Peter Jennings

[borborygmus]

PJ was always my favorite anchor because he was great at it, but also b/c he had that fine voice (the good looks didn't hurt, either). Brokaw always sounded like he had a mouth full of oatmeal 'n' marbles, and Rather just seemed slightly unbalanced and was always wearing those stupid safari outfits.

It is so odd to see the old footage of the newsroom with everyone smoking at their work desks, but when I started in the working world people could still smoke inside the buildings. Glad to see that his death may give some people the impetus to stop. I doubt that it will have too big of an impact, though; it's usually a major illness/heart event that leads to big life changes. I hope for their babies' sakes that those asshats Federline and Affleck will stop smoking, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[Deleted]

Statistics point to the fact that those of lower income or education smoke more. Here in NJ, a pack of cigarettes is $5.00. That's a lot of money to shell out a day, especially if you don't have it. But that just tells you how devastating the addiction is both physically and financially.

How is the tobacco company different than a heroin dealer?

[apollo]

I quit smoking for a whole year, just cold turkey. Then I took it up again out of spite (not one of my brighter moments).

I always said that I would quit by the time I was 30, but now I'm 34 and still smoking.

Peter Jennings' abrupt death has kind of put the fear of God into me. I'm thinking that I'm going to quit.

[Deleted]

Never going to happen, too mcuh money to be made. And there is the matter of personal choice and free will. It's just like being a bad relationship, sometimes people do self destructive things for whatever reason. If we start banning/cracking down on things that are bad for people, it's going to be a long list--and where do you draw the line?

There are things that can be done. Plenty of places, including where I live, are smoke free in public. This certainly cuts down on second-hand smoke. As far as personal choice, less destructive things are illegal, so what's the difference? It's like taking asbestos out of buildings. It causes disease, get rid of it. Nothing is going to happen over night but I believe that eventually smoking will be a thing of the past if people at least try and do something about it.

[magazinewhore]

Yes, ABC did a lovely (and commercial-free!) tribute to him last night. I love the photo of him with the collar of his trench coat up a bit--he looks so dashing. His sister was on, and you could definitely tell where he got the sort of reserved elan, she seemed to have it too.

Smoking: lung cancer is a bitch, one of the most deadly and quickest cancers, which explains why PJ went so fast. Also, yes you can be a nonsmoker and get it; whether it's second-hand smoke or just genetics, no one is sure. But women get it more frequently than men and die of it faster. Apparently, everyone has a different level (basically the number of cigarettes you can smoke) before it turns into cancer. Of course, this is something no one can be aware of. And once you hit that level, you develop cancer, and for women, it's a lot lower than with men.

I quit in Feb., but I was one of those smoke-when-you-drink smokers, so I could go days without smoking. But I was 34 (now 35), and never saw myself smoking after 30. My live-n boyfriend still smokes and I get really mad when he does it in the house around me. When I go out with friends who smoke, I miss it, but other than that, I don't. Unfortunately, drinking without smoking isn't as fun, which sucks.

[kostgard]

Me, too. It suddenly seems that everytime I turn on the t.v. someone is talking about lung cancer.

No kidding - and with Barbara Bel Geddes also dying from lung cancer this week, I half expect Mugatu to show up all "Lung cancer - it's so hot right now, lung cancer."

I was also impressed that ABC went commercial-free. In a time when I am sick of network tv pulling stupid stunts and tinkering with their once-good shows to bring in the almighty advertising dollars, I found in strangely touching.

On the smoking front, again Jennings showed what a bear that addiction is. I didn't remember that he had done all those specials on the tobacco industry (the special reminded me) and he did a lot of work to expose how dangerous and addictive smoking is, yet found himself falling back into it during the stress of 9/11.

I wondered what made him quit and I found it touching that he had quit when his children were born. I find myself looking at the string of pictures of Ben Affleck smoking around pregnant Jennifer Garner and hoping that he quits when the kid is born. I know better than to hope for anything like that for Brandine and Cletus.

[Deleted]

I loved the tribute last night. What a wonderful thing for ABC to do. I honestly didn't realize how much he had contributed with his reports and questioning. He was always my favorite anchor (even though I am from Texas and, according to my parents, obligated to watch crazy Dan Rather) but I didn't know much about his background or much about what he did during his career. I had no idea he was so involved in the Middle East or that he was the one who pushed the Bosnia situation into the open, not to mention the tobacco stuff. Quite a legacy, and I am glad that ABC reminded people of it last night.

[abbynormal]

I completely agree with everything lpatrice said upthread.

Topic: Peter Jennings Way. I like it.