Cameron: Smoking Cigarettes in Avatar Comments on Obsessive Gamers

[maninahat]

I actually miss the days when characters smoked all the time. Smoking did look cool back in the day, despite the fact that Humphrey Bogart and all those other actors died of lung cancer eventually. There is a hilarious scene in the original The Day The Earth Stood Still in which a bunch of doctors are marvelling about how a humanoid alien can stay so young looking yet be so old. Whilst popping out for a cigarette break, they speculate that the aliens must know something they don't.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Ugh. Much as I dislike smoking [as a smoker], this sort of dickery really gets to me. That scene is not going to encourage anybody to smoke. I thought it was a reference to Placebo [what's wrong with this picture?]...

 

[cleverlymadeup]

all i gotta say is who cares what they say? i'm glad i don't do stuff like that cause i'd tell groups like that where to go

 

[Flos]

If this thread doesn't disintegrate into 'smoking isn't bad for you/stop telling me how to LIVE!/GET OFF MY BACK WITH YOUR FACTS' I am going to be disappointed.

I don't quite make the connection that the girl not taking care of her body = people are too obsessed with something that's not reality. The avatar body was very much a reality that was better in every way possible, why shouldn't she care about it more? You can't become your WoW character or your Escapist name, but one could become a blue catelfperson in that reality.

 

[Jared]

Though I disagree with smoking in general, those people need to chill the fuck out.

Exactly...Its a bloody film ad the character isnt exactly young! God forbid someone with some age might sway the youth!

 

[Earthmonger]

All this talk of absurdly insignificant chemical usage in movies makes me want a smoke. Be right back.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Well in case this MP person failed to notice, the humans in Avatar were portrayed as the general pond scum of the Universe. So the fact that Seagorny Weaver's character was smoking is really a rather minor thing, and this is coming from a guy who detests smoking (me).

If it's O.K. for people to lie, cheat, steal and kill in PG-13 movies, why impose an inconsistent morality when it comes to smoking? I do agree that young role-model characters should not smoke in movies, especially in a way which suggests that it makes them cooler or more accepted by their peers.

You have to allow that stuff in movies otherwise you're not going to have very effective villains. Evil guys have to be shown doing evil stuff otherwise they're not going to be very convincing. Unless we want all Saturday morning cartoon villains.

 

[ButtonedDownParadox]

If anyone can even come out of this movie remembering that one character at one point asked for a cigarette after three hundred million dollars worth of fluorescent eye-fuckery...then congrats to them. They have more of an attention span than I. And they also probably realized the movie was not very good.

 

[HT_Black]

James Cameron, you are officially the patron saint of on-the-fly retcons, cover-ups, and fake-outs.

I mean, really-- you have to be a special kind of creative to pull that answer out of the air like that.

Also, about her not being a role model...when she drinks, swears, and smokes...

James, you might be a genius, but you sure as Hell don't understand teenagers.

 

[FinalHeart95]

I actually miss the days when characters smoked all the time. Smoking did look cool back in the day, despite the fact that Humphrey Bogart and all those other actors died of lung cancer eventually. There is a hilarious scene in the original The Day The Earth Stood Still in which a bunch of doctors are marvelling about how a humanoid alien can stay so young looking yet be so old. Whilst popping out for a cigarette break, they speculate that the aliens must know something they don't.

Haha, I have the look that up. The irony is killing me. XD

I have to take Cameron's side here. First of all, the anti-smoking group was taking things way too seriously. Also, people shouldn't make video games have more importance than their own lives. That's what he seems to be saying here, not that gaming causes people to kill one another.

 

[PuppetMaster]

As a 20 year old person-who-smokes-but-doesn't-consider-themselves-a-smoker I support this thread, but am dissapointed in Mr. Cameron for being diplomatic about this.
If I was a director making a movie about a war between different cultures over a precious resource where the "Americans" are agressive and short sighted and the 1st complaint I heard was that a charector smokes?
someone would be shot in the face

 

[suzukaGongen]

Okay then... so if the avatars are supposed to symbolize people who spend too much time online/playing games

and if he's claiming that this is a BAD thing

then what the hell does this make of... you know... the movie's finale? Considering our main character... um... BECAME one to save an endangered civilization?

Way to stay consistent there James.

 

[Schlorgan]

wow, of all the stupid things to complain about

 

[Schlorgan]

wow, of all the stupid things to complain about

 

[danosaurus]

Smoking disgusts me but nowhere near as much as these lemming morons who circle-jerk their hatred for something that happens in 90% of movies.

Feck off. Seriously.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

I think Cameron is throwing us under the bus so he doesn't have to argue...

I don't think so. He made his point, and it's a good one. SOME gamers give too much attention on their virtual existance and it detracts from their health. It's basically the same observation made by South Park in the WoW episode where they eat themselves into obesity while playing. And there really isn't much to argue, people have complained about the glamorization of cigarettes in movies for a long time and film makers have always taken the same stance.

 

[oneplus999]

I think Cameron is throwing us under the bus so he doesn't have to argue...

Thanks, Cameron.
I'm going to shove your 3D goggles down your throat.

so in Cameron's eyes all we do is smoke,drink and do drugs while gaming??

James Cameron, you are officially the patron saint of on-the-fly retcons, cover-ups, and fake-outs.

Some of the comments here have been sadly predictable. He's commenting on people who play videogames at the expense of their personal health. Are you defending people who would do this? I play MMO's, but I also eat healthily and play sports, so guess what? He's not talking about me. At no point did he say "everyone who plays videogames is a fat slob and should get off the couch." Get over it.

people shouldn't make video games have more importance than their own lives

yaaaaay! a glimmer of hope. tyvm.