Althouse: "I'd never met or heard anyone who'd had a laryngectomy."

February 28, 2013

"I'd never met or heard anyone who'd had a laryngectomy."

"I thought, 'Omigod, I make my living on the telephone and now I'm going to sound like Elmer Fudd on Thorazine for the rest of my life.'"

12 comments:

traditionalguy said...: I once knew a man with that condition. He would put a mike and amplifier against his throat and puff out enough words to get his message across. But he seemed angry at us talkers who had a much easier time using spoken words.

I suspect that Obama's gang will is plotting an laryngectomy for Bob Woodward.; 2/28/13, 9:37 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Nobody liked my idea for a similar anti-STD ad campaign.; 2/28/13, 9:46 AM
Wince said...: After losing her larynx to cancer, Debi Austin became a powerful advocate in the public-awareness campaign against smoking. In a memorable ad, the Canoga Park woman puffed on a cigarette through a surgical hole in her throat.

And my first thought is "Debbie Does Dallas" and "Deep Throat". What does that say about me?

But she also had that "been there, done that" back in the 1970s look, for a different reason, of course.; 2/28/13, 9:48 AM
edutcher said...: The RAF pilot who nailed Rommel had one and so did Richard Rodgers and one of the Alsop brothers (IIRC).; 2/28/13, 9:54 AM
sonicfrog said...: It was a good ad. But you can only take that so far. If they put those black lung pics on cigarettes (don't smoke, but I don't think they're there yet) I don't think it will make the same impact. Seeing dead tissue is not the same as seeing a live human live with the consequences of their actions.; 2/28/13, 10:16 AM
Charlie Currie said...: No disrespect, but I think she became cartoon-ish. Non-smokers saw the add and went out and started smoking. They didn't believe that that was the outcome, or at least it wouldn't happen to them.

Thousands of Debbies might have made a bigger impact...thousands of lung cancer patients really haven't.

Go to where the hip people hang out, go stand and watch a film being made on street, you'll see plenty of young crew members smoking. There was probably a good percentage of the crew filming the Debbie commercial that were smoking, and didn't stop.

Smoking fits right in with the "Mad Men", retro scene, very mid-century modern...very hip.

Cheers; 2/28/13, 10:45 AM
traditionalguy said...: Laryngectomies are done for thyroid gland cancers that got out of hand. The tumors can be treated with a radioactive iodine if caught early enough,and followed by thyroxin maintenance doses.; 2/28/13, 10:47 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I knew someone with this surgery, and she considered going up to teenagers when she saw them smoking and talking to them in the voice she had, telling them not to smoke. She wanted to do good deeds. I advised against it. I don't think strangers should go up to kids and tell them in a voice that would shock them what they ought to do. An ad is a different matter, but in real life, you shouldn't intrude on people that way.; 2/28/13, 12:27 PM
sinz52 said...: The actor Jack Klugman had one vocal cord removed, after he was diagnosed with throat cancer.; 2/28/13, 12:59 PM
Levi Starks said...: The Public Address system is so loud and obnoxious where I work, I'm considering having the nerves to my inner ears cut.; 2/28/13, 1:43 PM
mariner said...: edutcher,

I doubt any RAF pilot nailed Rommel. He was executed for participating in a plot to assassinate Hitler.

Methinks you're thinking of Capt. Roy A. Brown, who was credited for shooting down Manfred von Richtofen (The Red Baron).; 2/28/13, 4:18 PM
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