The French author George Sand once commented that “The cigar is the perfect compliment to an elegant lifestyle.” In that sense, throughout its history, the cigar has been an accessory to gentlemanly pursuits; an object of occasion over a world that seemingly irks at any sign of tradition or ritual. Since the advent of social media, this looks to be changing, with cigars evolving into another status symbol for influencers to exhibit their wealth. Away from social media, though, the majority of enthusiasts still smoke because they appreciate the flavours, brand heritage, and sense of occasion that a cigar offers. This new popular image online is not – as George Sand mentioned in her description – part of a classically elegant lifestyle. In many ways, it is quite the opposite. So, what is spurring these changes?
Even as cigarettes, and smoking in general, become increasingly marginalised, the cigar has managed to avoid the same stigmas. There are obvious differences, but a strong argument is that the cigar beckons the customer to come to them, rather than the readily-available, addictive, disposable nature of a cigarette. It is the difference between a vintage Bordeaux wine and a bottle of Canderel-flavoured Blossom Hill. A Cuban cigar suggests worldliness, good taste, and a life with a somewhat blunted edge (but an edge nonetheless) where although we’re told it is better to not smoke at all, we choose to live as we want – and in tremendous style.
This worldy lifestyle brings with it a community of enthusiasts. As you read this, it is relevant to assume that you are one yourself, whether for a long time or as a beginner. The cigar has always symbolised wealth in some way, but from a cultural standpoint, the social score nature of today’s society has burdened it with new connotations, and a new type of enthusiast. Enter #CigarPorn. This is a trend that narrows a cigar’s enjoyment factor to purely a sign of excess and wealth. It’s also the cigar’s new role in our modern culture.
If I search Cigar as a key word on Instagram, I am greeted with an endless stream of photographs where the cigar is placed purposefully beside luxury watches or leased Lamborghinis. The crowd is mostly young, another (some would argue positive) change from the previous perceived smoker. It is a notable difference nonetheless. In music videos, rappers and pop stars smoke cigars with the same self-absorbed, mink-coated hum as Don Fanucci in the Godfather Part II – rarely lit, chewed to pieces and held like an extension of the stuck-up nose it rests under. This also goes for the ‘influencer class’; most famously mister Dan Bilzerian, who, before his demise, often chewed on a stick while firing guns and relaxing among a group of smiling models. In our new, digital and modern world, where what is presented on the grid is meant to have a braille-like transmission of someone’s status, cigars are not only a symbol of wealth, but a provoker of it. At the most cynical, they are used as props to brashly exclaim how rich we are – something most ‘elegant’ men would never dream of doing, and no enthusiast has time for.
Do these people actually enjoy smoking cigars? I often wonder if, once the photograph is taken, they throw their special edition Partagas Lusitanias to the side, dry heave next to a leased supercar, and yank out a Juul vape. When so much of what you present online is false, even signs of good taste become questionable. There’s another school of thought that this digital demographic is actually good for the cigar’s image, that it is bringing it to a wider, younger market. On Instagram, for example, there is now a breed of model – especially young women – who specialise their profile in posing with Cuban cigars. Although we can be cynical, arguing that this is a fairly clever way to make attention from a mostly male community (especially in the case of the 'Cigar Vixen'), it’s also nice to see more of the opposite sex indulge in something we have enjoyed for centuries. The presence of women in the cigar-smoking world will hopefully encourage more to join in. Indeed, on YouTube, there are female creators who produce videos on their favourite brands, sticks, and leave reasoned reviews. There are also popular cigar sommeliers like Mikaela Paim. The response is largely supportive, and something that would have seemed much less likely before the rise of social media. As somebody with a genuine curiosity in cigars, I love seeing people from all walks of life adopt it with real enthusiasm. More of this, rather than the puppet-shadows of an influencer.
All said and done, the cigar has adapted to the times, refashioning itself for modern culture. While the image of Winston Churchill puffing a Romeo y Julieta on his Chesterfield remains strong in the imagination (and why not? For it is a part of the cigar’s history) getting into cigars has never been more accessible for anyone. When George Sand spoke of them accompanying an elegant lifestyle, it’s preferable to think that – as a smart commentator on culture and people – her definition was about a man’s attitude and not his social standing. To this end, the cigar remains true to itself. Indeed, it’s probably never had to be so truthfully elegant. When the smoke-screen of social media influencers wither away, and as more and more people use the internet to shop and experience Cuban cigars, a larger conversation begins – a multi-faceted community emerges. And the cigar, whose real advantage is to invite people to sit together (or sit in solitude, away from phones) gives more people than ever an excuse to do so.