session #1: the smoking circle in 'that '70s show'
i'm debuting a new series for 'the garden' that delves into cannabis pop culture references!
Hi, and welcome to âthe gardenâsâ sessions. Part-inspired by thee Hunter Harrisâ Vulture column âHunterâs Line Readings,â part-something Iâve always wanted an excuse to write about, each âsessionâ newsletter will dive into the most iconic cannabis pop culture references across film, TV, music and more. If you have any recommendations or specific lines/scenes or phenomena youâd like me to discuss, feel free to DM me on Twitter.
did âthat â70s showâsâ smoking circle walk so twitterâs âdream blunt rotationâ meme could run?
I was in fifth grade or so when I saw the first rerun of âThat â70s Show,â so naturally, I understood only half of the jokes (this and âPretty Little Liarsâ taught me everything I know about the world today). After the first couple of episodes, I decided I was really into it, quickly solidifying my love for the show throughout the ages. (Is it sometimes cheesy and does the sitcom laugh track kill me? Yes. Do we acknowledge the last season? No. Do I still love the series? Yes. Oh, and we canât skim over how the actor who plays Hyde is ⌠yeah.)
Anyways, one thing that stuck with me was the seriesâ iconic âsmoking circle.â I remember wracking my brain as to what it meant, why smoke pillowed in the background, why everyone was suddenly laughing more than usual and barely making sense, what âtoastedâ meant, etc. etc. Eventually, though, the concept of weed became known to me, and I was able to piece together why the fuck Leo (played by the iconic Tommy Chong, who is much higher in person than you think) was like that.
Knowing that my parents were very anti-drug (and by extension, anti-weed), the show became like my little afternoon post-school secret. I wasnât going to begin my homework until I finished the reruns for the day, which usually ran from 3-5 p.m. And, looking back, itâs probably one of the many pop culture touchstones that shaped me and my love for television.
So, back to the smoking circle. The eight-season sitcom ran from 1998 until 2006 on Fox, which, at the time, had TV censorship rules that prohibited the depiction of teenage characters using drugs. But a show focused on the 1970s without weed? No, thanks. As a creative solution, the showâs creators came up with a way to bypass the regulation â the group would sit in a circle in front of a swiveling camera, imitating the passing of a joint in a âpuff, puff, passâ circle.
âDuring the circle scenes in âThat '70s Show,â drug paraphernalia is never directly shown. The characters rarely referred to the drug as âmarijuanaâ and âweedâ and instead called it their âstash.ââ
Also, an iconic âfuck youâ to conservative network executives.
âTo pull off the effect of the circle, the team behind âThat â70s Showâ pumped in constant special effects smoke from a machine. The smoke used was strawberry-scented so that it wouldn't bother the cast and crew considering the amount used. A few of the cast members of the show also smoked cigarettes at the time so they assisted in the circle. They would hold their lit cigarettes low under the table to provide more smoke while filming the specific scenes. The filming technique was very successful, which was why it remained a common sequence in the series â whether Fox liked it or not.â
I think itâs safe to say that the seriesâ circle shaped an entire generation of stoners that come of age during and right after the mid-aughts. Filled with brilliant existential monologues; gags like Hydeâs car that runs on water, man; and special guest appearances, the writersâ room was thoroughly in its bag as it was crafting the dialogue featured in the circle. These characters were, and are, the epitome of the âdream blunt rotation.â So, without further ado, here are my top two smoking circles for your viewing pleasure.
Ericâs (Topher Grace) freak-outs in the circle are the best, and most relatable, moments:
Jackieâs (Mila Kunis, who was much younger than her co-stars and undoubtedly ate everyone up with her depiction of the privileged, upper-class original girl boss character) first foray into the circle is only one for the books:
And, as an honorable mention, check out the smoking circle in Season 7, Episode 13 âCanât You Hear Me Knocking,â when the group has to smoke through their stash for fear of being caught by the police. After the third circle, things start getting weird.
âdream blunt rotationâ but make it âvictoriousâ (also a great show to watch while high)
it wouldnât be âthe gardenâ if i didnât mention seth rogen
As you all probably know, the one and only Seth Rogen has launched a cannabis brand. Rogen is probably my favorite well-known celebrity stoner, and with the rise of the cannabis industrial complex and other multi-millionairesâ entry into the cannabis business (think: MedMen and Jay-Zâs luxury weed brand Monogram), Iâm not irked by his venture into the entrepreneurship space.
Itâs clear that Rogen is a die-hard weed-lover (âPineapple Expressâ holds a special place in my heart), so Iâm not terribly bothered from him capitalizing on this more than decade-long love and knowledge. Itâs also evident that he is approaching his company, Houseplant, with care and diligence, hand-picking strains and coordinating them with complementary records.
Furthermore, I really appreciate Rogenâs dedication to craft and design, and bringing a certain je ne sais quoi to cannabis, as Houseplant is striving to create custom, innovative weed paraphernalia for smokers to enjoy.
ââWe are trying to really consider people who smoke weed in a way that they have not been considered before,â Rogen tells AD. âJust like alcohol has martini shakers, wine glasses, and corkscrews. If you are someone who smokes weed, there is really none of that. There are Bic lighters and you are ashing into a mug half the time.ââ
I mean ⌠a lighter and an ashtray in one? Thatâs fucking genius.
At the same time, itâs important to acknowledge the very real privilege Rogen has, in being a celebrity, first and foremost, and a white, wealthy man who has the access to opportunity, connections and capital to even consider launching a weed empire. And, of course, we must keep bringing to the forefront discussions and policies regarding equity programs, expunging records and more to help Black and brown communities affected by the War on Drugs tap into the legal market.
and now, a song to light up to
A timeless classic.
further reading
âBest Stoner Movies and TV Shows to Stream Right Nowâ â Variety (shameless plug because I wrote this!)
âWeed & Nail Art: Yes, Itâs a Thingâ â The Broccoli Report (thoroughly enjoyed this one, which is exclusively for the gals and gays)
âIllinois city uses weed sales tax for reparationsâ â Leafly
âThese states could legalize cannabis next in 2021â â Leafly
â5 types of weed highs and the best strains for themâ â Leafly
one last thing
Make sure to like this post and share âthe gardenâ if you enjoyed this content!
your bud, Natalie