breakfast of champions

Damn, I wish this was a real thing:

Family members of Mo Yan on Wednesday denied the Nobel Prize winner is to star in a cigarette advertisement...

...Their statements were made after an online post said Mo would be starring in a local pricey cigarette advertisement. The brand, named "Taishanfoguang," allegedly costs 20,120 yuan (3199 U.S. dollars) per carton, or 20 packs.

The post, released on Tuesday on a tobacco-themed forum, also included three photographs. One captured a luxurious cigarette carton with Mo's image and another with cigarettes and the names of the writer's works. The third picture was of Mo in a smoking scene with words "Mo Yan has three cigarettes respectively for Sweden, for his hometown Gaomi and one between his fingers to inspire writing."

Smoke posh fags, says Nobel prize winner. Actually, it seems that the tobacco company pirated his name: given China's commercial environment it will, I suppose be the first of many raids on Mo's Nobel related prestige. In fariness, I bet that until very recent years, the number of Nobel literature laureates who could have endorsed cigarette brands if they had been so minded would be in the region of 100%. It's not like we're talking Hemingway brand shotguns here.

Comments

[ajay]

"We don't agree on much," say Henry Kissinger and Pham Van Dong, "but we agree on the cool, refreshing taste of Marlboro!"

[johnf]

WH Auden was probably never awarded a Nobel because the advertisers decided his face wouldn't be the smartest way to advertise the benefits of cigarette smoking.

[Alex]

To say nothing of his testicles.

[CMcM]

I'd like two crates of whatever jamie was on when he wrote that Office of Sleazy Intelligence post Fed-Exed to me now

[jamie]

I'd like some too, since I appear to have run out.