Everyday the twitterati finds something new to debate about, and today they’re debating if smoking makes you modern. A girl on Twitter shared a video that she finds beautiful, where young women dressed in traditional attire can be seen smoking cigarettes:
Beautiful! Tradition meets modernity as these women fiercely challenge the cultural norms that so many are asked to strictly abide by. pic.twitter.com/cCISntSC9W
— Wajiha (@27thLetterrr) February 20, 2020
According to her it’s the perfect amalgamation of tradition meets modern, and a norm that she thinks women are challenging but the internet thinks it has nothing to do with either one:
What's modernity in this picture? I only see a bunch of good looking and well dressed women involved in a very unhealthy activity.
— BibliovertAfridi( PeshawarZalmi💯) (@LadyBibliovert) February 20, 2020
Some thought they were models and the video was promoting unhealthy diet culture:
They look like models. They smoke to control their appetite. Nothing modern or beautiful about it.
— Naik Parveen benaami account (@NaikParveen7) February 21, 2020
Shots were fired:
Last time I checked refraining from smoking wasn’t a cultural norm but a precautionary health measure https://t.co/imxt1aSxI0
— Shehzeen. (@TheShehzeenist) February 21, 2020
Some came straight to the point:
Cigarettes were commercially produced first in the 1800s. Smoking isn’t modernization, it’s stupidity. For both men and women. https://t.co/yJSX5kaz8F
— AS (@AScf90) February 21, 2020
Some schooled her on how this has been a normal occurrence in rural areas:
Err have you been to rural areas in Punjab? Women smoking is not modern. Rural women already smoke cigs & hukkahs like a pro https://t.co/oJdlMNVAuY
— Safia Mahmood (@Safia_Mahmood) February 21, 2020
Many wanted her to stop glorifying smoking:
STOP GLORIFYING AN UNHEALTHY BAD HABIT THAT ALSO POLLUTES THE AIR IN WHICH WE ALL HAVE TO BREATHE!!!!!!!!
— Aamna Hassan Fasihi (@AamnaFasihi) February 21, 2020
Modern? I see traditionally dressed young women glorifying an unhealthy and dangerous activity! There's nothing 'modern' in this photo 🤐
— M E H R E E N (@MehreenTweets) February 21, 2020
Smoking has nothing to do with modernity or freedom.
Smoking is an addiction with negative benefits to health and environment.
ذہنی غلام ۔۔۔۔ https://t.co/oytvTmweI4
— Faiqa Salman (@FaiqaSalman) February 22, 2020
People were concerned about the organ damage:
Good for them but ruining your organ has nothing to do with modernity.. https://t.co/l61eSO0rgC
— Adnan (@MrBubbyy) February 21, 2020
Some were calling it an advertisement for cancer:
If cancer had an advertisement. https://t.co/wd0zciQMlq
— Sherry (@CherieDamour_) February 22, 2020
Some thought it was a twisted interpretation of modern:
i just see an unhealthy habit/addiction that's been around equally for men & women for quite a while now🙄🤷🏻♀️twisted, inaccurate interpretation of modernity🚫⚠️ https://t.co/44OXZeo11r
— Zainab Qayoom~ZQ (@zainaconda) February 22, 2020
People had questions:
What's beautiful about smoker's breath and charred lungs?
— MoZ (@zlskmo) February 21, 2020
and ugly teeth.
my wife asks me how do I have whiter teeth than her, I just said I never had any kind of madha in my life
— Koshur Buzarg (@KBuzarg) February 21, 2020
Smoking is as injurious to men as it is to women:
it's 2020 and people still think smoking is cool and modern? newsflash! it's extremely extremely extremely unhealthy for both men and women. no one is stopping anybody from smoking but you're an asswit if u encourage something as disastrous as smoking https://t.co/ndNsb8pNJs
— zo (@zylviazlath) February 21, 2020
Some were straight up savage:
Yes let’s destroy our lungs and counter cultural norms https://t.co/YB2ryOen3S
— Saladin (@ayyubidempire) February 21, 2020
…
Ahh yes lung cancer aesthetics https://t.co/XETMbKvhOu
— Rambo (@ramietwt) February 21, 2020
People were sharing their personal experiences:
The dresses are beautiful..however, theres nothing cool or ‘modern’ about smoking..its an unhealthy & a filthy habit..I’ve been smoking for almost 30 yrs & it has caused me nothing but pain..I wish I had never started & had the will power to quit..please don’t promote it..thanks https://t.co/I0UMLValQ3
— Khurram Qureshi (@qureshik74) February 22, 2020
For many it was a disgusting habit regardless the gender:
Why does smoking always having to come in when we talk about challenging cultural norms!? ITS A DISGUSTING HABIT NO GENDER SHOULD HAVE!
There is nothing modern or beautiful about this. Wish these women were riding bikes on the road instead. https://t.co/B2Lao2m9U7— Nimrah H. (@nimskin7) February 22, 2020
Many made the point how smoking should never be used as a symbol of empowerment:
Please never use smoking as a symbol of feminism or empowerment https://t.co/nzzT2tDepn
— Usman Bashir (@gripusa) February 21, 2020
Facts:
All our dadis were fiends what are you on https://t.co/AXzSKcZ28L
— Akbar (@khatmal23) February 21, 2020
Some had suggestions:
tradition meets lung cancer smh if u wanted modernity at least use a vape LOL https://t.co/t506lGnqoM
— hips may occasionally fib (@sahxra_) February 22, 2020
Some thought there were more important things that needed to be tackled:
I think there’s more important cultural norms to tackle than smoking cigarettes but y’all do whatever for the photo shoot https://t.co/WKgtku3YCK
— Salman (@ChaiPapi) February 22, 2020
There were memes:
me in exam hall trying hard to remember the answer
my 5 brain cells: https://t.co/hVwBh5u2VR
— Naveer Bin Razi (@NaveerBinRazi) February 22, 2020
Some understood the place she was coming from but did not find anything positive:
Fair skinned, conventionally pretty women smoking isn’t challenging a single cultural norm. I know that there’s this idea that women smoking is shameful but men smoking isn’t, I realize that. But this still really doesn’t make any positive difference. https://t.co/MPyXx4yWWK
— sai (@Saisailu97) February 22, 2020
Some liked the fusion:
Smoking is a personal choice…nothing to do with norm or culture..but i like the fusion🙃
— Remarkable Girl (@RemarkableGirl3) February 20, 2020
Some were trying to make a point:
If men can smoke why cant women ?
Though smoking is injurious to health.— Fido Dido (@enigmaticfido) February 20, 2020
Some were calling out on the hypocrisy shown by men:
Men would pay extra taxes happily to smoke, but remember cancer when women take a hit. https://t.co/npOifGNRxW
— Darwin Khan (@darwinkhan52) February 22, 2020
It was a whole mood for some:
— Shafia (@shafiaqudsya) February 22, 2020
What do you think about this video? Let us know in the comments below!