Kind of Humorous Rant in the 'Portland Mercury'

[briarfriar]

Columnist Ian Karmel opines on the advent of young pipe-smokers in the Portland Mercury. Click here.

 

[terrygoldman123]

I have no idea who the author is let alone what the Portland Mercury is but both are a disgrace. A true waste of printer's ink and judgement.

 

[brdavidson]

Wow, Darwin certainly isn't doing his job fast enough. Why oh why hasn't natural selection taken care of this tool?

 

[simnettpratt]

What a judgemental, clueless ass.

 

[85royals]

Maybe he needs to relax with some E. Hoffman Company Distinguished Gentleman..

 

[rigmedic1]

Idk. He pretty much sums up his actual feelings in the last paragraph

Maybe I don't like that guy's pipe because it's a statement that indicates intent, and intent opens one up to criticism, and—deep down—I envy this person's ability to live their life in defiance of the sneer.

In a way, I can see his point. Everybody judges everyone else, whether we want to admit it or not. The article isn't so much about pipe smoking, but about being willing to stand out in a crowd.

 

[pipestud]

Call me a prude, but I didn't get past the first couple of sentences. I'm not really into spending my time reading a column full of vulgarity. These days, if you can breathe and don't drool, you can blog. I guess that guy barely made the cut.
Pipestud

 

[gnatjulio]

I wonder what his column would read like if he were to sit at the keyboard with a nice, relaxing pipe in hand?

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I thought it was horrible prose. I have no problem with vulgarity, properly utilized to artistic effect. Hunter Thompson, who I am a huge fan of, could do this like few others. Just tossing the F word in a sentence doesn't make a mediocre piece of writing suddenly funny. This was just incomprehensible drivel, with no real point of view or artistic flair.

 

[papipeguy]

When in doubt about your ability to be humorous or profound, drop the F-bomb. Some guys try way too hard to shock their audience awake. Some are quite good at it but this writer is not; which is undoubtedly why he has his own blog.

 

[tennsmoker]

My first city editor would have shot this guy.

 

[numbersix]

I am kinda sick of people using the word f*ck all the time (okay, I'll use it liberally when I stub my toe, but I digress...). I actually liked the article. If you read the whole thing, the author is really poking fun at himself and others who judge.

 

[voorhees]

This guy reminds me of a friend of mine who I wrote about here. He is completely against my pipe smoking. Says only "old men" smoke pipes. I don't smoke for him or to look "hip". Do I stand out when I do? sure. Do I care? Not one bit. Seems to many people are worried about someone elses business instead of their own.

As for my friend...I make sure I post pictures on FB of me smoking....drives him nuts.

 

[lostandfound]

Blows my mind that some of those responders seem to be specifically against pipe smoking, and pipe smokers. As if people who smoke pipes are the one and only cause of all their pain and suffering.

 

[brian64]

This guy reminds me of a friend of mine who I wrote about here. He is completely against my pipe smoking. Says only "old men" smoke pipes. I don't smoke for him or to look "hip". Do I stand out when I do? sure. Do I care? Not one bit. Seems to many people are worried about someone elses business instead of their own.

+1 ... More than anything else it is a reflection of the prevailing attitude of interpreting nearly everything about a person as an attempt to express themselves to other people. Or put another way, it is implying that an individual’s personal choices should be based upon how it will be perceived by other people. I suspect it is beyond this guy’s comprehension that anyone would want to smoke a pipe simply for the personal experience and pleasure of smoking tobacco in a pipe.

 

[crazypipe]

Were is it written one must be old to smoke a pipe ? ::

 

[numbersix]

If you read the article to the end (which I am inclined to think no one actually has), I think you'll see that even though he admits being judgmental (who of us isn't?), he gives younger pipe smokers credit:

We're all judgmental. If you deny it, I can see right through your shit and know you're just posturing to seem better-vibesy than you actually are (Ian Karmel has leveled up in being judgmental and now has three points to spend on strength, mana, or smirking at people outside of Holocene). A proper dose of cynicism is healthy, but it can keep out the sunlight, too—and who the fuck is that helping? Untie that knot in your stomach and see what tangled it in the first place. Maybe that kid smoking a pipe makes me uneasy because my own wardrobe of cargo shorts, T-shirt, and sneakers is a statement of indifference, a preemptive please-don't-judge-me-back.
Maybe I don't like that guy's pipe because it's a statement that indicates intent, and intent opens one up to criticism, and—deep down—I envy this person's ability to live their life in defiance of the sneer.

I myself kinda sneer at the guy at Starbucks typing on the 1930s typewriter, but then again, who am I to judge? ::

 

[bigvan]

I enjoyed the comments to this article. My favorite:
Fact: 97% of the people that take up smoking a pipe is because they want to be a dude smoking a pipe. Roughly half of these people have at some point owned a stupid hat too.

 

[brian64]

@numbersix: I did read all that, and I agree he did come around to that point. But I would again point out that even there, all he keeps talking about is “making statements” by smoking a pipe, or by the clothes you wear, etc. This whole mindset is what it is all about, imo. It is certainly possible that someone smoking a pipe might be doing it just to “make a statement”, but I would never assume that to be the case unless I actually got to know the person and discovered that to be true.
I would sum up everything he’s saying in the following way:
When I observe another person, I assume that the motivation behind what they do is based on interacting with other people. Pipe smoking no longer fits into the social norm...so if you’re young and smoking a pipe, you’re an idiot. If you’re comfortable with being seen as an idiot, great, more power to you...I admire your ability to not care about that.
But never does it enter his mind that the person he is observing may just want to enjoy tobacco smoked through a pipe...and that their motivation to do so may have nothing whatsoever to do with other people.

 

[numbersix]

You have a good point there Brian. You might be right.

I assume that the motivation behind what they do is based on interacting with other people

But he may also be poking fun at his own "assumptions". All in all, from my read, he seems to be ridiculing his own predilection for judging than anything else.