Article Analysis: I'd Rather Smoke than Kiss
Argument Analysis
Most people would prefer kissing than smoking a cigarette. But not according to Florence King, the author of “I’d Rather Smoke Than Kiss.” The title deceives readers who believe it has to do with the issue: smoking. King presents the audience with smoking topics, but behind all the words is an extremely political article. This article demonstrates how conservatives today are slowly shifting core beliefs into liberal views. King’s smoking addiction started at the age of 26, relatively late compared to other teenage rebels. She had bought a couple packs of Du Maurier English cigarettes intended for paperclip holders. She emptied out the cigarettes and threw the cigarettes in her drawer. But one day the scattered cigarettes were in her way, so she tried one. Then it was history from there: she smoked everyday ever since. She even talked about how pleasurable it was to have the post-coital cigarette. She misses her smoking sessions with her boyfriend while denouncing non-smokers who she called anti-tobacco puritans. She explained that most Americans are passive, and to get their anti-smoking point across they had to put up signs with a cigarette in a circle slashed with a red diagonal. She criticized public service ads because it exaggerated how gross smoking really is. One anti smoker proclaimed, “Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray.” King also believes hating smokers is a way to hate old people. Young people can justify hating them because middle aged women usually smoked; they are the ones who watched Bette Davis movies and other classic smoke movies. Therefore, King will always have the attitude of “smoking is cool” implanted in her brain. King believes there is nothing wrong about smoking. Her mother smoked but it did not affect King’s health as a baby. Being a healthy baby who weighed nine pounds, her smoke-filled childhood was happy and normal. Then she grew up to see a tobacco crusade that makes hard drugs like
Most people would prefer kissing than smoking a cigarette. But not according to Florence King, the author of “I’d Rather Smoke Than Kiss.” The title deceives readers who believe it has to do with the issue: smoking. King presents the audience with smoking topics, but behind all the words is an extremely political article. This article demonstrates how conservatives today are slowly shifting core beliefs into liberal views. King’s smoking addiction started at the age of 26, relatively late compared to other teenage rebels. She had bought a couple packs of Du Maurier English cigarettes intended for paperclip holders. She emptied out the cigarettes and threw the cigarettes in her drawer. But one day the scattered cigarettes were in her way, so she tried one. Then it was history from there: she smoked everyday ever since. She even talked about how pleasurable it was to have the post-coital cigarette. She misses her smoking sessions with her boyfriend while denouncing non-smokers who she called anti-tobacco puritans. She explained that most Americans are passive, and to get their anti-smoking point across they had to put up signs with a cigarette in a circle slashed with a red diagonal. She criticized public service ads because it exaggerated how gross smoking really is. One anti smoker proclaimed, “Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray.” King also believes hating smokers is a way to hate old people. Young people can justify hating them because middle aged women usually smoked; they are the ones who watched Bette Davis movies and other classic smoke movies. Therefore, King will always have the attitude of “smoking is cool” implanted in her brain. King believes there is nothing wrong about smoking. Her mother smoked but it did not affect King’s health as a baby. Being a healthy baby who weighed nine pounds, her smoke-filled childhood was happy and normal. Then she grew up to see a tobacco crusade that makes hard drugs like