Painterly open cigarette pack and loose cigarette on concrete crossed by barred-window shadows.

Original artwork, not a still

Bill Hicks

I smoke, if this bothers anyone, I recommend you looking around the world in which we live and... shutting your fucking mouth. Either that or suffer a facial burn, your choice. After all this is America, land of freedom, so you have that option ahead of you.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker announces they smoke and tells anyone bothered to look at the state of the world and be quiet, or else risk a burn to the face. The closing sarcasm invokes American freedom, noting that this gives the objector a choice. It is a belligerent, mocking defence of the speaker's habit.

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