I was recently criticized for this blog by someone unfamiliar with the concept of context. He jumped on me claiming that I was a hypocrite for posting on VU threads, yet making comments that might be interpreted as critical of the forum. I'm posting this because I stand by the words I wrote and feel my points have merit.
and these:
long before one like this:
something is definitely wrong with the message. Why doesn't the community have a publicist? I want to see more images like the above with a wider representation of devices.
I have nothing against Vapor Joe and his crowd, but I wish they got less face time.
A search of "Older vapers" comes up with no pictures; "Adult vapers" is almost all ads or pictures like the ones from the "Vapers" search, plus this disheartening one:
"Senior vapers" is the only search with any pictures to balance the others. One is of Liz, from Vaping for the Over Sixties on youtube (who isn't even vaping in the picture) and the other of this lovely woman:
I think there needs to be a stronger emphasis on how much we have in common with the rest of society, rather than being a subculture. The way it's being portrayed, people might want to protect their children from vapers as much as from vaping.
Parents always think their children won't smoke cigarettes or take drugs, especially if they stay away from "the wrong sort of people." I'd like to think of myself as nonjudgemental, but I'm not stupid. Are these the types of people parents want their children exposed to?
I'm aware that the pictures I've shown don't actually represent the majority of vapers, but that's my point. Unfortunately, they are the type more often seen in the media. Sensationalism sells. Freaky subcultures are far more interesting than average people, but average people, average vapers, is the face we need to put on vaping to get more public acceptance.
Hmmm :/ On one hand I'm glad they aren't smoking tobacco and have found something fun to do, but on the other, with articles about how more kids are using e-cigs more than smoking (never mind the skewed logic), I dislike clouds becoming the focus of vaping. I wish there was enough funding to make a PSA showing the variety of people who vape. Not telling personal stories, just people holding whatever they use and saying, "I am a vaper." I wonder if there's a Kickstart sort of thing for not for profits. (Not nonprofit, that's a whole other can of worms.)TheKiwi;14831092 said:Heeeheeehee. Went into my first B&M today. It was a beyond vape shop. Fun experience, but Nrh worth getting excited over. There were a bunch of folks who were just excitedly buying mods and ATTIES and getting the folks at the shop to "help them blow clouds"
Exactly! I don't feel like I have much in common with how I often see vapers portrayed. I know from my own experience the variety of people who vape, yet when a Google images search for "Vapers" comes up with a stock image:ItTechy;14835192 said:It's not impossible....Maybe perhaps we could reach out to the folks at CASAA, or sumpt'in....I mean vaping, really vaping is not what we see reflected from soooo many of those B&M' and the folks that work there...I still only feel comfortable in one B&M and it's 2 1/2 hours from where I live!
and these:
long before one like this:
something is definitely wrong with the message. Why doesn't the community have a publicist? I want to see more images like the above with a wider representation of devices.
I have nothing against Vapor Joe and his crowd, but I wish they got less face time.
A search of "Older vapers" comes up with no pictures; "Adult vapers" is almost all ads or pictures like the ones from the "Vapers" search, plus this disheartening one:
"Senior vapers" is the only search with any pictures to balance the others. One is of Liz, from Vaping for the Over Sixties on youtube (who isn't even vaping in the picture) and the other of this lovely woman:
I think there needs to be a stronger emphasis on how much we have in common with the rest of society, rather than being a subculture. The way it's being portrayed, people might want to protect their children from vapers as much as from vaping.
Parents always think their children won't smoke cigarettes or take drugs, especially if they stay away from "the wrong sort of people." I'd like to think of myself as nonjudgemental, but I'm not stupid. Are these the types of people parents want their children exposed to?
I'm aware that the pictures I've shown don't actually represent the majority of vapers, but that's my point. Unfortunately, they are the type more often seen in the media. Sensationalism sells. Freaky subcultures are far more interesting than average people, but average people, average vapers, is the face we need to put on vaping to get more public acceptance.
rawr
Last edited: