Will Storr

Oh, yeah. This is one of the stories I really like because it really shows you how people care about identity far more than they care about their own lives. And it's just an argument that you can't understand why humans smoke without understanding our need for status and need to have this kind of higher status identity. You know, I used to smoke. You know, I started smoking in the 90s. And

Oh, yeah. This is one of the stories I really like because it really shows you how people care about identity far more than they care about their own lives. And it's just an argument that you can't understand why humans smoke without understanding our need for status and need to have this kind of higher status identity. You know, I used to smoke. You know, I started smoking in the 90s. And

You know, we knew back then that smoking was going to kill you. We knew it was addictive and it was going to make your, you know, your breasts stink, your clothes stink. It's going to cost you a fortune. And yet we still did it. Like, why did we do it? Well, we did it because it, you know, makes you perhaps 8%, look 8% cooler when you're at the gig. You know, like that's why we did it.

You know, we knew back then that smoking was going to kill you. We knew it was addictive and it was going to make your, you know, your breasts stink, your clothes stink. It's going to cost you a fortune. And yet we still did it. Like, why did we do it? Well, we did it because it, you know, makes you perhaps 8%, look 8% cooler when you're at the gig. You know, like that's why we did it.

You know, we knew back then that smoking was going to kill you. We knew it was addictive and it was going to make your, you know, your breasts stink, your clothes stink. It's going to cost you a fortune. And yet we still did it. Like, why did we do it? Well, we did it because it, you know, makes you perhaps 8%, look 8% cooler when you're at the gig. You know, like that's why we did it.

You know, it's ridiculous. It's crazy. And, you know, that's kind of what they found. And in the book, I tell the story of, how, you know, when cigarettes kind of, um, were, became popular after the, the, the war because they packed tobacco into the, into their ration packs in the first world war and the second world war.

You know, it's ridiculous. It's crazy. And, you know, that's kind of what they found. And in the book, I tell the story of, how, you know, when cigarettes kind of, um, were, became popular after the, the, the war because they packed tobacco into the, into their ration packs in the first world war and the second world war.

You know, it's ridiculous. It's crazy. And, you know, that's kind of what they found. And in the book, I tell the story of, how, you know, when cigarettes kind of, um, were, became popular after the, the, the war because they packed tobacco into the, into their ration packs in the first world war and the second world war.

So all these veterans, these soldiers came back smoking cigarettes, smoking, took on this very masculine, um, rebellious identity. Like if you've been to war and walked out of it, you smoked, you know, that kind of thing. So it's very masculine thing to do. And then there's this brilliant, um, genius, Sigmund Freud's, um, nephew, um, was hired by, um,

So all these veterans, these soldiers came back smoking cigarettes, smoking, took on this very masculine, um, rebellious identity. Like if you've been to war and walked out of it, you smoked, you know, that kind of thing. So it's very masculine thing to do. And then there's this brilliant, um, genius, Sigmund Freud's, um, nephew, um, was hired by, um,

So all these veterans, these soldiers came back smoking cigarettes, smoking, took on this very masculine, um, rebellious identity. Like if you've been to war and walked out of it, you smoked, you know, that kind of thing. So it's very masculine thing to do. And then there's this brilliant, um, genius, Sigmund Freud's, um, nephew, um, was hired by, um,

cigarette company to try and get women smoking and this was in the 20s when you know feminism was just becoming this big massively powerful kind of cultural force and so he he said that so he paid lots of um like debutantes and vogue models to appear um uh some big sort of flashy event in new york or smoking cigarettes and and they were photographed and you know um Um, it was shown everywhere.

cigarette company to try and get women smoking and this was in the 20s when you know feminism was just becoming this big massively powerful kind of cultural force and so he he said that so he paid lots of um like debutantes and vogue models to appear um uh some big sort of flashy event in new york or smoking cigarettes and and they were photographed and you know um Um, it was shown everywhere.

cigarette company to try and get women smoking and this was in the 20s when you know feminism was just becoming this big massively powerful kind of cultural force and so he he said that so he paid lots of um like debutantes and vogue models to appear um uh some big sort of flashy event in new york or smoking cigarettes and and they were photographed and you know um Um, it was shown everywhere.

So, you know, arguably this is a high status thing. And, and he, he ran these ad campaigns saying the cigarettes were, yes, they're rebellious, but that's why feminists should smoke because feminists, you call them torches of freedom. They're torches of freedom. And it was massively, you know, massively, um, successful, you know, and again, an appeal to identity.

So, you know, arguably this is a high status thing. And, and he, he ran these ad campaigns saying the cigarettes were, yes, they're rebellious, but that's why feminists should smoke because feminists, you call them torches of freedom. They're torches of freedom. And it was massively, you know, massively, um, successful, you know, and again, an appeal to identity.

So, you know, arguably this is a high status thing. And, and he, he ran these ad campaigns saying the cigarettes were, yes, they're rebellious, but that's why feminists should smoke because feminists, you call them torches of freedom. They're torches of freedom. And it was massively, you know, massively, um, successful, you know, and again, an appeal to identity.

And so that traveled across to the UK in cinema. So in Hollywood, heroines started smoking cigarettes, Marlon Dietrich and people like that. And so women in the UK started smoking too. So the whole story of smoking is all about status. It's all about identity. And, and, and that's how it fades out as well.

And so that traveled across to the UK in cinema. So in Hollywood, heroines started smoking cigarettes, Marlon Dietrich and people like that. And so women in the UK started smoking too. So the whole story of smoking is all about status. It's all about identity. And, and, and that's how it fades out as well.

And so that traveled across to the UK in cinema. So in Hollywood, heroines started smoking cigarettes, Marlon Dietrich and people like that. And so women in the UK started smoking too. So the whole story of smoking is all about status. It's all about identity. And, and, and that's how it fades out as well.