There were some photos recently taken of Scarlett Johansson in Paris. They were candid photos of her walking around with her boyfriend. They were very standard paparazzi shots. A little controversy has blown up over the photos because it is very clear that she has a cigarette in her hand in a couple of the photos. With Johansson being a celebrity, certain assumptions and expectations are put upon her. One of them is being a role model. Some have suggested the pictures with her holding a cigarette shouldn't have been published. Others think by her smoking she is being a bad role model to younger people who might feel it is OK to smoke because she is shown smoking.

I never could understand why the private lives of celebrities, be them sports stars or actors, became such a concern of so many people in terms of how their actions effect us. I get that many of us live our lives vicariously through celebrities. We look at our day to day grind and we want some excitement. The life of a celebrity seems so easy to those who haven't been around them. We want to get into the cool clubs, get the great tables in a restaurant and while it might be a pain, if someone were to stop us on the street and ask for an autograph and picture it would probably make us feel better about ourselves.

The flip side of being a celebrity is the constant examination of the public. If you want to go out without crisp clothes or makeup, someone is going to take that picture and sell it to the tabloids. Some entertainment organization is going to comment on your look or what you did. Every move you make will be scrutinized. People want to know everything about you, or people will make up stuff about you. They feel you have to be the role model for themselves and their children. If you don't live up to their expectations they will trash you in social media.

Scarlett Johansson smoking a cigarette his her business. She's not out there telling anyone they have to smoke. If anything, she's not on a press junket in front of cameras promoting a film. In the pictures, from all indications, she is taking some time off hanging out with her boyfriend. The paparazzi used their long lens to get a few shots of her. I'm not sure how her smoking constitutes a scandal for people who assume they know her and what is best for her because they have seen her in a couple of films. I definitely wouldn't make the assumption of looking at a celebrity and base my habits on what they do. Scarlett Johansson smoking is her prerogative. She shouldn't be scolded by some because she smokes, and also she shouldn't be put in the position of being a poster child for non-smokers, smokers or anything in-between. What I'm trying to say is her decision to smoke or not to smoke is her choice to make. What she does doesn't effect me, and if I had any children it wouldn't effect them.

My dad smoked for over twenty years. He quit smoking when I was sixteen years old. I have friends who are smokers. The only time I smoke is when I have had too many drinks, and trust me I don't have that many drinks too often. My situation isn't like everyone, I understand that, but living with a smoker in my formative years I never thought of it as glamorous or sexy. I have to say that I don't mind people that do smoke. I'm not on a crusade to erase smoking from the planet. Considering all the people I see smoking in real life, such as walking downtown, seeing people on public transportation or driving around in cars, to be it's a bit unrealistic when we have film and television shows without smokers. It's funny to me that shows and films will go out of their way not to have smokers but drinking and drugs are casually used and talks about by characters. Chandler from Friends had to sneak around just to have a smoking jones and 'the gang' would berate him for it, but if any one got drunk off wine coolers or beer it was OK. Cheers was on how many years with people at a bar and that was OK but no one smoked.

So Scarlett, smoke all the cigarettes you want baby. I ain't gonna hate you for that.