Smokers are having a hard time of it in certain quarters. In many places, they’re no longer allowed to smoke in pubs and bars, leaving them to brilliantly stand in doorways blowing stinkin’ plumes over mewing non-smokers as they walk on by.
In parts of America, you can be arrested and sent to Guantanamo Bay for merely thinking about a crude pencil drawing of cigarettes.
This has seen British actor Jeremy Irons getting all irate, which presumably makes him want to pace around chain-smoking. Y’see, Irons – a man who has absolutely zero colour in his face – is angry at the whole city of New York for new smoking rules, which prompted him into making a rather odd comparison.
Looking at the lack of rights that smokers have, Irons has leapt to his feet, coughed up a greenie and spat that smokers need to be protected like ‘handicapped people and children’.
This all kicked off after NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned smoking in city-owned open spaces, yet obviously, didn’t actually go as far as banning tobacco products altogether, nor indeed, actually do something useful like tackling the city’s dreadful heroin problem or the fact that huge sections of the place smell like tramp’s urine.
But we digress.
Irons grimaced:
“I turned vigorously against the mayor because of the new law (banning) smoking in parks or on the beach, which I think is ludicrous and a terrible bullying of a minority that cannot speak back.”
Presumably because they’re too busy having a good time smoking fags or coughing up their lungs through their noses. He added that smokers deserve to be protected like “handicapped people and children”.
This of course, hasn’t gone down well with charitable organisations who work with those with disabilities.
A spokesperson for the National Organization on Disability said:
“It’s a very inappropriate comparison”.
Irons should move to the Czech Republic. You’re given 20 smokes at birth and actively encouraged to smoke inside pubs and bars. And restaurants. And while you’re conducting eye-surgery. And while you’re teaching children to read. It’s fantastic.
LET’S ALL MOVE TO PRAGUE!
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Tom J says
If that’s the opinion of the venerable Jeremy Irons then I see little choice other than to accept his position unwaveringly. If you don’t agree, you’re clearly not reading the quote in his voice.
CatWhisperer says
I love you, Jeremy Irons! And I’m moving to Prague. Come with?