Says an ad for Tipalet Cigarettes.
Gross.
Yet it wasn't in 1969. It was "alluring". Somehow suggesting that a faceful of cigarette smoke would loosen a girl's panties quicker than a Tom Jones hip swivel. (I'm old, OK?)
Smoking was sexy. Smoking was cool. Smoking was fun....
But that was then, before we knew that the big tobacco companies had lied to us, had tried (and succeeded) to get us hooked, and had made gazillions of dollars peddling their evil cancer sticks......
We're so much more sophisticated now. We don't fall for that bullshit anymore.....
And to a certain extent, we are.
As far as the harmful effects of alcohol are concerned, we DO know far more than the previous generation knew about tobacco. We are well aware of the dangers of drunk driving, drinking while pregnant, alcohol poisoning....most of us even know about the "safe" weekly drinking limits set by governments.
I knew all that. But I drank and drank and drank anyway.......
Why? Because it's normal.
Everybody does it!
And somehow, we subconsciously convinced ourselves that there was safety in numbers. If we were all doing it, if it was normal, then all that health stuff must be wrong, right?
Well guess what? We did just fall for that bullshit again......
The alcohol industry hasn't misled us. They have actively participated in safety campaigns, made sure that they remind us to "enjoy responsibly", and they have refrained from putting out the "cheesy"ads that the tobacco companies pumped out half a decade ago.
We could argue that 'alcopops" were a cynical move to attract younger drinkers, that the industry has actively pursued the female market, and that argument would be correct.
But they've been far cleverer than the tobacco industry ever knew how to be.
They recruited us to sell their shit - and they didn't even pay us!
Most people drink because other people drink. I first started drinking wine in the afternoon because I had friends that did. I first started drinking wine rather than a cup of tea, when I got home from work, because everybody did that, right? Pulling out a bottle of wine at a kids birthday party was fine - we should have fun too....after the school run, after a business meeting, during a business meeting, at lunchtime, the afternoon, the evening..........we did it, BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DID!!
This time, we can't shriek and blame big corporations for lying to us. We did it to ourselves!
Somehow, we have to squeeze the toothpaste back into the tube.
If we did such a good job of convincing everyone around us that booze was "cool", then we can reverse that.
I don't mean by being 'evangelical" and smug about how wonderful a sober life is (although it is, and I must admit, I do sometime feel a bit smug), not by preaching and pushing it down everyone's throats...
Remember how annoying those reformed smokers were, when they banged on and on about how wonderful everything smelled and tasted? Didn't you just want to punch them?
No, not like that.
Lead by example. Enjoy every moment of your life. Do stuff.
Live Your Best Sober Life!!
And maybe some day, getting all drunky drunk will be as uncool as huffing your fag * smoke over everyone....
WBxx
* "fag" means cigarette in England, my American friends. Otherwise that sentence would be weird.
True true true.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteOh my god! Just realised I quit smoking 10 years ago, more actually nearly 10 and half. I barely think about it now and always say to people I Luuuuuved smoking and I did, but then I always say immediately after...... "But if I had just one I would be back to a pack a day the next day. That makes me wanna cry because that is where I want to be with booze, like a dim and distant memory rather that the only thing I can seem to think about. Love the blog called 'Tired of thinking about drinking' cos it sums it up. One day I hope to be able to say "Oh wow, I just realised I quit drinking 10 years ago, no wait it's longer". Great post Wine Bitch
ReplyDeleteYou'll get there. One day you'll realize that you haven't given booze a single thought for a couple of days...and that comes sooner than you think xxx
DeleteI think alcohol is just as addictive as smoking (smug evangelical ex-smoker here!) but it's less disgusting (at least in the public factor). And is anyone EVER sad in an alcohol commercial? That would be more realistic: we see a woman sitting with a glass of wine, in the background her children are trashing the house, her husband is walking out the door with his younger girlfriend, something's on fire in the kitchen... hahaha!
ReplyDeleteTotally. I would also love to see "the Good Wife" wake up in the morning, all sweaty, with smeared makeup and a pounding headache, and no clean underwear.
DeleteHaha - your footnote just made me laugh. And how true is this post. Wouldn't it be great if one day, we have the same shift of attitude against booze as there is now with cigarettes. Red xx
ReplyDeleteHaha - your footnote just made me laugh. And how true is this post. Wouldn't it be great if one day, we have the same shift of attitude against booze as there is now with cigarettes. Red xx
ReplyDeleteI drank because it was normal in my family and friends.
ReplyDeleteEveryone drank, and some people drank a lot.
Very true!
xo
Wendy
Lead by example.... LOVE THIS!!!!! Every time I feel like I'm missing out when others are drinking or I'm such a bore not drinking I'm going to say that over and over to myself. I actually rarely feel the pull these days but this is going to help me. Thanks xxxx
ReplyDeleteAnd I mean by showing how happy and unbothered I am being AF not by preaching x
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