At least in the United States, smoking is something fewer and fewer people take up these days. This obviously wasn’t the case back in the 50’s through the 80’s, where cigarettes were commonly smoked out in public.
So whenever I see a period movie or show, filmed in the 2020’s but taking place in the 60’s, there’s frequent scenes where characters are smoking cigarettes in a bar or stress-smoking to the filter after a stressful conversation. And I think to myself, “are these actors all smokers? In this day and age? Or is that an unlit prop ciggy with VFX smoke done in post?”
Are fake cigarettes common in film production now, or are these still typically the real deal?
I know that episode. And the message, in red bold face across the screen for the entire episode is “Don’t smoke.” That’s different from the on-screen smoking I’m talking about.
Characters can be shady without smoking. Just because they’re not the hero, the appeal of ‘being shady’ and the incentive to look to them as a role model doesn’t vanish.