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I posted my blog post on Please Don't Smoke on the MMN and got blasted for "invading" Barry's privacy. What they didn't understand was the message wasn't just for Barry, it was for anyone, fan or not, who read the blog post.

What's the big deal? Apparently warning someone of lung cancer is invading your privacy. In fact, one of the fans even posted a lengthy note of how WE wouldn't want someone telling us how to live our lives. Yeah. Right.

Then these same people tune in to see Barry on a television show in Britain talking about his store and the water and B-strings they sell there. But it's okay, because he's not telling us we have to buy them or wear them, right? And when he advertises his shop that's at the Hilton (The M Store), they aren't really pushing drinking alcohol just simply because an entire wall is lined with displays of Barry's wine, while another wall is lined with wine goblets and champagne flutes. Because that would be getting too personal.

So what's a person to do? If you go for a walk in the park, chances are there's someone lurking somewhere trying to tell you how to live your life.

If you go for a drive, there's the billboards, not to mention the ads on the radios.

Go to a movie? The hero of the movie is shown smoking in the movie!

Watch tv? If you don't smoke or drink, don't watch Sex In The City, CSI, NCIS or just about any other show where the characters are portrayed smoking or drinking.

What? You mean they're advertising smoking and drinking on television?

Let me put it this way. At the end of the Smirnoff Vodka commercials, you are not told what can happen if you drink too much, they simply give the nice little legal disclaimer of "Please Drink Responsibly".

Here's an article for those who still don't believe me:

The Top Five Celebrity Smokers