The two-finger point...

[DisneyGentlemanV2.0]

Interesting discussion over on Reddit today about how all pictures of Walt showing him smoking have been doctored to remove the cigarette. They go on to conclude tha this is the origin of the "two finger point" standard, as that is the way walt would point with a cigarette in his hand.

Your thoughts?

 

[DisneyGentlemanV2.0]

This is a picture with the cigarette removed

 

[Tony the Tigger]

It's really stupid. It's inaccurate. As much as I am completely against smoking, what was true was and will always be. No point in hiding from it or photoshopping it.

 

[Master Yoda]

I had always been told that it was due to a single finger point being an offensive gesture in some cultures. CM's are instructed to use the 2 finger or entire hand point.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I find it to be a bit silly for them to think this. It's just common courtesy to direct you where your going by using two fingers or whole hand. A single finger is more forceful to the person telling them you have to go there. Whereas if you direct them with the two or whole to it they feel more confortable..And surely we all know who really started it...

 

[Minnie Mum]

Yeah, let's rewrite history one more time.

 

[danyoung56]

From http://www.bodylanguagesuccess.com/2011/11/negotiation-body-language-secret-349.html -

"The more digits you use to point with, the more it "softens" the point - and the less you offend."

 

[Mawg]

I find the two finger point offensive as it symbolizes a gun. We should all have to point with our thumbs for now on or maybe a head nod in that direction.

 

[steviej]

I had always been told that it was due to a single finger point being an offensive gesture in some cultures. CM's are instructed to use the 2 finger or entire hand point.

This. Sincerely, a 2 time cp alumni

 

[Goofyernmost]

I find the two finger point offensive as it symbolizes a gun. We should all have to point with our thumbs for now on or maybe a head nod in that direction.

When did that happen. As a kid we always used the index finger to indicate a gun. The more logical reason is so the point cannot be mistake for the middle finger response. But it sure is fun to invent new meanings to things that are basically pretty simple.

 

[Berret]

I was told many times that the two-finger point is an attempt to keep from offending cultures for whom a sing-finger point is considered vulgar. The equivalent, I would think, is like gesturing towards the direction requested with your middle finger extended. However, it's never bothered me, and I think it's kind of unique, in a way, because not many places have their employees do the two-finger point. Now, I have no idea whether Walt was the "origin" of the two-finger point, because of his cigarettes, but I do think it's ridiculous to edit them out of pictures. Cigarettes are part of who he was, and frankly, while I have cigarettes with a passion (even though I'm totally fine with people smoking them away from me), I think it's an insult to him. Plus, as showed above, many Disney characters have smoked in their respective works. Are they going to now go back and edit ALL of those works to remove cigarettes? That would be a ludicrously impossible task, and really, to what end?

On a side note, I think cast members should use flag semaphore and smoke signals to give directions. That would stop the whole one finger, two finger issue.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

This is a picture with the cigarette removed

Same thing goes for this Altered one....

 

[Berret]

Same thing goes for this Altered one....

I've got to say, that looks like he's threatening the guy, much moreso than if he had a cigarette in his fingers.

 

[EOD K9]

I've got to say, that looks like he's threatening the guy, much moreso than if he had a cigarette in his fingers.

I'm just going to leave this here.

 

[EOD K9]

It's really stupid. It's inaccurate. As much as I am completely against smoking, what was true was and will always be. No point in hiding from it or photoshopping it.

Next thing you know, they will refurbish PoTC to change history and have the women chasing them instead.

 

[Mawg]

When did that happen. As a kid we always used the index finger to indicate a gun. The more logical reason is so the point cannot be mistake for the middle finger response. But it sure is fun to invent new meanings to things that are basically pretty simple.

Now they use two. I think the real point is though that instead of people working so hard to not offend anyone, people need to work harder at not being offended.

 

[Master Yoda]

It's really stupid. It's inaccurate. As much as I am completely against smoking, what was true was and will always be. No point in hiding from it or photoshopping it.

Walt himself requested that no publicity photos be released showing him smoking. It would stand to reason that he would approve of having them removed from photos of him released to the public.

https://www.mouseplanet.com/10628/Walts_Smoking_and_Infamous_Cough

 

[OliveMcFly]

I'm calling to add turtlenecks to all of Marilyn Monroe's photos.
Walt with a cigarette in photos is accurate and I feel educational. My nieces and nephews know all about Walt and that includes how he past away so there's the lesson.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Walt himself requested that no publicity photos be released showing him smoking. It would stand to reason that he would approve of having them removed from photos of him released to the public.

https://www.mouseplanet.com/10628/Walts_Smoking_and_Infamous_Cough

That's a stretch.

My guess is he just wouldn't release photos of him smoking, not that he would photoshop them out so he looks like a doofus with two fingers out.

God help people who make stuff up about what I want after I die. I'll haunt them.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm calling to add turtlenecks to all of Marilyn Monroe's photos.
Walt with a cigarette in photos is accurate and I feel educational. My nieces and nephews know all about Walt and that includes how he past away so there's the lesson.

Could there be a better message considering what Walt died of (quite young actually) then to show the cigarettes. Walt didn't die of old age, he died of lung cancer. Can you imagine how much more he might have accomplished had he lived longer? When he was alive, that was a legitimate request, but, since he no longer is alive the benefit of people seeing his killer, might just be worth ignoring his living desires.