In Search of Pipe Memes
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Kevin Godbee - Sep 15, 2014
- 3 min read
E. Roberts
We pipe enthusiasts are an odd lot; at once an anachronistic bunch who cling to rituals and relics of the past, while simultaneously reinvigorating the hobby via the power of the Internet—we are, right now in fact, engaging in our collective pastime on the web’s #1 Source for Pipes and Pipe Tobacco Information. Enjoyment of fine tobacco is a hobby that spans generations, and across these generations, the new technological paradigm has been enthusiastically embraced. It will make interesting study for future historians to explore the ways that technology shapes communication in this century. The marvels that have allowed us to hold conversations across the world at the speed of light have also saddled us with the chaff of pop culture—"reality" television comes to mind.
Regulars at the site who participate in the forum discussions are an important part of what shapes this community. For those that don’t know, forum "threads" are a post-by-post running conversation in real time, like messages on a virtual bulletin board—in fact, bulletin board systems, or BBSs, were one of the earliest utilizations of the Internet. While the interface has become a bit more streamlined and graphically interesting since those early days, the heart of the content remains so central to net engagement that it hasn’t needed to change much—people like the idea of conversing with anyone on the globe who shares the same interest.
What I find an interesting addition to the way we communicate over the net is the use of memes, specifically the picture with text variety. Memeing has evolved into a dialect of this relatively new language of cyberspeak. Memes have emerged as a shorthand for the collective consciousness of pop culture, and at their best are concise, germane, and hilarious summations of a many-layered conversation. When poorly implemented or simply overused, they don’t really add to the debate; they can be the cyber equivalent of a punch line falling flat. Typical forum memes are crafted from humorous random imagery or pop culture reference and are imbued with new meaning through captions or comic timing within a threaded conversation.
Not the most interesting meme in the world anymore…
… But this is how it’s done.
Now that we’re on the same page as to what a meme is, let’s look at what a meme says. "The gentle art of pipe smoking," as it’s so often imagined, takes on a persona and can become a cliché of contemplative mild-mannered authority, rugged (and often bearded) individuality, and avuncular amicability. As a writer, I am all-too-often (I will begrudgingly admit) prone to fall in step with this easy encapsulation of the theme of pipe smoking. It’s a kind of shorthand for our shared interests, and a generalization of our demeanor in the aggregate. A cursory search turns up more than a few memes that reinforce the stereotype:
This gets points for clever pun usage.
Babies and children are inordinately popular meme fodder.
Note the telltale signs of 1960s style.
Bob Dobbs, one of the earliest memed images.
Imagecrafting for the new generation.
Often memes begin as images with their own inherent meanings. Update it to current cultural relevance, and hilarity ensues.
Magritte changed art with this statement.
Snarky artist throws it back in Magritte’s face.
Blend in another trending meme, itself borrowed from WWII graphic art…
… and end up with a more dignified meme.
Here are a few images of pipe smokers ripe for the memeing. Join the conversation on the PipesMagazine.com forums right here, and show us your own creations! When using them out in the wild, though, beware: do it with style. Add to the conversation. Re-using an image only works if it’s done adroitly—a meme has to make its statement eloquently to be good.
May as well have fun with the style.
Use this one for authoritative statements.
40-somethings will find this amusing.
The Man. The Myth. The Legend.
Written by Kevin Godbee
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When I first started with the pipe as a quirky and precocious teen, the only tutelage I had at my disposal were scenes from old movies in which a well dressed chap would stick his pipe into a pouch, scoop tobacco into the bowl and press it down unceremoniously with his thumb. Then, with great flourish, he’d strike a match and light the thing with all manner of cinematic excess, puffing up vast clouds of smoke falling just short of completely obscuring his visage. While it may look good on film, it’s a terrible approach to actually enjoying the thing. Somehow, though, this “technique” seems to have survived in the contemporary vernacular, at least to some extent, even with bit-loads of information handily at our fingertips that should dissuade us from the practice. But, at the time, this misguided approach was all I had; it’s no wonder my early days of puffing were fraught with difficult lighting, harsh, bitter smokes and tongue bite, all culminating in a fireproof mass of ye old soggy dottle in the bottom of the bowl. Ultimately, the resulting frustration made me give up the pipe, at least for a while. While the idea of it was still very appealing, the practice of it was not. It wasn’t until a few years later when, still full of curiosity and romantic notions of pipe smoking, I wandered into a real tobacconist’s shop, and learned my “method” was a long way from the techniques that would bring me to any sort of pipe smoking bliss. So, after my poor start, and under the guidance of someone who actually seemed to know how to do it right, I was given the opportunity to approach the process anew, this time with much greater success. It was only because I was both perseverent, and fortunate to have a local shop staffed with knowledgeable people, that I’ve been able to enjoy the experience ever since. At least mostly… How many fledgeling pipe smokers have simply given up on an enjoyable pastime because of similar early mis-starts? Fortunately, today, it’s not hard to find helpful guidance at the press of a key or ten. 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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 604. Our featured interview tonight is with Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and he is the former co-host of the podcast, Country Squire Radio, which ended their 10-year run last year. We’ll have JD with the “From the Country Squire” segment talking about all the new things happening at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, we’ll continue our audio tour of Brian’s pipe collection.
Before we begin, I should tell you: this tobacco review is being written by an A.I. Not the fancy new GPTs or their ilk; no, this is last century’s meat-and-bone, all-organic model. To be fair, a large part of what we call knowledge is merely the accumulated perceptions and impressions gathered from a life wandered through, synthesized into a spongy mass of what-it-is-that-we-think-that-we-know. The algorithm for this prompt is simple enough: pump thousands of bowls of smoldering plant matter into a gaping maw, cross-reference the chemical sensations with all other matter previously ingested or inhaled, sieve it all through the diffuse and fractal twin lens of memory and emotion, and churn out a panoply of adjectives that attempts to convey the sensations to someone who hasn’t experienced it yet. Odds are that a diligently trained monkey could succeed half the time; if this reviewer nears fifty-one percent then that would qualify as an unrivaled success. There must have been some similar musings perambulating through the mind of Per Jensen when he began his mad scientist routine at Sutliff with the Pipe Force project, which brings us to the current mixture under the microscope—Sutliff’s Pipe Force: Episode I. Here again are the unusual ingredients that engendered the series, with the stoved Rustica being the defining voice in this composition. From the tin: The Latakia-forward English mixture offers plenty of smoky flavor from the fire-cured leaf, which is artfully harmonized with floral, earthy Stoved Rustica. A mixture of high-grade Virginias imparts a natural sweetness. Katerini, the sole Oriental component, offers herb and spice notes bringing complexity and nuance to the flavor profile. It’s certainly Latakia-forward, with the stoved Rustica doubling up on the rhythm section like a second bassist. A first whiff from the tin releases the aromas of shoe leather and hide glue in a base of clay soil with a campfire wafted over it like last night’s beach party. Once it’s been accustomed to oxygen again, subtle hints of sweetness poke through from the Virginias: lemon rind, light milk chocolate, the dregs of a peaty Scotch, and muddled cherry. Old regulars like fresh-sawn oak and tilled earth are there, of course, with distinct notes of truffle, creosote, damp peat, and pine bark mulch. As an aside, I’ve been re-potting my camellias and the similarity of aroma to the ericaceous soil mix is notable; the Katerini really brings the unique depth of its vegetal complexion when supported by the Rustica and afforded more voice in the mix. The smoky Cyprian Latakia, in turn, is backed by equal earthiness from the Rustica, which overall exhibits a profile similar to dark-fired Kentucky; it leans more toward the woody and vegetal end of that spectrum, echoing and amplifying those traits of the other constituents. The tobacco is presented pressed and cut into a couple of thick, hearty flakes in the tin, lightly moist and easily crumbled to prepare—I prefer mine with a bit of drying time. The out-of-this-world tin art for this episode in the series is Major O’Meara smoking a cavalier. In the absence of confirmation, I’m going to hazard a guess he’s of the Ithklur species. The first taste from the light is sweet, with hints of that milk chocolate dancing around the edges. The Virginia leads the smoke through the top of the bowl, and orchestrates it well. Thoroughly smoky with lemony, grassy highlights from the Virginia spectrum, it soon segues into the mid-bowl profile: heartier, smokier, with the flavor leaning to the mildly acrid and tangy tinge that is the campfire-esque signature of English blends. Caution advised, it can turn overly bitter if pushed—this is where one’s sipping technique is required to maintain the fullness of flavor through to the heel. I did tend toward a lot of relights, though it may have as much to do with technique as with the blend. Pacing is also important as the nicotine starts to manifest; though the Rustica’s contribution has been tempered well by the stoving, it can certainly upend an empty stomach. At the end of every bowl, the mouthfeel somehow gets better. The balance of sugars in the tobaccos would seem to be spot-on in this regard. I started out my tasting in cobs, then cut short an unpleasant bowl in a meer, and finally landed on my best instrument with the lovely Dunhill 4427 pictured, a quaint group 4 shell briar with a gentle curve and Cumberland stem supporting a perfectly executed acorn bowl. It surprised me here, as I’ve learned through the years that I generally have the best experience with English blends in large, wide bowls. With this blend it seems that to get the best out of the Katerini’s somewhat diaphanous influence the smaller bowl fared much better. Room note is very English, so the company you keep will either love it or hate it, and it doesn’t linger too much. I find it paired best with a strong coffee; Sumatran beans complement the flavors well, as do Ethiopian if a lighter brew is preferred. Overall impressions of the blend are that it’s a curiously interesting take on the English genre, almost a reductive reconstruction of the theme using the unique components. This blend, if nothing else, expanded my vocabulary of sense perceptions with the uniquely treated leaf. While the average human can distinguish approximately one trillion (1,000,000,000,000!) different aromas, multiplied by seven basic tastes, and wholly dependent on variables from body chemistry to atmospheric conditions, our overworked and underpaid simian brains can’t effectively catalog them all. Our pet adding machines are exceedingly good at this, however, and someday soon they’ll be the ultimate and unequivocal authority on what something tastes, smells, looks, or even feels like. Until that time, friends, revel in the moments that can be stolen to savor over a bowl of Pipe Force: Episode I.
And a special thanks to Rick Newcombe, whose excellent book, *In Search of Pipe Dreams* served as the inspiration for this memed article title.
Thanks for pointing out one of the roles that memes play in the pipe community. Memes abound in the Internet culture, and we are no exception. In addition to being amusing and communicative, memes can be very powerful. They can readjust the consciousness of, and about, a community, such as pipe enthusiasts. You might be interested in my article in The Pipe Collector, February, 2014. This is the title: “To ‘Muse’ Instead Of ‘Smoke’—That Is The Question: Pipe enthusiasts need a new meme.” As long as we are known as “smokers”, we will be lumped together with cigarette smokers and incur the wrath of the anti-smoking fanatics because of guilt by association. Pipes are much healthier and stress reducing than cigarettes, and those of us who enjoy our pipes are much more laid back and contemplative. We are a different group. A new meme to describe us as something other than “smokers” might help readjust the attitude of the general public towards us. I suggest that we create a language meme to refer to ourselves as “musers”, rather than “smokers”. “Musers” reflects the tendency of those who enjoy their pipes to be contemplative individuals. Others have suggested calling us “lunters”, which would resurrect an old word for “smokers”. Of course, I prefer “musers”, but any new language meme that improves our image with the general public would be welcome.
Thank you for this modt excellent well-crafted article. Very well done!
(not modt, but most), as in MOST EXCELLENT.
Very good!
Haha you must have LOVED searching for these memes :p wonderfully fun article, totally appropriate for the subject matter, nice!
@muser1 — “[A]ny new language meme that improves our image with the general public would be welcome.” That’s precisely the gist of what I hoped to do with this lighthearted little article; by participating in the online dialogue, we all, knowingly or not, become representatives of pipe smokers in the eyes of a much larger audience.
What a great article especially loved the WWII meme
Also a big thank you ‘cos I didn’t even know what a meme was!