the government would immediately intervene.

Maybe, maybe not. I'll concede to you that Hollywood wants to show whatever they can get away with on TV.

The real hypocrisy is the film industry chastising Kidman for smoking, as if the rest of the world thinks actors are perfect. How can Hollywood produce shows full of drugs, violence, smoking, more drugs and violence, plus all the nudity and sex they can cram into a 2 hour production, then turn around and accuse one of their own of not being a role model because she smokes?

They're like a bunch of politicians hiding the real filth of their industry in an attempt to project some kind of "holier than thou we look down on you" attitude. I guess they should be concerned about their image.

What really struck a chord with me though is the whole idea that we, the public, are so enamored with these celebrities and so fragile and stupid that we might start smoking because Nicole smokes. They are insulting..."Oh schplurg may start smoking because we are so important and everyone looks up to us".

Are we that weak? Are parents? We shouldn't hold celebrities to a higher standard because they aren't worthy of it. I wanted to put more thought into this but I have to leave...I'll be back later

 

[Rat]

So no, I don't think Nicole is a bad example to aussies because of her smoking, we all know its bad. She's a bad example to aussies because she is in a cult.

I was about to correct you there and say she was a New Zealander, based solely on my evidently faulty understanding of antipodean accents. I thought I'd better check before posting, and not only was I wrong (it is indeed an Australian accent), but she is in fact American by birth. I couldn't have been much more wrong.

Mind you, I would indeed kick her out of my bed whether she smoked or not.

 

[blackpriester]

I was about to correct you there and say she was a New Zealander, based solely on my evidently faulty understanding of antipodean accents. I thought I'd better check before posting, and not only was I wrong (it is indeed an Australian accent), but she is in fact American by birth. I couldn't have been much more wrong.

Mind you, I would indeed kick her out of my bed whether she smoked or not.

Are you blind ?

 

[Rat]

Are you blind ?

Nope. And neither is my other half, who may have some objections to a third party in our already cramped single bed.

 

[KelvinG]

I would like to take the high road here and say that even though Nicole Kidman smokes, I would still sleep with her.
I'm willing to overlook her bad habit and take one for the team.

 

[kedo1981]

what were you saying about nipples?

 

[blackpriester]

Nope. And neither is my other half, who may have some objections to a third party in our already cramped single bed.

It seems you and your other half don't have a "Top5"-List of people who you are unlikely to ever meet and thus are allowed to sleep with when the chance comes up?

I will have to keep my fiance away from Vin Diesel, Billy Bob Thornton, Angelina Jolie (I'd not be allowed to participate!) and two other guys I forgot - but Nicole (among 4 others) is mine...

 

[reprise]

So it's fine and dandy for celebrities to be seen drinking alcohol, but not smoking cigarettes - weird.

I'll bet the woman also has sex - what a shocking example for a role model to set!