History Main / RandomSmokingScene

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhm-22Q0PuM This ad]] for Herman Cain (at the time a candidate for the [[AmericanPoliticalSystem 2012 Republican nomination for President]]) features Cain's Chief of Staff Mark Block talking about what Cain hopes to achieve by running...and then, towards the very end, a shot of him taking a drag off his cigarette. It comes out of nowhere and counts as a BigLippedAlligatorMoment, as well. Combined with the closing shot of Cain slowly turning to the camera and slooooooowly smiling, the ad [[MemeticMutation quickly went viral]].

* Dana Scully from ''Series/TheXFiles'' smokes exactly once in the entire series out of stress while she is by herself in a hotel room, but does not mention it to anyone or even make note of it onscreen. The cigarette is just ''there''. The actress playing Scully is a smoker. In that episode, everyone involved became temporary, literal {{Cosmic Plaything}}s thanks to a rare planetary alignment. It briefly turned the town into a CityOfWeirdos, including the visiting agents.

** In the episode "The Cave of Skulls" (part 2 of the very first story in the show), the First Doctor is shown [[GoodSmokingEvilSmoking lighting up a pipe]] upon landing on prehistoric Earth - the story is about him being captured by a group of cavemen who want him to create fire for them, but he loses his matches. This was 1963, and public opinion about showing heroic characters in children's shows smoking changed soon afterward, meaning that neither he nor any of his future incarnations are ever seen smoking again. (The ExpandedUniverse, which is a bit less child-friendly, has it that Four occasionally smokes a pipe too or at least enjoys sharing them socially, Eight has a taste for cigarettes and Two is [[TheStoner a bit of a stoner]].)
** "The Deadly Assassin" has a scene where the Fourth Doctor uses a hookah and a pile of his clothes in a chair as a DecoyGetaway, so as to create the illusion that he's smoking in the corner with his back to the door when the Time Lord guards break into his TARDIS. Since he isn't ever seen smoking on screen, it comes across as a bizarre part of the illusion. He isn't shown actually smoking it, though he [[OralFixation pops the end of the pipe into his mouth]] while he's setting it up. Later in the story, though, he [[WakingNonSequitur wakes up from beside a machine that's been burned out]] by saying "do you mind? This is a non-smoking compartment."
** The Doctor has a cigarette case in "The Face of Evil". It only has jelly babies in it, though he mimes with them like they're cigars.

** In the WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse cartoon ''Disney/TheBraveLittleTailor'', the story takes place in a fairy tale setting in the Middle Ages. Yet the giant decides at one point to roll himself an enormous cigarette! Perhaps the historical setting started to annoy him?

** Montage of several smoking scenes in the Looney Tunes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ApxnNyAeGg)

* Although not in the show itself, ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' did commercials extolling the great taste of Winston cigarettes.

* ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier'': Smoking is implied to be exceedingly rare or non-existent among humans in ''Franchise/StarTrek'', but St. John Talbot, the human ambassador to Nimbus III, is nevertheless smoking a cigarette in one scene. None of the characters seem to notice or point this out.

* ''Film/WhatWomenWant'': After Marshall's female psychiatrist discovers that he can hear what women think she is so shocked that she decides to smoke a cigarette. She admits it's "highly unorthodox", but yet it's still a strange reaction.¨

* When first introduced in the ''{{Discworld}}'' series, head wizard Mustrum Ridcully is, in ''Discworld/ReaperMan'', a militant non-smoker. He adamantly refuses a cigarette claiming that if you could see the inside of your own lungs you'd think twice. But in ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'' he is seen searching his rooms, late at night, for smoking materials, as he really needs tobacco. Either the pressures of the job made him take it up or this is a continuity error/random smoking scene.

** "The Deadly Assassin" has a scene where the Fourth Doctor uses a hookah and a pile of his clothes in a chair as a DecoyGetaway, so as to create the illusion that he's smoking in the corner with his back to the door when the Time Lord guards break into his TARDIS. Since he isn't ever seen smoking on screen, it comes across as a bizarre part of the illusion. He isn't shown actually smoking it, though he [[OralFixation pops the end of the pipe into his mouth]] while he's setting it up.

[[quoteright:326:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the-flintstones-cigarette_8373.jpg]]

* Dixie McCall, while on a break, in one early episode of ''{{Series/Emergency}}''. Although most of the show's actors smoked, this is one of the rare times any of the characters is shown doing it. Of course, this was before hospitals banned it in general.

** Near the end of the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E6MargeOnTheLam "Marge On The Lam"]] Marge is seen smoking a cigarette in a [[SmokingIsCool BadassSmoker]] pose. This is really awkward because she normally doesn't smoke and for most of the episode her friend Ruth Powers was acting out the [[SmokingIsCool BadassSmoker]] part.
*** In the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E9ElViajeMisteriosoDeNuestroJomer "El Viaje Mysterioso de Nuestro Homer"]], Marge is again seen smoking a cigarette to distract Homer from the chili festival in town. Her plan backfires because Homer knows "she doesn't smoke". Later Homer dismisses her with the words: "Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or something?" whereupon Marge concludes: "Mm, I suppose I could."
** In the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E12TheMansionFamily "The Mansion Family"]] The Simpsons take care of Mr. Burns' mansion. Bart then lits a cigar, only to have it slapped away by Marge.

* A rather infamous anti smoking TV commercial from the 1980s featured [=C3P0=] condemning [=R2D2=] for smoking a cigarette. Well intended, but probably not the best illustration of a "random smoking scene", since [=R2D2=] was never seen smoking in the Franchise/StarWars movies. They even had to "add" an arm to the robot to make him able to smoke. By the way: since he's a robot: what harm could it do to him anyway?

* A rather infamous anti smoking TV commercial from the 1980s featured [=C3P0=] condemning [=R2D2=] for smoking a cigarette. Well intended, but probably the best illustration of a "random smoking scene", since [=R2D2=] was never seen smoking in the Franchise/StarWars movies. They even had to "add" an arm to the robot to make him able to smoke. By the way: since he's a robot: what harm could it do to him anyway?

*** In the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E9 "El Viaje Mysterioso de Nuestro Homer"]], Marge is again seen smoking a cigarette to distract Homer from the chili festival in town. Her plan backfires because Homer knows "she doesn't smoke". Later Homer dismisses her with the words: "Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or something?" whereupon Marge concludes: "Mm, I suppose I could."

*** In the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E9ElViajeMisteriosoDeNuestroJomerTheMysteriousVoyageOfHomer "El Viaje Mysterioso de Nuestro Homer"]], Marge is again seen smoking a cigarette to distract Homer from the chili festival in town. Her plan backfires because Homer knows "she doesn't smoke". Later Homer dismisses her with the words: "Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or something?" whereupon Marge concludes: "Mm, I suppose I could."

*** In the episode [[/Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E9ElViajeMisteriosoDeNuestroJomerTheMysteriousVoyageOfHomer "El Viaje Mysterioso de Nuestro Homer"]], Marge is again seen smoking a cigarette to distract Homer from the chili festival in town. Her plan backfires because Homer knows "she doesn't smoke". Later Homer dismisses her with the words: "Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or something?" whereupon Marge concludes: "Mm, I suppose I could."

** In fact, it even attracted criticism: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5423098/The-Simpsons-promotes-smoking.html

* A rather infamous anti smoking TV commercial from the 1980s featured C3P0 condemning R2D2 for smoking a cigarette. Well intended, but probably the best illustration of a "random smoking scene", since R2D2 was never seen smoking in the Franchise/StarWars movies. They even had to "add" an arm to the robot to make him able to smoke. By the way: since he's a robot: what harm could it do to him anyway?

* The novel The Guns of Navarone has a section near the end where some of the characters meet at a local Greek bar before beginning the final stage of their mission. One of the English soldiers is already waiting there and is noted to be smoking with some of the locals. The leader of the group informs his comrade he is in fact smoking hashish not tobacco and advises him to stop. The soldier, not realising his mistake obliges but no further mention is made of the fact one of the commandos was going into live combat stoned.

* ClassicDisneyShorts
** In the MickeyMouse cartoon "The Brave Little Tailor", the story takes place in a fairy tale setting in the Middle Ages. Yet the giant decides at one point to roll himself an enormous cigarette! Perhaps the historical setting started to annoy him?

* Although not in the show itself, TheFlintstones did commercials extolling the great taste of Winston cigarettes.
* ''TheSimpsons''
** Near the end of the episode "Marge On The Lam" Marge is seen smoking a cigarette in a [[SmokingIsCool BadassSmoker]] pose. This is really awkward because she normally doesn't smoke and for most of the episode her friend Ruth Powers was acting out the [[SmokingIsCool BadassSmoker]] part.
*** In the episode "El Viaje Mysterioso de Nuestro Homer", Marge is again seen smoking a cigarette to distract Homer from the chili festival in town. Her plan backfires because Homer knows "she doesn't smoke". Later Homer dismisses her with the words: "Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or something?" whereupon Marge concludes: "Mm, I suppose I could."
** In the episode "The Mansion Family" The Simpsons take care of Mr. Burns' mansion. Bart then lits a cigar, only to have it slapped away by Marge.

* ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': In the first live-action movie, a bar with bad little children is shown. Some of them are smoking huge cigars. The smoking was to demonstrate the super-child-unfriendly environment fostered by Shredder and the Foot, (along with other evils like gambling, stolen electronics, truancy, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking skateboarding]]). This scene may be a bit explicit and jarring to modern viewers, who expect some minimal level of euphemism when dealing with the plight of wayward urban youth.

* In the biopic ''Film/EdWood (1994)'', SarahJessicaParker plays the role of Creator/EdWood's wife Dolores Fuller. Fuller lived to see the movie adaptation of her husband's life, but didn't like the way Parker portrayed her on screen since the actress smoked all the time, while she actually always has been a non-smoker. (http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_doris_fuller.shtml)
* In ''Film/ChildsPlay II'' little Andy is seen taking a drag from a cigarette in one scene. This happens really out of nowhere and serves no further purpose to the rest of the story. Also, in the first film he was just a regular nice little boy. You really wonder why the director would include such a scene, especially since we're talking about a small kid.

In other circumstances a smoking scene can be useful to the plot. A character is [[MustHaveNicotine nervous]], [[OfCourseISmoke wants to impress]] a potential love partner, [[SmokingHotSex just had sex]], is a well known smoker (WinstonChurchill, FidelCastro, HumphreyBogart can not be portrayed as non-smokers), is a [[SmokyGentlemensClub rich business executive]], a [[DistinguishedGentlemansPipe classy, intellectual pipe smoker]], a [[PeacePipe Native American making peace with other tribes]] or an [[GoodSmokingEvilSmoking evil person]]. Or he's just a [[SmokingIsCool badass]]. However, the random smoking scene has no real purpose and could have easily been left out the story without affecting the plot. In a few instances it even becomes pointless {{padding}}. Sometimes it even makes no sense because the story takes place in a time period when tobacco hadn't yet been introduced, or the character smokes in an area where it is normally not allowed. In other circumstances it's even highly questionable because the story is actually aimed at or popular with children or teenagers. Let's face it: there's no real necessary reason to have little children smoke on screen. It's TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior that could easily be faked or avoided on screen, without hurting the story.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' shows the First Doctor [[GoodSmokingEvilSmoking lighting up a pipe]] in his very first serial, upon landing on prehistoric Earth - the story is about him being captured by a group of cavemen who want him to create fire for them, but he loses his matches. This was 1963, and public opinion about showing heroic characters in children's shows smoking changed soon afterward, meaning that neither he nor any of his future incarnations are ever seen smoking again. (The ExpandedUniverse, which is a bit less child-friendly, has it that Four occasionally smokes a pipe too or at least enjoys sharing them socially, Eight has a taste for cigarettes and Two is [[TheStoner a bit of a stoner]].)

** Near the end of the episode "Marge On The Lam" Marge is seen smoking a cigarette in a [[SmokingIsCool BadassSmoker]] pose. This is really awkward because she normally doesn't smoke and for most of the episode her friend Ruth Powers was acting out the [[SmokingIsCool BadassSmoker]] part. In the episode "El Viaje Mysterioso de Nuestro Homer", Marge is again seen smoking a cigarette to distract Homer from the chili festival in town. Her plan backfires because Homer knows "she doesn't smoke". Later Homer dismisses her with the words: "Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or something?" whereupon Marge concludes: "Mm, I suppose I could."

You're enjoying a movie, a TV show, a book, a comic when suddenly out of nowhere one of the (presumed non-smoking) characters lights a cigarette without any real reason. It's not part of the plot, it doesn't tell you anything about the character or it is in fact the first time in the entire work that a character is revealed to be a smoker. Often, the character will never light up again, and their smoking will never be discussed again.

In other circumstances a smoking scene can be useful to the plot. A character is [[MustHaveNicotine nervous]], [[OfCourseISmoke wants to impress]] a potential love partner, [[SmokingHotSex just had sex]], is a well known smoker (WinstonChurchill, FidelCastro, HumphreyBogart can not be portrayed as non-smokers), is a [[SmokyGentlemensClub rich business executive]] or an [[GoodSmokingEvilSmoking evil person]]. Or he's just a [[SmokingIsCool badass]]. However, the random smoking scene has no real purpose and could have easily been left out the story without affecting the plot. In a few instances it even becomes pointless {{padding}}. Sometimes it even makes no sense because the story takes place in a time period when tobacco hadn't yet been introduced, or the character smokes in an area where it is normally not allowed. In other circumstances it's even highly questionable because the story is actually aimed at or popular with children or teenagers. Let's face it: there's no real necessary reason to have little children smoke on screen. It's TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior that could easily be faked or avoided on screen, without hurting the story.

* ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': In the first live-action movie, a bar with bad little children is shown. Some of them are smoking huge cigars.The smoking was to demonstrate the super-child-unfriendly environment fostered by Shredder and the Foot, (along with other evils like gambling, stolen electronics, truancy, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking skateboarding]]). This scene may be a bit explicit and jarring to modern viewers, who expect some minimal level of euphemism when dealing with the plight of wayward urban youth.

* In ''Film/ChildsPlay II'' little Andy is seen taking a drag from a cigarette in one scene. This happens really out of nowhere and serves no further purpose to the rest of the story. Also, in the first film he was just a regular nice little boy.

** In the episode "El Viaje Mysterioso de Nuestro Homer", Marge smokes a cigarette to distract Homer from the chili festival in town. Her plan backfires and later Homer dismisses her with the words: "Sheesh, why don't you have a cigarette or something?" whereupon Marge concludes: "Mm, I suppose I could."