Media Perpetuates The "Pipe = Pot" Stereotype

[volsmcfalls]

I know a lot of us get looks and comments when we smoke in public. The "Ooooh...what'cha got in there" from the occasional teenager. The disapproving, judging looks from passersby. Heck, some of us have even had the cops called on us by neighbors, or been harassed by police, ending with them confiscating our pipes to be tested. It bothers me. But it's one of the stereotypes that comes with pipe smoking, and I accept it.
But it really bothers me that media outlets perpetuate the stereotype. If any of you saw Jimmy Kimmel last night you'll know what I'm talking about. Now, you can argue that Jimmy is not "media." But that's beside the point. Check this video (it should be cued to the right mark, if not, go to 1:31 mark).
http://youtu.be/6vr2xua-XMM



A little background...Jimmy sometimes stops random people on the sidewalk, asks them a question, and the audience judges yes or no based on their look. This question was "have you ever smoked pot?" posed to some older citizens. The man at 1:31 mark is holding a nice looking meerschaum pipe. When the question asks, all of the audience gives a resounding YES! But, you can't really say it's because of the pipe (though I suspect it is). But then the man admits that he has, in the 60's, and Jimmy concludes with "well he IS carrying a pipe by the way."
What?! How does carrying a pipe NOW have anything to do with him smoking a pipe 50 years ago? Jimmy is insinuating that because he's carrying a pipe, then he MUST be a pot smoker.
I get it. It comes with the territory. I expect this from the average citizen, but it just bothers me that uninformed people like this just perpetuate this stereotype.

 

[numbersix]

To be honest, this is an issue I cannot get too worked up about.
The media has hidden agendas left and right, and this goes way back, even before Randolph Hearst, and it's difficult to always know what the agenda is. I've seen many articles in the past few years arguing in favor of legalizing pot - so who knows? I've stopped trying to guess their motives and ignore most of it as noise.
Jimmy Kimmel on the other hand is just trying to be humorous and spontaneous. He was IMHO, just making a joke.

 

[hawk60ce]

You hit the nail on the head when you said 'uninformed citizen'

 

[gmwolford]

+1 six

 

[tanless1]

I have been stopped at an event by an officer "somebody said you might not be smoking tobacco" he sniffed my pipe for a good 40 seconds. So when he was done,I handed him a second pipe I had loaded in my pocket. I was allowed to go on my merry way to continue smoking throught the day.

 

[jaywellington]

I've been asked if you can smoke pot in it, and I answered 'I guess', in order not to offend anybody, even though I think that you 'violate' the whole concept of tobacco pipe smoking, if you put weed in a tobacco-intended pipe. There are 'bongs' for that, people!

Now I don't think that media perpetuate this stereotype, but I live in Greece and can't speak for American television!

:puffpipe:

 

[captainprophesy]

Ya know I have never been harassed or even stopped and questioned by anyone... Ive had older women stop me and say how they love the smell of pipes because it reminded them from a day far gone... but never in a negative way.
Now having the pipe confiscated for "testing" is going waaay overboard and Im pretty sure they dont have the right, unless they have a reasonable suspicion.... but I'll check with some of my buddies (who are all cops)
As far as Jimmy Kimmel goes... he's a comedian, you just have to take what comedians say with a grain of salt, they're in it for the laugh is all.

 

[jaywellington]

Having your pipe confiscated is kind of far-fetched isn't it?

Never heard of the case!

 

[dervis]

The joke part of it aside. They said we think he has smoked pot. The guy said yes, yes I have smoked pot. I dont see how its the media, unless dude was some sort of set up?

 

[mrgunnar177]

@Jaywellington We have had several insistences on the forum where people have had their pipe confiscated by authorities for testing.

 

[sixmp]

After watching the clip i would say it had nothing to do with the pipe.

Audience was going with stereotypes naturally but it had nothing to do with the pipe imo.

 

[lonestar]

Just give it a little time.... The cop will be asking, "Now you DO have pot in that pipe right ? Cause some kids over there said you might be smoking tobacco"

 

[numbersix]

Just give it a little time.... The cop will be asking, "Now you DO have pot in that pipe right ? Cause some kids over there said you might be smoking tobacco"

lol! Too right.

 

[baronsamedi]

+1 Lonestar

 

[philip]

But it really bothers me that... but it just bothers me that...

I'd say just smoke your pipe and don't let it worry you. If you are going to get upset every time someone does or says something stupid, you will spend the rest of your life upset.

That would probably do worse harm to the pipe smoking stereotype.

 

[schmitzbitz]

My thoughts exactly Lonestar.

 

[rd02sir]

Just give it a little time.... The cop will be asking, "Now you DO have pot in that pipe right ? Cause some kids over there said you might be smoking tobacco"

pretty much what they do here in Canada!! hahaha jokes

 

[jaywellington]

mrgunnar177
WHY??????? I mean it is so much an act indicative of not only an uninformed person, but a person who is really oblivious to Western culture (and not only Western!).

:P

 

[gageploungin]

I think you would get more angry stares here if people thought it WAS tobacco lol

 

[reichenbach]

I was supervising a crew of apple pickers today for work and on our 15 minute break, I pulled out my cob and light up. I got some funny looks. I asked them if anybody else smoked and they said no and continued to give me sideways looks and I said, No, it's not marijuana. They kinda of loosened up and asked if it was cigar tobacco and I showed them my pouch. They nodded and I walked off to enjoy smoking my pipe for another 10 minutes. I think it's probably because I'm an under 30 pipe smoker. It's not necessarily media, it's just the the greater prevalence of marijuana culture than pipe culture. Media isn't going to cover us for our own sake.