The article ‘Time to Smell the Sweet Smoke: Fantasy Themes and Rhetorical Vision in Nargile Café Cultures’ by Jim Bowman details the recent rise in popularity of smoking tobacco from a hookah in both the United States and in Turkey. The intended audience for this article is someone who has little knowledge of the subject. This is evident by the author defining, in detail, each and every bit of jargon associated with smoking and hookahs in general.
The article begins by giving a short history of the use of the hookah in Middle Eastern cultures and the stigma that was then attached to this once popular activity. Smoking hookahs was considered a way in which men could get together socially and engage in conversation with one another. However, once the Western concept of work became more prevalent in the area, people looked on the pastime as a way for lazy people to waste their days away. Bowman then attempts to explain how this activity became popular again in the Middle East and then expanded to become a world-wide phenomenon. He believes that smoking hookahs are a way for people to relax after having adopted the western workday, and gives people a chance to either socialize or quietly contemplate.
The style of this article was well organized and researched. The author's use of interviews with modern university students and older Middle Easterners who partake of hookah smoking made the article both interesting and easy to read. The author also presented the information in an unbiased manner which given the general stigmatization of tobacco use in the media lately was actually pretty refreshing.
One of the main themes I took away from this article is the cyclical nature of popular culture. A fad will grab the public's attention and for a time will appear almost unstoppable in its popularity. But, then a slow backlash will eventually turn that fad into something that is seen as campy or ridiculous. But, a few people will still harbor positive feelings for that fad, until eventually, a younger generation will latch onto that fad and its popularity will once again increase until it is popular again. Then, the cultural backlash will once again be leveled at the fad until it fades away from the public's memory again and the cycle repeats itself.
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Your article review was very well written. It is rather sad that smoking has gained such widespread popularity among our youth. When I was in London I witnessed firsthand in the markets how popular the hookah smoking was. It is amazing how things that were popular one day lose their popularity the next. But on the other hand, things do have a way of coming back around and gaining popularity. You can take something as silly as bellbottoms; they were very popular in both the 1970’s and 2000’s. I am not sure how you feel about smoking, but when you lose someone to cancer or heart disease, it is something that I hope will lose favor among people. I think the best law that was passed was the outlawing of smoking in public places. I have a hard time when I go out of state and have to sit in a restaurant with smokers.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the key point you took away from this article. A prime example of this that came to mind was the fad of cabbage patch kids and beanie babies. Cabbapge patch kids were extremely popular. People would collect them like valueables, when the fad dies down they no longer had value. Then the similar beanie baby came along many years later and the same cycle started over with them.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny that you found this article because I have noticed people smoking out of hookahs in bars in rural Ohio. It is funny how fads come and go. I think smoking is bad for you but if you had to do it is probably better for you out of a pipe.
ReplyDeleteAfter carefully observing your article i discover the use of hookah in Middle Eastern cultures is effective. I have Middle Eastern blood in me therefore, I have whiteness some of my relatives smoking hookah. your article is well written. great job!
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