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David Lynch: Bloomberg Makes "Animals Out Of Smokers"
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 13, 2011
Modified Nov 13, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 13, 2011
Modified Nov 13, 2011
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Enigmatic writer, director, and weather fan David Lynch has long loved music—yes, he sang with Danger Mouse and Sparklhorse—and he has his first solo album coming out, Crazy Clown Time. But during his musings about music with the NY Times, Lynch had something to say about Mayor Bloomberg's aggressive anti-smoking initiatives and dreams:
Q. What else shaped your musical tastes?
A. Obviously Elvis Presley and all the artists in the ’50s, like Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison and the Fleetwoods, the Platters, the Everly Brothers. It just drives me crazy just to say the names. Jimi Hendrix I think is a guy that everybody loves, but what he did is, he took the power of the ’50s and in my mind really amplified that power and took it to another level, just incredibly.
Q. How old were you when you started listening to that? How did it affect you?
A. 10. I started smoking. I [had] started before that, but I took it more seriously.
Q. Do you still smoke?
A. I quit smoking in December. I’m really depressed about it. I love smoking, I love fire, I miss lighting cigarettes. I like the whole thing about it, to me it turns into the artist’s life, and now people like Bloomberg have made animals out of smokers, and they think that if they stop smoking everyone will live forever.
Q. So do you think your creativity will be drained as a nonsmoker?
A. I had quit smoking during “Eraserhead.” I quit for 21 years. I made a lot of films and paintings and stuff during that time, I think it’ll be O.K.
And Lynch knows about people treating others like animals. Anyway, the Times interview also reveals that Lynch loves Au Revoir Simone!
Tagged
au revoir simone
crazy clown time
david lynch
mayor bloomberg
smoking
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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