Shelah Rogers, the host of CBC Radio's This Morning show, told a story
recently about an interview she did with Joni back in 1994. One of the
conditions of the interview was that Joni be allowed to smoke during the
interview in the CBC's non-smoking studios. Being a huge fan, Shelagh agreed.
After the interview, Shelagh was informed that she was going to be fined
for allowing smoking in the workplace. The man who "turned her in" was
none other than Shelagh's own husband, the show's producer. At the end
of her story, Shelagh stated that "Ever since then, Joni Mitchell has
put me $10,000 in debt."
As for me, I smoke. I wish I were a nonsmoker, but I don't want to give
it up because I'm afraid that it's become so important to my whole being
that something dreadful would happen to me if I stopped.
I smoke outside the gym after my workout. I'm always getting comments
from people who feel that this activity is somehow ironic, given the
circumstances, and that they have the right to comment on it. My
reaction is somewhat like Joni's. It makes me even more rebellious. I
guess what I'm really rebelling against are their middle-brow,
unoriginal minds -- couldn't they talk about something more intriguing,
like the weather? Criticizing smokers is health fascism at its worst.
It's such an easy target, a mom-and-apple-pie issue. Some of my critics
go jogging into downtown streets, sucking up all that CO2 at great
rates, damaging their knees and jolting their spines. Then they go off
to the bar and get pissed. I can only laugh.
Now don't get me started on people and their cars!
Jim
