{"id":40768,"date":"2018-01-24T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-24T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/hitunes-bogart-bogarting-slang-history-evolution\/"},"modified":"2018-01-24T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-24T18:00:00","slug":"hitunes-bogart-bogarting-slang-history-evolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/culture\/hitunes-bogart-bogarting-slang-history-evolution\/","title":{"rendered":"HiTunes: What Is \u201cBogarting\u201d and Why Has the Stoner Slang Stuck Around?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our series, "HiTunes," we investigate various marijuana lore throughout music history, debunking myths and sifting through hazy rumors for the blunt truth. What was the first song to reference weed<\/a>? Why have multiple artists written songs warning others about smoking with Willie Nelson<\/a>? Is Redman's song "How to Roll a Blunt" actually an effective instructional guide? We'll explore these urban legends and more.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Legend: <\/strong>Ever since the late '60s, famed actor Humphrey Bogart's last name has been commonly used as a verb amongst stoners. There's no evidence to suggest that Bogart was ever a toker, so how did the slang develop and why has it persisted throughout pop culture?<\/p>\n

Bogart rose to fame in an era before marijuana depiction was commonplace in media — unless it was the subject of fear mongering — making his film debut in 1928, and reaching his peak in the early '40s with starring roles in The Maltese Falcon <\/em>and Casablanca<\/em>. His slick swagger lent itself to the smokey noir vibe of the era, and, in addition to his talent, made him a generational icon.<\/p>\n

Inseparable from Bogart's image was the omnipresent cigarette dangling rakishly out of the side of his mouth. Check out this clip<\/a> — he even held his smokes in the side of his mouth when lighting up. Bogart never puckered his lips while pulling, and when he spoke, the cig bobbed around like an expressive extra appendage.<\/p>\n