Movies
Don't blow smoke up my ass, you'll ruin my autopsy.
— William Parrish ‧ Meet Joe Black
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
A blunt joke about flattery. The speaker tells someone to stop blowing smoke up their backside, meaning stop insincerely praising them, and adds that it will ruin the autopsy, imagining their own body being examined and spoiled by the flattery. It's dark, sarcastic, and wants honesty instead.
Context reviewed