Dutch
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
- Messages
- 3,951
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- 12
When men think of a woman smoking a cigar inside a cigar lounge, many thoughts come to mind and others unfortunately, are verbalized. These include calling said lady "sexy" or other variations noting only her physical appearance, assuming so much as to ask her what kind of flavored cigar she enjoys, and the always-awkward cheap innuendo or blatantly crass pick-up lines as if these ladies were actually there for the boys' benefit. Shamefully, the two things any of us really want inside the walls of a cigar lounge are hard to find in the male-to-female interaction: camaraderie and respect.
Let's get something out in the open and clear the air: Cigars are no longer exclusively a private gentleman's club where the ladies are meant to stay out of sight unless the boys want eye candy. These gals mean business; they're equally- if not moreso- passionate about their cigars than you and I are, and they're here to stay. As they should be.
I've had the great pleasure of having many female friends who frequently visit cigar lounges all across this nation as well as knowing several ladies who work in the industry as reps for other companies and my own (including my boss...she's the BEST!). Maybe it's the Southern gentleman that naturally comes out of me, but I'm very protective of these ladies when I hear the comments often directed towards them amongst many brothers of the leaf. Just ask some of them....I'll get downright irate.
The reason I get so defensive is two-fold:
1.) Respect. Regardless of any other circumstances, to put it quite simply, as a man of character (and most men I meet in cigar lounges are some of the best people in the world, I've found), it is our obligation and pleasure to treat a lady with respect. No questions asked.
2.) We NEED Women In Our Industry. As cigar smokers, we only make up 1% of the US population as it is, folks. Of this number, only 13% are female. We need more. With our rights to enjoy a premium handmade cigar under attack by bans, taxes, and regulation every day, we must have strength in numbers with influential voices from both men AND women. We're in this together, boys and girls.
Do me a favor....the next time one of my female friends enters your establishment dressed in a classy manner and you obviously find her attractive (many of them quite stunning, in fact), please keep it to yourself and remember this: she's not impressed with you due in large part to the fact that she's most likely smoked more ligero that day than you will in a month, wimp.
Oh, and female cigar reps/retail tobacconists/manufacturers? Stop hitting on them because they're nice to you. It's called customer service, people. These ladies are truly professional, and to be honest, probably a heckuva lot better at their jobs than I am. In fact, I get a TON of creative ideas from these colleagues and they add so much to this industry. Respect them, please. This is their industry too and we want them to stay.
In this industry, we're a family. Let's act like it.
Jason Robnett (Premium Territory Manager at Altadis Cigars)
https://www.facebook.com/notes/jason-robnett/regarding-women-who-enjoy-cigars/10151081150021234
Let's get something out in the open and clear the air: Cigars are no longer exclusively a private gentleman's club where the ladies are meant to stay out of sight unless the boys want eye candy. These gals mean business; they're equally- if not moreso- passionate about their cigars than you and I are, and they're here to stay. As they should be.
I've had the great pleasure of having many female friends who frequently visit cigar lounges all across this nation as well as knowing several ladies who work in the industry as reps for other companies and my own (including my boss...she's the BEST!). Maybe it's the Southern gentleman that naturally comes out of me, but I'm very protective of these ladies when I hear the comments often directed towards them amongst many brothers of the leaf. Just ask some of them....I'll get downright irate.
The reason I get so defensive is two-fold:
1.) Respect. Regardless of any other circumstances, to put it quite simply, as a man of character (and most men I meet in cigar lounges are some of the best people in the world, I've found), it is our obligation and pleasure to treat a lady with respect. No questions asked.
2.) We NEED Women In Our Industry. As cigar smokers, we only make up 1% of the US population as it is, folks. Of this number, only 13% are female. We need more. With our rights to enjoy a premium handmade cigar under attack by bans, taxes, and regulation every day, we must have strength in numbers with influential voices from both men AND women. We're in this together, boys and girls.
Do me a favor....the next time one of my female friends enters your establishment dressed in a classy manner and you obviously find her attractive (many of them quite stunning, in fact), please keep it to yourself and remember this: she's not impressed with you due in large part to the fact that she's most likely smoked more ligero that day than you will in a month, wimp.
Oh, and female cigar reps/retail tobacconists/manufacturers? Stop hitting on them because they're nice to you. It's called customer service, people. These ladies are truly professional, and to be honest, probably a heckuva lot better at their jobs than I am. In fact, I get a TON of creative ideas from these colleagues and they add so much to this industry. Respect them, please. This is their industry too and we want them to stay.
In this industry, we're a family. Let's act like it.
Jason Robnett (Premium Territory Manager at Altadis Cigars)
https://www.facebook.com/notes/jason-robnett/regarding-women-who-enjoy-cigars/10151081150021234
