Comments on: Obituary for the Marlboro Man

Obituary for the Marlboro Man

Bentobox Humperdinck — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:13:56 -0800

Darrell Winfield, the "real" Marlboro Man, died on January 12th, aged 85 (SLEconomist)

By: leotrotsky

leotrotsky — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:17:19 -0800

That would make him the fifth Marlboro Man to die of various smoking related diseases, after David Millar, Wayne McLaren, David McLean, and Eric Lawson

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:20:49 -0800

That would make him the fifth 'real' Marlboro Man to die of cancer He died of a stroke.

By: leotrotsky

leotrotsky — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:22:20 -0800

Sys Rq: corrected on edit

By: entropicamericana

entropicamericana — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:24:38 -0800

I'm trying to work out how to reference "Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo" in a comment without sounding like a dick. (I know, why would I start worrying about that now, right?)

By: CBrachyrhynchos

CBrachyrhynchos — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:36:21 -0800

For people who have not clicked through, the obit is largely without political axe-grinding. It offers some nice contrasts between the stoic, rugged, loner of the advertising image, and the humorous, modestly employed, family man of his private life.

By: humanfont

humanfont — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:39:37 -0800

It is likely that smoking diminished the quality of his life in his later years and contributed to the vascular disease and stroke that eventually killed him. On the other hand those tobacco ads bought a number of luxuries and a financial independence unavailable to most of the Wyoming Cowboys I know.

By: Old'n'Busted

Old'n'Busted — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:39:59 -0800

I want my obit to be like The Marboro Man's. Sadly, I lack both a photogenic face and a horse.

By: blucevalo

blucevalo — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:45:00 -0800

He died of a stroke. That's not clear. He had a stroke that disabled him "some years" before his death (per the Economist obit). Washington Post: "It is unclear how Winfield died, but he suffered from a 'lengthy illness' and had been in hospice care at his home, according to a Wyoming news organization."

By: el io

el io — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:51:54 -0800

'Sys Rq: corrected on edit' What does that mean? The edit window is supposed to be used for typos and punctuation, not anything else. (for this reason). I'm confused.

By: NotMyselfRightNow

NotMyselfRightNow — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:54:17 -0800

I'm constantly impressed with the quality of the obituaries in The Economist. They bring depth and insight in a very small amount of space, add personality to people who are often made out to be one dimensional, and - frequently - make me appreciate things about people who I often disagree with if not outright dislike.

By: mellow seas

mellow seas — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 09:20:54 -0800

He died when he was 85, who really gives a fuck what he died of? If it wasn't smoking-related would you go, "Hmm, I guess smoking isn't bad for you"? Are you that addicted to irony that you MUST point out that smoking harmed his health? It sounds like this guy had a great life, and then he died, like everyone does. Including non-smokers. .

By: entropicamericana

entropicamericana — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 09:28:24 -0800

Are you that addicted to irony that you MUST point out that smoking harmed his health? I keep trying to quit, but there's a pusher on every corner.

By: cortex

cortex — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 09:31:05 -0800

Sys Rq: corrected on edit Official mod reminder: do not use the edit window like this. If you need to respond to a response to your comment, just make another comment; don't engage in time-travel hijinks or alter the content of your existing comment.

By: valkane

valkane — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 09:37:04 -0800

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 09:47:28 -0800

> I want my obit to be like The Marboro Man's. Sadly, I lack both a photogenic face... Photoshop. > ...and a horse. Photoshop.

By: The1andonly

The1andonly — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 10:21:18 -0800

He made it to 85...while being a smoker? If he liked smoking....and it enhanced his life...then I think he lived life on his own terms....No judgments on my end.

By: el io

el io — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 11:27:51 -0800

If I live to be 85 I'm seriously going to consider taking up a heroin habit.

By: Johnny Wallflower

Johnny Wallflower — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 11:28:15 -0800

cortex: don't engage in time-travel hijinks Says the guy who hangs out with pb all the times.

By: Gungho

Gungho — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 13:47:25 -0800

Where is the evidence that the stroke was in any way related to smoking? My mom had a stroke at age 63 and never smoked a day in her life. Stuff happens. People die.

By: mikurski

mikurski — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:07:52 -0800

By: BWA

BWA — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 17:08:23 -0800

Tobacco Trivia- Until 1954, Marlboro was marketed to women