A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Smoking Doesn’t Kill People, Marketing Does

Photo: Russkin

Comments

128 responses to “Smoking Doesn’t Kill People, Marketing Does”

  1. kiana t. Avatar
    kiana t.

    well at least you look cool

  2. kiana t. Avatar
    kiana t.

    well at least you look cool

  3. Smartie! Avatar
    Smartie!

    Ya, he looks so cool.
    I’m going to start smoking to look like him.

  4. Smartie! Avatar
    Smartie!

    Ya, he looks so cool.
    I’m going to start smoking to look like him.

  5. J.R. Avatar
    J.R.

    Nah I’m pretty sure it’s smoking.

  6. J.R. Avatar
    J.R.

    Nah I’m pretty sure it’s smoking.

  7. Cupcaking Avatar

    It’s the best way to keep those pesky lungs from getting too healthy.

  8. Cupcaking Avatar

    It’s the best way to keep those pesky lungs from getting too healthy.

  9. mourning Avatar
    mourning

    Of course it doesn’t, just ask any of us who have lost precious loved ones to disease caused by smoking. Cool tattoo, but no props for a title making smoking seem cool (this also comes from a former hardcore smoker, and is not a slam on smokers, I know how strong the addiction is, but believe me, the heartache of losing someone to it is much worse).

  10. mourning Avatar
    mourning

    Of course it doesn’t, just ask any of us who have lost precious loved ones to disease caused by smoking. Cool tattoo, but no props for a title making smoking seem cool (this also comes from a former hardcore smoker, and is not a slam on smokers, I know how strong the addiction is, but believe me, the heartache of losing someone to it is much worse).

  11. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Huh? How does the title make smoking look cool?

  12. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Huh? How does the title make smoking look cool?

  13. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    That said, smoking looks great in photos in my opinion.

  14. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    That said, smoking looks great in photos in my opinion.

  15. mourning Avatar
    mourning

    Well, from the days when I would buy those stickers to slap over the gross warning labels on my pack of smokes, I had many that started as “Smoking doesn’t kill people, (whatever) does” – maybe those aren’t as widely used as I had thought, but we stuck them over our packs to laugh at the morons who scolded us for smoking, and to get a jab in at someone else while we were at it. That was the purpose of the stickers – maybe you had a totally different attitude in mind when coming up with the title, and I apologize for that confusion if I’m not getting what you meant. No biggie.

    However, my hypocritical side has to agree, I like the look of smoke especially in B&W photography. I just also hate that some kids (like the kid I was) take it as “Hey, I can look that cool too!” when they see an artistic shot including/featuring smoking. It’s one of those situations that you just can’t win, and people who are hurting from a recent loss, like myself, should probably just keep quiet and take it for what it is, a good pic. My apologies again for the misinterpretation.

  16. mourning Avatar
    mourning

    Well, from the days when I would buy those stickers to slap over the gross warning labels on my pack of smokes, I had many that started as “Smoking doesn’t kill people, (whatever) does” – maybe those aren’t as widely used as I had thought, but we stuck them over our packs to laugh at the morons who scolded us for smoking, and to get a jab in at someone else while we were at it. That was the purpose of the stickers – maybe you had a totally different attitude in mind when coming up with the title, and I apologize for that confusion if I’m not getting what you meant. No biggie.

    However, my hypocritical side has to agree, I like the look of smoke especially in B&W photography. I just also hate that some kids (like the kid I was) take it as “Hey, I can look that cool too!” when they see an artistic shot including/featuring smoking. It’s one of those situations that you just can’t win, and people who are hurting from a recent loss, like myself, should probably just keep quiet and take it for what it is, a good pic. My apologies again for the misinterpretation.

  17. Nyx Avatar
    Nyx

    No modified person smoking through their trach hole as a follow-up? I’d think that’d be even more impressive.

  18. Nyx Avatar
    Nyx

    No modified person smoking through their trach hole as a follow-up? I’d think that’d be even more impressive.

  19. Rhiannon Avatar

    As soon as I saw the title I thought of that Goldie Lookin Chains song… you know, “guns don’t kill people, wwwwappers do!”

  20. Rhiannon Avatar

    As soon as I saw the title I thought of that Goldie Lookin Chains song… you know, “guns don’t kill people, wwwwappers do!”

  21. Greg Avatar

    Yeah, hilarious. Like me talking to my induced-coma mother last year, after they kept her under because she was fighting the breathing tube that was keeping her alive as her lungs started failing and filling with fluid after a life of smoking (age 12 to 60).

    Smoking sure is funny. Too bad I can’t talk to her now to tell her the joke.

  22. Greg Avatar

    Yeah, hilarious. Like me talking to my induced-coma mother last year, after they kept her under because she was fighting the breathing tube that was keeping her alive as her lungs started failing and filling with fluid after a life of smoking (age 12 to 60).

    Smoking sure is funny. Too bad I can’t talk to her now to tell her the joke.

  23. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Are people seriously freaking out over this???

  24. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    Are people seriously freaking out over this???

  25. bluepen Avatar
    bluepen

    It’s amazing the things that people find themselves sensitive to.

    That said, the tattoo on his arm intrigues me. It almost looks like an old faded tattoo that was added onto to get that effect. I really like it!

  26. bluepen Avatar
    bluepen

    It’s amazing the things that people find themselves sensitive to.

    That said, the tattoo on his arm intrigues me. It almost looks like an old faded tattoo that was added onto to get that effect. I really like it!

  27. jess Avatar
    jess

    whatever. some people smoke. it’s their decision.

  28. jess Avatar
    jess

    whatever. some people smoke. it’s their decision.

  29. tucker Avatar
    tucker

    Yeah, people are freaking out. Convincing people that smoking will kill them has proven surprisingly hard.

    For someone so concerned with pride in and transcendence of one’s own body, you’re quick to get on board with damaging it with cigarettes.

  30. tucker Avatar
    tucker

    Yeah, people are freaking out. Convincing people that smoking will kill them has proven surprisingly hard.

    For someone so concerned with pride in and transcendence of one’s own body, you’re quick to get on board with damaging it with cigarettes.

  31. Imagine Avatar

    Wow, guys. Lighten up.

  32. Imagine Avatar

    Wow, guys. Lighten up.

  33. Xthoroth Avatar
    Xthoroth

    I think it’s lame because smoking really DOES kill people. Sure, some people smoke, and yeah it’s their decision (as Jess [14] said), but to say that smoking doesn’t kill people is dishonest.

  34. Xthoroth Avatar
    Xthoroth

    I think it’s lame because smoking really DOES kill people. Sure, some people smoke, and yeah it’s their decision (as Jess [14] said), but to say that smoking doesn’t kill people is dishonest.

  35. Dann Avatar

    dude, in today’s world, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t know that danger’s of smoking. That being said, it’s each person’s individual right to smoke or not smoke.

    people die in car crashes every year. Yet, there aren’t anti-car commercials, people people yelling at drivers. It’s the same kinda thing.

    I know old people who have smoked their entire life and are fine. I also know people who have died of lung cancer from smoking. Just like i’m sure we all know people who have died from car accidents.

    It’s someone’s choice. Just like anything else.

  36. Dann Avatar

    dude, in today’s world, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t know that danger’s of smoking. That being said, it’s each person’s individual right to smoke or not smoke.

    people die in car crashes every year. Yet, there aren’t anti-car commercials, people people yelling at drivers. It’s the same kinda thing.

    I know old people who have smoked their entire life and are fine. I also know people who have died of lung cancer from smoking. Just like i’m sure we all know people who have died from car accidents.

    It’s someone’s choice. Just like anything else.

  37. Katti Avatar
    Katti

    Love the tattoo. Cute, too n_n

  38. Katti Avatar
    Katti

    Love the tattoo. Cute, too n_n

  39. kuroneko711 Avatar

    Ok, people sed to seriously chill the fuck out. Its people like you that are the reasons books get baned, you’re too damn sensative and have to bitch about an artistic photo showing someone smoking.

    That being said, I like the photo. very cool.

  40. kuroneko711 Avatar

    Ok, people sed to seriously chill the fuck out. Its people like you that are the reasons books get baned, you’re too damn sensative and have to bitch about an artistic photo showing someone smoking.

    That being said, I like the photo. very cool.

  41. Chaq Avatar
    Chaq

    Smoking is totally revolting, but Shannon is right that is does look great in photography, particularly B+W. That said though there is a big difference between a still life pair of wet lips with a trail of smoke obscuring a pair of heavy-lidded sultry eyes and the moving reality of a pursed pair of cat’s-bum lips drawing furiously at a ciggie before exhaling a belch of bluish smog that gets caught in the smokers eye and makes them grimace like they’re having a pencil shoved in their ear-hole.
    And you don’t even get high off a cigarette!

  42. Chaq Avatar
    Chaq

    Smoking is totally revolting, but Shannon is right that is does look great in photography, particularly B+W. That said though there is a big difference between a still life pair of wet lips with a trail of smoke obscuring a pair of heavy-lidded sultry eyes and the moving reality of a pursed pair of cat’s-bum lips drawing furiously at a ciggie before exhaling a belch of bluish smog that gets caught in the smokers eye and makes them grimace like they’re having a pencil shoved in their ear-hole.
    And you don’t even get high off a cigarette!

  43. JenO33 Avatar
    JenO33

    Greg, sorry about your mom. I lost my father-in-law the same way.

    To go back to the posted pix, I really like the shading with the tribal. Haven’t seen that, many times before… or it might just be me.

  44. JenO33 Avatar
    JenO33

    Greg, sorry about your mom. I lost my father-in-law the same way.

    To go back to the posted pix, I really like the shading with the tribal. Haven’t seen that, many times before… or it might just be me.

  45. XslimerX Avatar

    i’m pretty sure it does

  46. XslimerX Avatar

    i’m pretty sure it does

  47. Vern Avatar

    Im pretty surprised too see so many people, especially in this community, so non supportive of one’s own decision.

  48. Vern Avatar

    Im pretty surprised too see so many people, especially in this community, so non supportive of one’s own decision.

  49. Brady Avatar
    Brady

    Props for him smoking, it’s his decision and none of yours.

  50. Brady Avatar
    Brady

    Props for him smoking, it’s his decision and none of yours.

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