TV
People were buying cigarettes before Freud was born.
— Don Draper ‧ Mad Men
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker points to cigarette purchases predating Freud as a reason to question the importance of an explanation associated with him. Read as a brusque dismissal, the remark favours an established habit over elaborate theorising. The force of the answer lies in how quickly it cuts the discussion short.
Context reviewed