Smoking Kidman Sparks Controversy

Sydney Morning Herald ^

[Lunatic Fringe]

Australian actress Nicole Kidman has raised the ire of anti-smoking groups by lighting up a cigarette during her press conference at the Cannes Film Festival.

Footage was beamed around the world yesterday of Kidman lighting up at the annual event while promoting her new movie, Dogville.

The Oscar-winning actress was immediately admonished by the film's Danish director Lars Von Trier, but Kidman shrugged her shoulders and kept smoking.

It appears Kidman has smoked for years, with newspaper reports dating back to 1994 saying she had been spotted smoking.

Anti-smoking groups today said the image of Kidman smoking was a free advertisement for the tobacco industry and glamorised the habit.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) chief executive Anne Jones said Kidman was perpetuating the image that smoking was associated with glamour, independence and success.

"It's worth millions to the tobacco industry to have celebrities smoking," she told AAP.

"It's unfortunate that she smoked at a media conference that potentially went to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Ms Jones said she would write to Kidman's Australian publicist highlighting the actress's responsibilities as a role model to millions of young women.

"She does have a right to smoke, but what I'm just saying is that smoking in front of millions of people contains this unfortunate association between smoking and glamour and success," she said.

"I will leave it to her to decide how she wants to use that information.

"I think given her role model status it would be really greatly appreciated by health groups and maybe parents in general if she didn't smoke in such a way."

Six thousand Australian women die each year from smoking-related illnesses, and 21 per cent of all Australian women over the age of 18 smoke.

Australian Democrats Senator Lyn Allison said tobacco use cost $21 billion a year in Australia and Kidman should use her position to discourage smoking.

"Many of Nicole Kidman's fans are young women and they have particularly alarming rates of addiction to tobacco," she said.

Senator Allison called on the federal government to fulfill its promise to introduce legislation requiring all films depicting smoking to carry a warning.

AAP

[Liberal Classic]

Anti-smoking groups today said the image of Kidman smoking was a free advertisement for the tobacco industry and glamorised the habit.

Gee, we can't have that, can we?

[battlegearboat]

Nicole is smoking hot!

[Colosis]

Worse than hitler.

[sarasota]

Why should we care if the Hollywoods smoke? As if they are gods and goddesses and must set an example against tobacco?
Get real.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Nicole can do anything she wants, Ive always viewed her as a smoking babe and I didn't even know she smoked.

[Rummyfan]

Oh my gawd!

[ewing]

Must be a slow Australian news day..

[Welsh Rabbit]

"It's worth millions to the tobacco industry to have celebrities smoking," she told AAP. "It's unfortunate that she smoked at a media conference that potentially went to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Yeah, I know when I saw the conference, I just had to run out and buy a carton of smokes. I wanna be cool like Nicole... / sarcasm off

[Mr. Bird]

"She does have a right to smoke, but what I'm just saying is that smoking in front of millions of people contains this unfortunate association between smoking and glamour and success," she said

And, Ms. Jones, you have the right to speak your mind. Now do shut up, please.

Someone better get AMC and TCM on the horn and have them edit out Bogie and Bacall's smokes. They looked way too cool....

[RonF]

O.K. I'm anti-smoking. But if a private citizen chooses to light up a cigarette in a location where the owner says it's O.K. to smoke, it's her right and the anti-smoking groups should buzz off.

I never liked kissing smokers, but I could probably make an exception for Nicole.

[mr.pink]

Ms Jones said she would write to Kidman's Australian publicist highlighting the actress's responsibilities as a role model to millions of young women.

Side by side photos of Ms. Jones and Ms. Kidder would help me decide who's right on this matter.

[Michael.SF.]

Australian actress Nicole Kidman has raised the ire of anti-smoking groups by lighting up a cigarette during her press conference at the Cannes Film Festival.

Must be a real slow news day in Australia.

[SouthernFreebird]

You've come a long way Baby.......

[Pete]

Senator Allison called on the federal government to fulfill its promise to introduce legislation requiring all films depicting smoking to carry a warning

If we have to include warnings against all the destructive behaviors depicted in films, we will never get to the movie.

Of course, we don't need to issue warnings on all of them. Just the ones chosen by our PC elite. Now we only need to wait for the warnings concerning those things that are 'harmful' as defined by the same group releasing the warning. Such things as guns, marriage between a man and a woman, church, homeschooling, too much freedom, private property, personal responsibility, relying on something other than the federal governement, etc. You get the idea.

[nmh]

If she'd been smoking a joint, all would be well in Hollyweird and with liberals around the world.

[TheBigB]

Australian actress Nicole Kidman has raised the ire of anti-smoking groups

Some folks need their ire raised once in a while.

[BrooklynGOP]

Yea, and her dress is a put down to those women who are out of shape.

[Judith Anne]

I thought Kidman was a liberal, and didn't much care for her. But I DO like her better for smoking in public and shrugging it off.

[PISANO]

From this NON smoker to Nicole. Freedom is great isn't it? Pay no attention to the socialist/marxists who know what is best for you and me.