Comments on: The Man Who Observes the Universe Smokes Viceroys

By: Scott Kardel

Scott Kardel — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:29:45 +0000

Wow, I only just now stumbled upon this. Thanks for sharing this fantastic find.

By: Lusepuster

Lusepuster — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:52:42 +0000

In my home country, Denmark, 17-year olds can buy booze but not tobacco! Now, that’s what I call lack of proportions. Anyway, beautiful picture, and funny! Somehow I think it’s been healthy for us science people to have had some of the aura of eternal wisdom peeled off. And I think it’s healthy for society in general to not regard scientists as saviors and heroes, although I guess we can all agree we’ve pretty much hit something worse, but with an opposite sign, these days.

By: John R Ramsden

John R Ramsden — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:38:04 +0000

Talk about the past, even the recent past, being another country (Marlborough Country?). Anti-smoking neurosis has now reached such a feverish state that education authorities in the UK have been known to airbrush out signs of tobacco use from old pictures, for example the cigar from the famous picture of Brunel.

By: Wie is dat toch, die Viceroys rookte? en Astroblogs

Wie is dat toch, die Viceroys rookte? en Astroblogs — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:54:05 +0000

[...] ViceroysIk had er nog nooit van gehoord, maar er schijnt ooit een cigarettenmerk te hebben bestaan dat Viceroys heette. In 1959, bijna vijftig jaar geleden had Viceroys een prachtige advertentie, die je hiernaast ziet. Een stoere cigaretten rokende man, in die tijd was cigaretten roken nog gewoon stoer. Viceroy-cigaret in z’n hand én een oculair in z’n andere hand. “The man who thinks for himself knows… only Viceroy has a thinking man’s filter… a smoking man’s taste” staat er nog eens ferm bij. Op de achtergrond diezelfde man turend door een enorme telescoop, tenminste enorm voor die tijd, naar één of ander ver verwijderd sterrenstelsel. Hé, die turende man door die telescoop komt sommigen van ons misschien bekend voor. Yep, da’s niemand minder dan Edwin Hubble, de beroemde sterrenkundige die in 1928 voor het eerst de uitdijing van het heelal beschreef. De originele foto van Hubble achter de 48″ Schmidt telescoop van Mount Palomar zie je hieronder. Eh… alleen rookte Hubble geen cigaretten, maar pijp! Artistieke vrijheid van de cigarettenfabrikant om het genotsmiddel in de advertentie maar even aan te passen, zullen we maar zeggen. Bron: Cosmic Variance. [...]

By: Don

Don — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:32:15 +0000

As some California politician said, “It’s all tobacco”.

By: bioephemera

bioephemera — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Nice catch, Sean! It’s hilarious that the pipe’s been cut out. It makes me wonder about all the other images of unnamed scientists/physicians used in this line of ads – I didn’t recognize them either, but perhaps I’m just not in the right field.

By: TEW

TEW — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:45:19 +0000

Are we really arguing details about the accuracy of a picture taken with the dome lights on?

By: Sili

Sili — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:40:30 +0000

By the way – the latest “Are We Alone?” podcast from SETI has a segment on the history of tobacco advertising. Focus is on doctors, not astronomers, though.

By: Zenny

Zenny — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:34:34 +0000

Perhaps Mr. Hubble is contemplating the crease in the galaxy in front of the telescope while steadfastly NOT noticing the sexual subconscious images painted into the smoke rising off his Viceroy?

By: My-Name-is-Kenneth

My-Name-is-Kenneth — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:03:01 +0000

Note something else about this advert: It was COOL to be a scientist!

This was when not only were men men, but a SCIENTIST (and an astronomer at that) were considered manly and cool enough to represent the cigarette industry, when smoking was the height of manliness and coolness.

Now what do we have? A buncha geeks straight out of the Big Bang Theory sitting at computer screens decorated with action figures like some 12-year-old boys. And the science community is doing little to change that image and socialize their minions. They just want results, too bad about those who labor night and day wresting secrets from the Universe.

See also the 1955 classic SF film This Island Earth for how Hollywood used to portray a scientist. Now that was a MAN!

About the galaxy being in front of the telescope: The manly scientist is THINKING about the galaxy, hello! It’s called artistic license. Geesh, don’t be even more geeky than you already are, Mr. Literal.