Famous Last Words: "damn, cigarettes" --Johnny Carson

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

[Tregembo]

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Hardly confirmed as his last words. I believe Ed McMahon mentioned that on
his last visit Carson said, "It's those damned cigarettes."

Ray Arthur

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from

emphysema.
Hardly confirmed as his last words. I believe Ed McMahon mentioned that on
his last visit Carson said, "It's those damned cigarettes."

It wasn't meant to be THE last words he ever said, as I'm sure you
understood the point to be made.

[Tregembo]

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from

emphysema.
Hardly confirmed as his last words. I believe Ed McMahon mentioned that on
his last visit Carson said, "It's those damned cigarettes."

It wasn't meant to be THE last words he ever said, as I'm sure you
understood the point to be made.

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought, based on the history of this ng, that when the
subject line read "Famous Last Words"......

Ray Arthur

[The Kentucky Wizard]

Post by Tregembo

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes

Post by Tregembo

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Hardly confirmed as his last words. I believe Ed McMahon mentioned
that
on
his last visit Carson said, "It's those damned cigarettes."

It wasn't meant to be THE last words he ever said, as I'm sure you
understood the point to be made.

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought, based on the history of this ng, that when the
subject line read "Famous Last Words"......
Ray Arthur

You *did* notice who the poster was, didn't you, Ray?

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by The Kentucky Wizard

Post by Tregembo

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Tregembo

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Hardly confirmed as his last words. I believe Ed McMahon mentioned
that
on
his last visit Carson said, "It's those damned cigarettes."

It wasn't meant to be THE last words he ever said, as I'm sure you
understood the point to be made.

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought, based on the history of this ng, that when the
subject line read "Famous Last Words"......
Ray Arthur

You *did* notice who the poster was, didn't you, Ray?

Oh, taking me illiterately, eh!

[The Kentucky Wizard]

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes

Post by The Kentucky Wizard

Post by Tregembo

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Tregembo

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Hardly confirmed as his last words. I believe Ed McMahon
mentioned
that
on
his last visit Carson said, "It's those damned cigarettes."

It wasn't meant to be THE last words he ever said, as I'm sure you
understood the point to be made.

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought, based on the history of this ng, that when the
subject line read "Famous Last Words"......
Ray Arthur

You *did* notice who the poster was, didn't you, Ray?

Oh, taking me illiterately, eh!

Nope.

[Matthew Kruk]

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Had he not then he would have lived to ... ? Nowadays, less people smoke
especially among teenagers ... but many teenagers are developing diabetes
because of all the junk they're eating.

So, maybe 30 years from now, Jay Leno will have been reported saying he damned
his lifelong habit of eating two bags of Fritos with a Coke each night.

20-20 is wonderful.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Matthew Kruk

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Had he not then he would have lived to ... ?

Sort of the question on how long John Kennedy would have lived if he
hadn't been murdered, and many other 'what ifs' in life.

Post by Matthew Kruk
Nowadays, less people smoke
especially among teenagers ... but many teenagers are developing diabetes
because of all the junk they're eating.

I'm not sure diabetes is developed solely by eating junk food.
Diabetes (type 1) is heavily associated with heredity factors in your
immediate family more than anything else.

Post by Matthew Kruk
So, maybe 30 years from now, Jay Leno will have been reported saying he damned
his lifelong habit of eating two bags of Fritos with a Coke each night.

Leno did a Tostitos commercial, if you recall seeing it.

Post by Matthew Kruk
20-20 is wonderful.

[JoeThomas]

I wish the American Lung Association and other such health organizations
would get in touch with famous smokers dying of smoking related illness,
Johnny for example, and try to get them to make anti smoking commercials on
their death beds. Yes, would be exploiting them, but it might stop some
folks from ever smoking, or even convince them to quit. Remember the anti
smoking ads by William Talman & Yul Brynner? Think what a spot by a dying
Walt Disney begging children not to ever smoke might have accomplished.
Meanwhile, on the cover of Cigar Aficionado...
Joe

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by JoeThomas
I wish the American Lung Association and other such health organizations
would get in touch with famous smokers dying of smoking related illness,
Johnny for example, and try to get them to make anti smoking commercials on
their death beds. Yes, would be exploiting them, but it might stop some
folks from ever smoking, or even convince them to quit.

Doubtful.

Post by JoeThomas
Remember the anti smoking ads by William Talman & Yul Brynner?

Yes. What good do you think it did? Almost zero.

Post by JoeThomas
Think what a spot by a dying Walt Disney begging children not to ever
smoke might have accomplished.

Nothing.

Post by JoeThomas
Meanwhile, on the cover of Cigar Aficionado...
Joe

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

[Terry del Fuego]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by Terry del Fuego

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by JoeThomas
I wish the American Lung Association and other such health organizations
would get in touch with famous smokers dying of smoking related illness,
Johnny for example, and try to get them to make anti smoking commercials on
their death beds. Yes, would be exploiting them, but it might stop some
folks from ever smoking, or even convince them to quit.

Doubtful.

So let's not even try?

It's been tried.
Yul Brenner, William Talman, etc.

Post by Terry del Fuego
Got a problem with something so non-violent?

No. You got a problem with history?

Post by Terry del Fuego
Or is it the *factual* aspect that freaks you out?

No, freaky.
Better to appeal to their economic side on the cost of buying packs of
cigarettes for 30+ years.

Post by Terry del Fuego

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by JoeThomas
Remember the anti smoking ads by William Talman & Yul Brynner?

Yes. What good do you think it did? Almost zero.

Let's see the numbers, bitch.

You go first, birdbrain.

Post by Terry del Fuego

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by JoeThomas
Think what a spot by a dying Walt Disney begging children not to ever
smoke might have accomplished.

Nothing.

You've confused a potential PSA with your life.

You're just confused.

[Terry del Fuego]

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Terry del Fuego
So let's not even try?

It's been tried.
Yul Brenner, William Talman, etc.

Yes. And smoking has declined dramatically. I have *no* idea if the
PSAs played a part in that, but your assholic knee-jerk "they didn't"
is not proof.

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Terry del Fuego
Got a problem with something so non-violent?

No. You got a problem with history?

What history? You've presented NOTHING. As usual, of course.

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Terry del Fuego
Or is it the *factual* aspect that freaks you out?

No, freaky.
Better to appeal to their economic side on the cost of buying packs of
cigarettes for 30+ years.

In other words, you're happy with all the additional taxes they've
added to cigarettes over the years? Because *you* don't smoke, it's
OK for your evil government to rake it in off tobacco?

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by Terry del Fuego

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by JoeThomas
Remember the anti smoking ads by William Talman & Yul Brynner?

Yes. What good do you think it did? Almost zero.

Let's see the numbers, bitch.

You go first, birdbrain.

I'm not the one making a claim one way or the other, baby-fucker. I'm
saying "I don't know". You're claiming to know, but as usual, have
absolutely nothing with which to back up your psychotic outburst.

[Edward Grant]

Post by JoeThomas
I wish the American Lung Association and other such health organizations
would get in touch with famous smokers dying of smoking related illness,
Johnny for example, and try to get them to make anti smoking commercials on
their death beds. Yes, would be exploiting them, but it might stop some
folks from ever smoking, or even convince them to quit. Remember the anti
smoking ads by William Talman & Yul Brynner? Think what a spot by a dying
Walt Disney begging children not to ever smoke might have accomplished.
Meanwhile, on the cover of Cigar Aficionado...
Joe

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

The guy lived to be 79. There are some people who never smoked in their
lives that don't live that long.

[David Carson]

Post by Edward Grant
The guy lived to be 79. There are some people who never smoked in their
lives that don't live that long.

True, but very few of them die from emphysema.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by David Carson

Post by Edward Grant
The guy lived to be 79. There are some people who never smoked in their
lives that don't live that long.

Many of them die in auto accidents, or get assassinated.

Post by David Carson
True, but very few of them die from emphysema.

Emphysema in #4 below in table as noted, dropped a bit from 2001 level.


Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in U.S (2002 preliminary data)

Cause Number Rate/100,000


Tuberculosis 802 0.3 [ 764 0.3 Rate; 2001]
...
Nutritional deficiencies 3,785 1.3 [ 3,704 1.3 Rate; 2001]
...

14. H.I.V. 13,991 4.9 [14,175 5.0 Rate; 2001]
13. Parkinsons' disease 16,961 5.9 [16,544 5.8 Rate; 2001]
12. Homicide 17,045 5.9 [20,308 7.1 Rate; 2001]
11. Chronic liver disease 27,045 9.4
and cirrhosis

11. Suicide 30,646 10.6 [30,622 10.8 Rate; 2001]
10. Blood poisoning 33,881 11.7
(septicemia)

9. Kidney disease 41,018 14.2
8. Alzheimer's 58,785 20.4
7. Influenza/pneumonia 65,984 22.9
6. Diabetes 73,119 25.4
5. Accidents [*] 102,303 35.5
4. Chronic lower
respiratory diseases 125,500 43.5

(Emphysema 15,568 5.4 incl. in #4, 2002
16,242 5.7 incl. in #4, 2001)

3. Stroke 163,538 57.4

All other diseases 193,974 67.3 [186,406 65.5 Rate; 2001]
(Residual)

2. Cancer incl. Leukemia 558,847 193.8
1. Heart disease 695,754 241.3

ALL CAUSES 2,447,862 848.9


Source: "Statistical Abstract of the U.S. 2004-2005"
Table #103 'Death Rates by Selected Causes: 2001 and 2002', p. 80
'Section 2. Vital Statistics'
at: http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/04statab/vitstat.pdf



http://www.census.gov/statab/www/

http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html


2001 Rate 2002 (preliminary) Rate
per 100,000 per 100,000

[*] Accidents 101,537 35.5 102,303 35.5

Autos 43,788 15.4 44,572 15.5

Firearms
discharge 802 0.3 813 0.3

Drowning 3,281 1.2 3,399 1.2
Smoke/Fire 3,309 1.2 3,024 1.0
Poisoning 14,078 4.9 14,670 5.1
& noxious
substances


---

Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in U.S (2001)

Cause Number Rate/100,000 % of deaths

10. Blood poisoning 32,238 11.3 1.3%
9. Kidney disease 39,480 13.9 1.6%
8. Alzheimer's 53,852 18.9 2.2%
7. Influenza/pneumonia 62,034 21.8 2.6%
6. Diabetes 71,372 25.1 3.0%
5. Accidents 101,537 35.7 4.2%
4. Chronic lower
respiratory diseases 123,013 43.2 5.1%
3. Stroke 163,538 57.4 6.8%
2. Cancer 553,768 194.4 22.9%
1. Heart disease 700,142 245.8 29.0%


ALL CAUSES 2,416,425 848.5 100.0%


Source: "2005 World Almanac," p. 77

[Oogie]

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Yul Brynner ran an ad before he died telling people flat out "Don't smoke!"
I also think the guy who was the prosecutor in Perry Mason ran one too
while his lungs were filled with cancer speaking about the hazards of
smoking. He was pretty straightforward, saying that he was dying and
urged all the viewers to stop smoking. This was back in the 60's too!


Oogie

[James Neibaur]

Post by Oogie
I also think the guy who was the prosecutor in Perry Mason ran one too
while his lungs were filled with cancer speaking about the hazards of
smoking. He was pretty straightforward, saying that he was dying and
urged all the viewers to stop smoking. This was back in the 60's too!

I remember that commercial very well. It was around 1968 or 1969. I
started smoking in 1973. It didn't work on me.

(I quit in 1981 because cigs went up to sixty cents a pack and I thought
nobody would buy them at that ridiculously high price)

JN

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by James Neibaur

Post by Oogie
I also think the guy who was the prosecutor in Perry Mason ran one too
while his lungs were filled with cancer speaking about the hazards of
smoking. He was pretty straightforward, saying that he was dying and
urged all the viewers to stop smoking. This was back in the 60's too!

I remember that commercial very well.

So do I.

It was around 1968 or 1969. I

Post by James Neibaur
started smoking in 1973. It didn't work on me.

See that commercial did little good.

Post by James Neibaur
(I quit in 1981 because cigs went up to sixty cents a pack and I thought
nobody would buy them at that ridiculously high price)

Economics and incentives/disincentives have proven to have much more
impact on peoples' action (or not) than most verbal warnings they get.
I grew up way too poor of any money I personally had to waste it on
cigarettes.
I wasted my money on other tangible things. <lol>
My parents both smoked, my late uncle smoked; but not 3 out of my 4
grandparents who all lived into their 90s.
One grandfather smoked cigars only, and he lived to be 80.
Only reason he didn't live any longer than 80 was not because of
smoking-related disease but because of an auto accident.

[James Neibaur]

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by James Neibaur
I remember that commercial very well.

So do I.
It was around 1968 or 1969. I

Post by James Neibaur
started smoking in 1973. It didn't work on me.

See that commercial did little good.

Yeah, that stuff is well-intentioned and I have no problem with it, but I
don't think it has any real impact. There have been anti-smoking PSAs for
many decades, and people (including young people) still smoke.

Post by Rob Petrie

Post by James Neibaur
(I quit in 1981 because cigs went up to sixty cents a pack and I thought
nobody would buy them at that ridiculously high price)

Economics and incentives/disincentives have proven to have much more
impact on peoples' action (or not) than most verbal warnings they get.

Nowadays people spend more on a pack of cigs than I spent on an entire
carton back in the 70s.

Post by Rob Petrie
I grew up way too poor of any money I personally had to waste it on
cigarettes.
I wasted my money on other tangible things. <lol>

I had the other problem. Too much disposable income as a kid, and no real
respect for it until I learned the hard way as an adult. I'm doing ok now,
of course, but there was that time just out of college where I didn't quite
realize charging things on credit cards meant you still had to pay for it
later. Ah the frivolity of youth.....

Post by Rob Petrie
My parents both smoked, my late uncle smoked; but not 3 out of my 4
grandparents who all lived into their 90s.
One grandfather smoked cigars only, and he lived to be 80.
Only reason he didn't live any longer than 80 was not because of
smoking-related disease but because of an auto accident.

Two of my grandparents were heavy smokers and were here until their 80s. My
father, however, died last summer of emphysema after a lifetime of smoking
and he was only in his early seventies.

I think anyone who suffers from a smoking-releated disease gets a bit
William Talman-esque towards the end. Johnny Carson is no exception.

JN

[Terry del Fuego]

Post by James Neibaur
Yeah, that stuff is well-intentioned and I have no problem with it, but I
don't think it has any real impact. There have been anti-smoking PSAs for
many decades, and people (including young people) still smoke.

At dramatically reduced rates. I don't know if it's the PSAs or not,
but I'd rather be spending money on that than (the inevitable)
prohibition.

[MadCow57]

Post by James Neibaur
Nowadays people spend more on a pack of cigs than I spent on an entire

carton back in the 70s.<< -- Jim Neibaur

I remember my mother spending $2.00 to buy my father a carton of his favorite
Herbert Taryetons. Remember that brand?

[Brad Ferguson]

Post by MadCow57

Post by James Neibaur
Nowadays people spend more on a pack of cigs than I spent on an entire

carton back in the 70s.<< -- Jim Neibaur
I remember my mother spending $2.00 to buy my father a carton of his favorite
Herbert Taryetons. Remember that brand?

I remember spending $3.25 for a carton of Marlboros about thirty years
ago. They'd gone to $6 or so by 1980. Now, here, they're about $40.
Another reason I'm glad I gave it up.

[Fritz Wuehler]

Post by Brad Ferguson

Post by MadCow57

Post by James Neibaur
Nowadays people spend more on a pack of cigs than I spent on an entire

carton back in the 70s.<< -- Jim Neibaur
I remember my mother spending $2.00 to buy my father a carton of his favorite
Herbert Taryetons. Remember that brand?

I remember spending $3.25 for a carton of Marlboros about thirty years
ago. They'd gone to $6 or so by 1980. Now, here, they're about $40.
Another reason I'm glad I gave it up.

I quit smoking when cigarettes went from 47c a pack to
50c....just far too expensive! That was in 1974, as I recall.

I remember Tareytons, but never smoked them, Marlboros either.
I was a Newport kind of guy.

[James Neibaur]

Post by MadCow57
I remember my mother spending $2.00 to buy my father a carton of his favorite
Herbert Taryetons. Remember that brand?

Oh sure -- "Tarryton smokers would rather fight than switch" was the slogan,
and the ad showed a person with a black eye smoking a Tarryton.

JN

[David Samuel Barr]

Post by James Neibaur

Post by MadCow57
I remember my mother spending $2.00 to buy my father a carton of his
favorite Herbert Taryetons. Remember that brand?

Oh sure -- "Tarryton smokers would rather fight than switch" was the
slogan, and the ad showed a person with a black eye smoking a
Tarryton.

The brand was TAREYTON, and the slogan was "Us Tareyton smokers would
rather fight than switch". The ad was a frequent basis for parodies,
and periodically the educational community would raise a fuss about the
grammatical error embodied in the slogan (the first word should have
been "We" instead of "Us"); same for the "Winston tastes good like a
cigarette should" ("like" instead of "as").

[t***@gmail.com]

Whaddya want? Good grammar, or good taste?

[Terry del Fuego]

Post by Oogie
Yul Brynner ran an ad before he died telling people flat out "Don't smoke!"

It actually was an excerpt from an interview rather than something
originally created as a standalone item and it didn't air until after
his death. http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Yul-Brynner says
it was a clip from "Good Morning America", but I would have sworn it
was from "60 Minutes".

Post by Oogie
I also think the guy who was the prosecutor in Perry Mason ran one too
while his lungs were filled with cancer speaking about the hazards of
smoking. He was pretty straightforward, saying that he was dying and
urged all the viewers to stop smoking. This was back in the 60's too!

http://www.roadode.com/classicwvx1/talman80.wvx

[s***@gmail.com]

I’m a none smoker but Johnny lived a long productive life and enjoyed cigarettes. Do you think he would have made it to 103 had he not smoked? And to what purpose?

[The Kentucky Wizard]

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Wow, what a revelation. Who would have thunk it.

[Rob Petrie]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by The Kentucky Wizard

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Wow, what a revelation. Who would have thunk it.

Bet you didn't know it until I mentioned it, ignoramus.

[The Kentucky Wizard]

Post by Rob Petrie
x-no-archive: yes

Post by The Kentucky Wizard

Post by Rob Petrie
In his last days, Johnny Carson is reported to have damned his prior
lifetime smoking of cigarettes, leading to his recent death from emphysema.

Wow, what a revelation. Who would have thunk it.

Bet you didn't know it until I mentioned it, ignoramus.

I know he didn't die from emphysema, Roy-Boy. Carson died from
complications of emphysema. If I had to guess, it was pneumonia that
ultimately did him in. Once those lungs flood up, and you have no way to
take it off because your lungs, which once were as elastic as a balloon,
are now as tough as leather, you're pretty much a gonner.