Two years after it was the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year, vaping may have just hit the limelight in a major way, thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio‘s chill last night at the SAG Awards.
While the actual awards ceremony provided a much-needed diverse counterpoint to the #OscarsSoWhite Academy Award nominations, DiCaprio stole the show by casually puffing a vape pen—that’s Advanced Personal Vaporizer to sticklers and “millennial bait” to the rest of us.
What’s Eating Gilbert Vape? pic.twitter.com/pf60Ws6TRb
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) January 31, 2016
The actor also won his first “Outstanding Performance” SAG award thanks to his Oscar-nominated leading role as real-life badass Hugh Glass in The Revenant. But instead of wondering whether this means Leo’s Oscar curse will finally be broken, most of us were just divided about whether his vape pen is cool, romantic, or just plain douchey.
Team romance had plenty of daydreaming to do:
.@LeoDiCaprio you used to hold me like you hold your vape pen
— anne t donahue (@annetdonahue) January 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/mrcolinjfleming/status/693799220587925504
Leo’s date at the #SAGAwards2016 was his vape pen. #neverbeenmoreinlove
— Julie “The Cat” Gaffney (@ChelseaDeary) January 31, 2016
Team “Vaping Leo is Culturally Significant” also got plenty of cheerleaders:
https://twitter.com/sannydanchez10/status/693701524086726656
LEO VAPING AT THE SAG AWARDS WHAT A SWAG MASTER pic.twitter.com/qSforapOIY
— gregor-jeff (@luanneplatter69) January 31, 2016
@ChristianChopp when people say vaping is bad just tell them Leo does it https://t.co/rIEGuYglQ0
— Luke.P.D.Zuliani (@LukeWarmZuliani) January 31, 2016
Fuck you for making vaping look cool, Leo. pic.twitter.com/zsegcUrt8f
— Patrick Moore (@patrickmoorekc) January 31, 2016
But Team Douchebag also got in plenty of jeering:
#SpoilerAlert That photo of Leo vaping makes it easier to watch him die at the end of Titanic.
— Jewerstein (@Jewerstein) January 31, 2016
HAHA pic.twitter.com/NAHcDzUnrj
— fiona (@fiona__blair) January 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/Jlindahl1/status/693809712190640128
I hope Leonardo DiCaprio does a method biopic about the kid whose e-cig blows up in his face. God what a douche.
— Rae-Anne (@kitchenwitchin) January 31, 2016
Only-fucks-22-year-old-10s-fat-vape-pen Dicaprio is probably the best celeb and this is how we will remember him in 50, 100 years
— Kalea Larsen (@Kalea_Larsen) January 31, 2016
While vape pens may be a very healthy alternative to smoking, they’re mostly a perennial source for public mockery. It looks like not even DiCaprio’s vape pen will be able to change that public perception. Maybe a few more vape-offs with Revenant and Inception co-star Tom Hardy will help?
Still, it’s nice to know that even if we lose the “Where is my Oscar?” Leo meme at the upcoming Academy Awards, “Where is my vape pen?” will be waiting in the wings.
H/T Uproxx | Screengrab via Kjersti Flaa/YouTube