'Pack of Cigs and a Bic Lighter': Why Are Celebs Glamorising Smoking Again?

Christian Cowan's show at New York fashion week in February featured models smoking on the runway | GETTY IMAGES
BBC: rat summer might be over as we grapple with how dark it is at 4pm, but the concept of being a brat – “pack of cigs and a Bic lighter”, according to the singer Charli XCX – lives on.

There's Rosalia gifting Charli XCX a bouquet of cigarettes on her birthday, Addison Rae smoking not one but two at the same time in her music video Aquamarine, and the actor Paul Mescal saying he refused to give up smoking when getting into shape for Gladiator II.

…

Despite this, singers, actors and influencers seem to be bringing smoking back into vogue - quite literally, with cigarettes making a return as on the New York Fashion Week runways earlier this year as accessories.

So, why are cigarettes being glamorised again?

Lucy, a 20-year-old university student, says she took up smoking recently because "it's just what everyone does".

Almost all her friends also smoke and she says it's more than just a habit, it's an aesthetic.

"I definitely think everyone trying to be brat has influenced people to start smoking because Charli herself says you have to have a pack of cigs if you really want to embody the vibe." » | Yasmin Rufo, BBC News | Sunday, November 3, 2024

EAT your HEARTS OUT Keir Starmer and Chris Whitty! Smoking is making a comeback! None too soon, either! As unhealthy as smoking might be, it is infinitely healthier than the alternatives of drugs. And far healthier than those unhealthy and uncool vapes, too. And then there's all the rest of the poisons that people injest today — just for kicks. People will always look for kicks, especially the young.

Starmer, you haven't got a snowball's chance in hell of outlawing smoking. Especially for the young. Smoking is pleasurable, cool, sexy, and alluring. After all, who wants to watch a love story from Hollywood with the main characters sharing a vape? It doesn't quite cut it, does it?

In spite of any laws that might be passed in Parliement, smoking will not be killed off. Smoking cigarettes will live on long after our do-gooding politicians will be kicking up daisies! Long live pleasure! Long live freedom! Long live the right to choose! — © Mark Alexander

Related stuff here.

American Nazis - The German American Bund

Jan 14, 2021 | This video is about the history of the German American Bund, an American Nazi Party infamous for its giant rally at Madison Square Garden.

Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries.


WIKIPEDIA: 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden »

Even in Hollywood…

…age takes its toll.

French Screen Star Alain Delon Dies Aged 88

THE GUARDIAN: The celebrated actor and star of Plein Soleil and Le Samouraï has died, his children have said

Alain Delon, the celebrated actor who starred in a string of classics such as Plein Soleil, Le Samouraï and Rocco and His Brothers, has died aged 88, his children have told French media.

“Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as [his dog] Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father. He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” they said in a statement, adding that the family had asked for privacy.

Identified with French cinema’s resurgence in the 1960s, Delon played a string of cops, hitmen and beautifully chiselled chancers for some of the country’s greatest directors, including Jean-Pierre Melville, René Clément and Jacques Deray. He also made films with auteurs including Luchino Visconti, Louis Malle, Michelangelo Antonioni and Jean-Luc Godard – though never quite succeeded in his attempts to make it in Hollywood. » | Andrew Pulver and Kim Willsher in Douchy | Sunday, August 18, 2024

Mesmeric and beautiful, Alain Delon was one of cinema’s most mysterious stars: Whether playing the lover opposite Marianne Faithfull or the assassin in Le Samouraï, the prolific French actor, who has died aged 88, was a symbol of the lost beauty of the 60s »

MADAME FIGARO : Alain Delon, ses amours, ses amis, ses rôles cultes : 12 photos qui racontent la légende : Saisir la quintessence d'un acteur immense… C'est l'ambition du livre événement signé Denitza Bantcheva, Alain Delon, amours et mémoires, qui retrace l'odyssée du monstre sacré. L'auteure en décrypte pour nous les moments-clés. »

LE FIGARO : Alain Delon, la légende du cinéma, est mort : L'acteur français, né le 8 novembre 1935, est décédé dimanche 18 août à l'âge de 88 ans. Sa beauté d'ange diabolique et sa présence féline révolutionneront le cinéma dans les films de Clément, Melville et Visconti. »

Update: Old Hollywood Stars You Didn’t Know Were LGBTQ+

Aug 2, 2024 | Welcome to TimelessHollywood! We're thrilled to have you join us on our latest adventure in 'Update: Old Hollywood Stars You Didnt Know Were LGBTQ+'. From epic landscapes to thrilling experiences, get ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime! Music by Kevin MacLeod

Rock Hudson - Hollywood and Closeted Sexuality | True Story Documentary Channel

Jun 1, 2024 | There are two reasons to revive interest in the Hollywood star Rock Hudson in 2010: If he had not died of AIDS 25 years ago, it would have been his 85th birthday in November 2010.

The film portrays a very male-looking gay leading man who had to perform a secret balancing act between the heterosexual Hollywood world and the dark side of closeted sexuality. In fact, he was someone who always needed to tell lies. He had to become a very good actor even in real life.

The film includes interviews with his French doctor, Dr. Philippe Siou, and Dr. Michael Gottlieb, Rock’s American doctor who became the first physician to describe a new disease that would later become known as AIDS. And with friends like Stockton Briggle and his personal secretary Mark Miller, Yanou Collart, his French PR manager, Armistead Maupin, bestselling author, Richard Dyer, film historian, Robert Hofler, author of the book “The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson”, Richard Anderson and Salome Jens, co-stars of “SECONDS”, Leonard Stern, producer of Hudson’s TV series “McMillan&Wife” and Hollywood reporter Rona Barrett.

Ryan O'Neal

A screenshot taken from the following photo gallery in the Guardian.
PHOTO GALLERY: Ryan O’Neal: a life in pictures: Hollywood actor Ryan O’Neal, who starred in Peyton Place, Love Story, What’s Up, Doc? and Barry Lyndon, has died at the age of 82. We look back at his career »

It seems that I wasn’t alone in finding Ryan O’Neal unsettlingly, devastatingly, stunningly handsome, Peter Bradshaw, the writer of the following articles did too:

Ryan O’Neal was a captivating and absurdly handsome movie star: The late actor’s beauty was used for a string of roles, including Love Story and Paper Moon, but he also displayed a rare comic prowess »

Ryan O’Neal, Master of the Offbeat Meet-Cute: The former boxer had a gift for mixing innocence and wit. It didn’t hurt that he had the face of a good guy. »

Related content and comment here.

Donald Trump Makes Lewd Remarks about Women on Video | NBC News

Oct 7, 2016 | In a 2005 conversation with Access Hollywood Donald Trump discusses his approach to some women.

WARNING! This video is NOT suitable for children. Nor Is it suitable for the prissy. It is vulgar, filthy and extremely sexist.

I am posting this video on Donald Trump because I believe that it shows the man’s true, base and ignoble nature. That he should be running for the highest office in the US yet again, that the American electorate hasn’t already had enough of this vulgar man is beyond my comprehension. In my opinion, after the trouble he has brought on the USA, he should not be allowed anywhere near the White House.

Americans clearly have a very different understanding of what a president should be and how he should behave than I do. Trump will not make “America great again’ as he so frequently boasts; rather, if he gets re-elected, he will make America the laughing stock of the world. Moreover, he will fill Vladimir Putin and Xi Xinping with glee. – © Mark Alexander

Ryan O’Neal, Who Became a Star With ‘Love Story,’ Dies at 82

THE NEW YORK TIMES: He was a familiar face in movies and on TV before his breakout performance opposite Ali MacGraw in the 1970 blockbuster. But it was overshadowed by years of personal problems.

Ryan O’Neal’s performance opposite Ali MacGraw in the hit 1970 movie “Love Story” made him an instant star. | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Ryan O’Neal, who became an instant movie star in the hit film “Love Story,” the highest-grossing movie of 1970, but who was later known as much for his personal life and health problems as for his acting in his later career, died on Friday. He was 82.

His son Patrick O’Neal confirmed the death in a post on Instagram. It did not give the cause or say where he died.

Mr. O’Neal was a familiar face on both big and small screens for a half-century. But he was never as famous as he was in the immediate aftermath of “Love Story.”

He was 29 years old and had spent a decade on television but had made only two other movies when he was chosen to star in Arthur Hiller’s sentimental romance, written by Erich Segal (who turned his screenplay into a best-selling novel). His performance as Oliver Barrett IV, a wealthy, golden-haired Harvard hockey player married to a dying woman played by Ali MacGraw, garnered him the only Academy Award nomination of his career. » | Aljean Harmetz | Friday, December 8, 2023

Ryan O’Neal, Hollywood actor and star of Love Story, dies aged 82: Death of star of Paper Moon, What’s Up, Doc? and Barry Lyndon announced by his son Patrick O’Neal »

Ryan O'Neal, Oscar-nominated star of Love Story, dead at 82: American actor Ryan O'Neal, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in 1970 romance Love Story, has died at the age of 82, his son said. »

Ryan O’Neal: Love Story star and Oscar nominee dies aged 82: American actor also starred in Paper Moon and for decades dated Farrah Fawcett »

How very sad! I was a student in London when Love Story premiered here in the UK. I remember driving to a cinema in Leicester Square to watch the film. It was a devastatingly beautiful film! I left the cinema star-struck! The first thing I did the following Monday morning was go to a bookshop to buy the book. I believe I have it here to this very day.

Ryan O'Neal was devastatingly handsome in the film; in fact, he was probably my very first crush! After watching that truly wonderful film, I started being unsettled about my sexual orientation. (I was not out at that time.)

Ryan o'Neal was my dream-lover. The All-American college-boy.

A wonderful era has ended. – © Mark Alexander

Michael Douglas: Am Anfang war der Name | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Nov 15, 2023 | Manchmal ist es nicht leicht, der Sohn seines Vaters zu sein - vor allem in Hollywood. Michael Douglas kann davon ein Lied singen. Als ältester Sohn des grandiosen Schauspielers Kirk Douglas stand er lange Zeit im Schatten seines berühmten Vaters. Es brauchte einige Zeit, bis er sich davon abgrenzen konnte und zum eigenständigen Star wurde.

Vater-Sohn-Beziehungen können schwierig sein, vor allem wenn man im Rampenlicht steht. Und besonders, wenn der eigene Vater jahrzehntelang einer der wichtigsten Vertreter des Hollywoodkinos war. Der Apfel fällt bekanntlich nicht weit vom Stamm. Douglas zu heißen, sich selbst zu behaupten und Michael zu werden – der älteste Sohn des großen Kirk Douglas hat einige Zeit gebraucht, um sich aus dem Schatten seines Vaters zu lösen. Die Dokumentation zeigt die außergewöhnliche Karriere von Michael Douglas, der als Schauspieler und Produzent in die Fußstapfen seines Vaters trat und selbst zum Star wurde. Ob in der Rolle des zynischen Banditen oder des romantischen Verführers – Michael Douglas ist seit über 50 Jahren im amerikanischen Kino zu Hause. Er produziert Meisterwerke, in denen er selbst mitspielt, und wurde sowohl für seine Tätigkeit als Produzent als auch für seine Schauspielleistungen oscarprämiert. Trotz seines Erfolgs musste er immer wieder Hürden überwinden: seine Alkoholsucht, sein chaotisches Privatleben, eine Krebserkrankung und die Drogenprobleme seines Sohns Cameron, der gar wegen Drogenhandels zu mehrjähriger Haft verurteilt wurde. Nachdem Michaels Vater Kirk Douglas 2020 mit stolzen 103 Jahren verstarb, wurde Michael zum charismatischen Oberhaupt des Douglas-Clans. Amine Mestari zeichnet in seiner Dokumentation das bewegte Leben des Schauspielers unter Verwendung von bis dato unbekanntem Archivmaterial nach. Er geht der komplexen Vater-Sohn-Beziehung auf den Grund und zeigt, wie Michael, der lange Zeit lediglich als Sohn wahrgenommen wurde, schließlich selbst zur Hollywoodgröße aufstieg, so dass Kirk Douglas nunmehr oft als der „Vater von Michael“ bezeichnet wird. Michael Douglas spricht in „Michael Douglas – Am Anfang war der Name“ mit frappierender Ehrlichkeit über sich selbst und sinniert über den Schauspielberuf und das Leben insgesamt.

Dokumentation von Amine Mestari (F 2022, 53 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 13/12/2023

Hitler's Jewish Soldiers

Aug 23, 2021 | Many men who were partly of Jewish ancestry served in the German armed forces during WW2 - find out how and why they ended up in Hitler's army.

Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries.

Meet the Fresh Face of Monaco: Alexandre Grimaldi, Prince Albert’s Eldest Son, Gives His First Solo Interview Exclusively in the December Issue of Tatler

TATLER: He’s the grandson of Grace Kelly, the eldest son of Prince Albert II of Monaco, and for 20 years he has kept his life private. Now, Alexandre Grimaldi is ready to talk. He tells Eilidh Hargreaves how he really feels about his royal roots, growing up in Knightsbridge and finally going public

A VERY MODERN ROYAL: ALEXANDRE GRIMALDI, DRESSED IN DIOR MEN, IS REINVENTING MONACO'S ROYAL FAMILY FROM THE INSIDE
TATLER: He’s the grandson of Grace Kelly, the eldest son of Prince Albert II of Monaco, and for 20 years he has kept his life private. Now, Alexandre Grimaldi is ready to talk. He tells Eilidh Hargreaves how he really feels about his royal roots, growing up in Knightsbridge and finally going public

A butler approaches a quiet table at the Four Seasons hotel in downtown New York, where a prospective resident of the city is talking about his father. He can tell my tablemate is special – the pristine cream outfit, the beautifully twisted braids, the gentle poise that denotes power – and can’t help but cut in. ‘So are you an actor or a musician or..?’ ‘No, I’m not,’ the young man responds in a voice so soft you have to lean in to hear. ‘Where are you from?’ the butler persists. ‘Monaco,’ replies Alexandre Grimaldi, with graceful finality.

It’s a moment of high comedy. With royal composure and Hollywood looks, Alexandre – Alex, really – is the fresh face of the House of Grimaldi: the son of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his former secret girlfriend, Nicole Coste; grandson of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. At 20 years old, gently fist-bumping friends in the lobby, he is a very modern Monegasque ambassador. And now, sitting forward in Nike Air Forces and a Y-3 tracksuit for his first solo interview, he’s ready to talk. » | Eilidh Hargreaves | Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Arnold Schwarzenegger on Self-help, the Israel-Gaza War and Why He'd Be a Good US President

Oct 28, 2023 | Despite being 76 years old, Arnold Schwarzenegger shows no signs of stopping.

The bodybuilding champion turned Hollywood star turned US politician, now in the ‘fourth act’ of his life, has reinvented himself into a motivator, and written a book, ‘Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life’, about guiding people to achieve a ‘happy, successful, useful life’, inspired by his singular American experience.

Today on Ways to Change the World, Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy how he can ‘be useful’, why world leaders are failing to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict and why America needs a new candidate to enter the presidential race.

Produced by Silvia Maresca and Alice Wagstaffe.


More on Arnold Schwarzenegger here.

Princess Margaret’s Steamy Affair with Eddie Fisher Revealed: ‘The Sex Was Explosive’

Margaret was secretly engaged to divorcee Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend at the time. | Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
NEW YORK POST: Princess Margaret — the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II — engaged in a torrid affair with Hollywood superstar Eddie Fisher in 1953, with Fisher reportedly bragging he satisfied the royal “multiple times” during “explosive sex.”

“Eddie never talked about Princess Margaret in public, he respected her too much, but he told me about their encounter many, many times during our marriage. He looked back on it with great affection,” Terry Richard, Fisher’s fourth wife, told the Daily Mail in a new interview.

Details of the tryst, down to the “cigarette smoke and expensive perfume,” are included in Richard’s new memoir, “Beauty Queen Dreams,” the outlet reported. Richard, 69, was married to Fisher from 1975 to 1976. He died in 2010.

Fisher, then 24 and single, met Princess Margaret, then 22, in 1953 at the Red, White and Blue charity ball at the Dorchester Hotel in London attended by Queen Elizabeth

“He told me she was tiny with the most beautiful piercing blue eyes. He sang for 45 minutes at the ball and directed all his love songs straight at Margaret. When Eddie turned on the charm, he really turned it on,” she added. » | Jack Hobbs and Tracy Swartz | Sunday, October 22, 2023

Cartier, les joailliers des rois - Une histoire du luxe | Documentaire complet

Dec 24, 2020 | Il y a des noms qui signifient beaucoup. Ils ont franchi le cap de la célébrité, de la gloire, pour devenir des symboles, des mythes.

Il en va ainsi du nom de ces trois frères qui fait miroiter l’éclat de pierres précieuses et plus encore. Leur patronyme les rattache aux plus gros diamants du monde, à des boucles d’oreilles dépassant le million de dollars, aux cours d’Europe et aux gloires d’Hollywood.

La réussite de Cartier tient d’une alchimie mystérieuse ou une place importante est laissée à l’invention. Mais rien ne serait possible sans le travail obscur d’artisans hors pair. Un film de Mark Shekter

The History of Gay Hollywood

Jul 13, 2023 | Hollywood, despite the best efforts of executives and studio heads, has been gay since the day it was born. In this video we'll explore the first seventy years of Tinsel Town's not-so-private closet. From silent film and federal investigations to the golden age of coding and the rise of out and proud queer cinema.

Please note that this is a very long documentary, so I haven't yet been able to find the time to watch it all the way through. I hope and trust that it does not contain particularly sensitive content. I doubt that it does, because YouTube doesn't usually allow such videos to be embedded on external websites. – Mark

Fran Drescher’s Fiery Speech against Hollywood Studios Goes Viral as Actors Strike

Jul 14, 2023 | The Nanny star blasts Hollywood studios after talks between the actors’ union and studios fail to avert a strike, calling them 'disgusting' for claiming they’re losing money while 'giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs'.

Fran Drescher is president of Hollywood's biggest union, Sag-Aftra. About 160,000 of its members are joining the Writers Guild of America in a strike, marking the biggest shutdown of Hollywood since both unions last went on strike together in 1960.

The unions are fighting for better terms with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros Discovery


Read the accompanying Guardian article here.

Les acteurs d'Hollywood rejoignent les scénaristes dans un mouvement de grève inédit : Les tournages, déjà ralentis, sont complètement à l’arrêt depuis l’échec des négociations entre syndicat et studios concernant une revalorisation des salaires. »

„Wir sind hier die Opfer. Wir laufen Gefahr, durch Maschinen ersetzt zu werden“: Hollywood im Stillstand: Nach gescheiterten Verhandlungen mit den US-Filmstudios legt die Schauspielergewerkschaft ihre Arbeit nieder. Auch die Drehbuchautoren streiken seit Wochen. Das gab es seit 60 Jahren nicht. »

Meghan Labeled Untalented as Fallout from Collapse of Spotify Deal Rumbles On

THE GUARDIAN: Entertainment executive Jeremy Zimmer reportedly said: ‘Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent’

The Duchess of Sussex had a $20m podcast deal alongside her husband Prince Harry with Spotify until it was terminated this month. Photograph: Samir Hussein/WireImage
A wave of criticism directed at the Duchess of Sussex after the collapse of her podcast deal with Spotify has gathered pace, with a leading Hollywood agent labeling Meghan “untalented”.

Jeremy Zimmer, chief executive of the United Talent Agency (UTA), reportedly made the comments during a discussion on podcasting, and the role of celebrities, at an advertising festival in Cannes, France, according to a report by the Semafor webite. » | Guardian staff | Nonday, June 26, 2023

Audrey Hepburn: Remembered | The Hollywood Collection

Feb 23, 2016 Audrey Hepburn was one of movies best-loved stars, blessed with beauty, talent, an elegant sophistication, and an enduring aura of youthful innocence.

As Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, she spoke for the world’s suffering children and families, earning an affection and admiration that only increased with news of her untimely death.

From the star herself we learn of her career, and the family and friendships that were her priority. Directors Billy Wilder, Blake Edwards and Stanley Donen, composer Henry Mancini, actors Gregory Peck, Mel Ferrer, George Peppard and Roger Moore, fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy and others, join Rob Wolders and Sean Ferrer to help complete this loving portrait. With clips from Roman Holiday, Sabrina, War and Peace, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, My Fair Lady, Two for the Road, Robin and Marian and more.

Tucker Carlson Leaves Fox News in Surprise Announcement

THE GUARDIAN: Far-right cable news host leaves with immediate effect with interim presenters replacing him

Tucker Carlson on 17 November 2022 in Hollywood, Florida. Photograph: Jason Koerner/Getty Images
The far-right Fox News host Tucker Carlson is leaving the channel, the network abruptly announced Monday.

“Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the company said in a statement. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”.

The statement added that the last episode of Carlson’s program was Friday. Beginning Monday night, the 8pm ET slot which was Carlson’s would be hosted by a rotation of personalities until the selection of a new permanent host, according to the network. » | Sam Levine in New York | Monday, November 24, 2023

ALSO READ:

Live Updates: Fox News Parts Ways With Tucker Carlson Days After Dominion Settlement: The announcement came less than a week after the network agreed to pay $787.5 million in a defamation lawsuit in which Mr. Carlson’s show, one of the highest rated on Fox, figured prominently. »

‘Wow’ and ‘OMG’: shock after Fox News announces Tucker Carlson departure: Many are surprised by news given Carlson’s popularity, while several conservative pundits expressed displeasure »

What to Know About Tucker Carlson’s Rise: A Times examination of the host’s career and singular influence at Fox News shows how his trajectory traces the transformation of American conservatism itself. »