[NEohioPAL]Smoking ban in public

Mon Apr 16 07:18:29 PDT 2007

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<P>I do dislike most arguements on neopal, but this one is kinda mind-boggling.</P>
<P>I'm sure Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., John Wayne, etc. etc. would not care to discuss the subject with Tony Brown.  But, they might.  And if they did- I do not know what they would say, but I'd be all ears (as my fingers rested on the Ouija Board...)  But, I'm sure, we have no idea what they would say on the subject.  One thing you can be sure of- you are putting words in the mouths of some of the greatest entertainers of our time.  Which isn't a very nice thing to do, and it doesn't make for a concrete arguement.</P>
<P>As far as Joe Eszterhas (he's a fellow Clevelander, let's try and spell his name right for respectful purposes), while he might rethink his position now on smoking, I doubt he'd go back and take a cigarette out of Sharon Stone's hand for the famous interrogation scene in Basic Instinct.  In fact, smoking was used as a characteristic trait in the movie detailing the "danger" the Shooter (Michael Douglas' character) was getting into.  He was "cleaning up his act" by "quitting drinking, smoking, women", and then he meets Catherine and takes up "drinking, smoking, and women".  </P>
<P>Smoking is a character trait used to show apathy, resilience, and control (among other things).  As far as smoking on stage goes- I really think it's a bad choice to do it in a room with little to no space for the smoke to go, other than the audience...  I wouldn't want someone to light a cigarette in a small room where it's just me and them, and I'd expect to not have to pay for that type of treatment.</P>
<P>But, to ban smoking from somewhere, say, The Drury Theatre at the Cleveland Play House is just a little...  extreme, wouldn't you think?  The fact is- you are more likely to get cancer from the sun walking into the show, than you are breathing the dissipated cigarette smoke that reaches you in the front row.  (Just because you can smell the cigarette doesn't mean you are breathing in the second hand smoke...)</P>
<P>If a production company can find a better way to have the actor "feign" cigarette smoking, but still  have it so I am not taken out of the play- more power to them, and I would be highly impressed with the ruse.  But, usually, I sit back and go: "Why is she not lighting the cigarette?  Oh, the actress must not be a smoker...  I'm watching a play."  It takes me out of it.  </P>
<P>We, as theatrical artists, are supposed to create a world on stage.  You want to ban smoking in a Parisian play set in Bohemian times?  That's just ridiculous.  They smoked then.  They were carefree then.  If the cigarettes are not meant for anything in the play, and can be cut without losing the playwrights' or directors' vision- hey, I'm all for it.</P>
<P>But, if it's meant to be a character trait, a beat, a reflection on the world at that time- just let it go.  It's art.  It's not supposed to have all these rules attached to it.</P>
<P>Sincerely,<BR>Matthew A. Sprosty<BR>   <BR><BR></P></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>From:  <I>chuck fink <thinkfinkent at yahoo.com></I><BR>To:  <I>neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com</I><BR>Subject:  <I>[NEohioPAL]Re: Smoking ban in public</I><BR>Date:  <I>Sun, 15 Apr 2007 21:14:33 -0700 (PDT)</I><BR>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>OK—you know what? (No, what, Chuck!?) This whole stink about smoking is getting quite stale, and there’s really no constructive purpose arguing semantics, at this point. Is the bottom line weren’t the disservice smoking, onstage or off, causes the majority of people who obviously care about their health, if not the stench that residual smoke causes, then there might be something to discuss here! I wonder what Joe Eszterhaus would have to say about this stupid moot debate, as he is one now suffering the ravages, slow as they are, of lung cancer—and one who has fought vigorously to ban smoking onscreen—when viewers only get the sense of smoke. So, there must be more to it, dont’cha think!? C’mon, folks… isn’t this just the stupidest waste of space, debating this issue, when the proof has been well 
established? I’m tired of this already! Hold an f’in unlit cigarette onstage, if you must, for </DIV>effect—or else puff on a gum cigarette with the funky powder blowing, where the only contact buzz one stands to get, is a sugar buzz! Enough, already—ya hear me!? Ridiculous already, isn’t it!? (Yes, Chuck—it is!) The glam days of Hollywood are gone! <SPAN id=lw_1176696585_0 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Sammy Davis, Jr</SPAN>. (succumbed to throat cancer), <SPAN id=lw_1176696585_1 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">John Wayne</SPAN> (lung cancer), <SPAN id=lw_1176696585_2 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Dana Reeve</SPAN> (victim by chance), <SPAN id=lw_1176696585_3 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Robert Preston</SPAN>, Forrest Tucker, <SPAN id=lw_1176696585_4 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px 
dashed">Warren Zevon</SPAN>, <SPAN id=lw_1176696585_5 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Peter Jennings</SPAN>, Yul Brenner, Andy Kaufman, <SPAN id=lw_1176696585_6 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Nat King Cole</SPAN>—that merry old soul, etc., etc. If you could go back and ask them if they’d change anything, subsequent to their diagnoses, I’m sure they’d have a few select words for our friend, Mr. Brown! Yeah, there’s a reason why this issue gets, and has gotten the attention it has… that’s because the sensibilities of the majority, out weigh the grasping at straws mentality of the shallow minority! Get with the times, folks—or else, just retreat to your own f’in island, and smoke to your lungs content!! Read up, Tony boy—there’s a lot of food for thought out there—the proof of which is in the pudding—or smoke, if you will. Passionate about this, am I? Uh, just a little bit. Can we move now... please!?!?! </FONT>
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