Guri Weinberg’s GFYS story has become infamous. (If you don’t know what it is, Google it, but warning it’s not PG-13) In any case Guri had something of a epiphany about quitting smoking and GFYS. The long and short of it is a charity is now born.
According to Guri’s blog here is how it all started.
I am quitting smoking. I use the verb in it’s present tense because I still don’t feel entirely comfortable using the past tense. I have fallen off the non-smoking wagon so many times in my life that it may ALWAYS seem like a process. For anyone contemplating smoking – just slap yourself for me. Detoxing when you stop is just ridiculously uncomfortable.
And, you know, you miss it. More accurately, you miss the social aspects.
On Breaking Dawn, I would generally find Rob Pattinson already smoking when I’d go outside to sneak a few puffs in. We would generally start chatting about whatever, he’d get fired up about whatever we were discussing and he would then generally finish his cigarette and ask for one of mine. He’d light another one and we’d keep talking. Then I’d light another one. We would chain smoke if there was a long enough break on set. I hate to say that’s how we got to know each other but that’s how we got to know each other. As shooting went on, I was smoking a LOT. Getting sick, looking tired, yada, yada, yada. So, I started my daily rant that my wife is ALL too familiar with through many attempts to quit – ” I gotta stop smoking”.
Rob looks at me and says, “You know, I heard that if you quit before you’re 30 you’re in the clear, health-wise.”
Since I am passed 30, that doesn’t seem too good.
“Hey, Rob. I’m over 30.”
He just looks at me totally non-plussed. “I know.”
Silence. I’m waiting for the “but”…it’s not coming.
“Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine. Do me a favor – Go f*** yourself.”
He’s laughing hard now. He keeps trying to talk but he’s laughing too hard. Feigning intense indignation, I get up to go to my room.
“Listen, man. I gotta go. Costco has a sale on caskets right now and obviously it’s a matter of minutes AT MY AGE.”
Now, he’s having trouble breathing, he’s laughing so hard. But, I’m still thinking…man…I have been smoking for way too long.
So, I am quitting. Again. Not too unusual for me. What IS unusual is what I poured that excess energy into.
Ever since I blogged the GFYS story, my website blew up with all the traffic to the “GFYS” blog with over a million hits. Fans have really taken the ball and ran with it. I see fans on Twitter telling one another to “GFYS”, telling other cast members to “GFYS” and, naturally, I get several “GFYS” on a daily basis. That gave my wife and I an idea. How about we combine “GFYS” with smaller, local charities that really get overlooked when it comes to donations. Would people GFTS for charity? I must admit that the visual of people saying that they FTS for charity makes me laugh until I cry but there is also that charitable aspect. Just so people don’t think I am only in it for the #GFYSLaugh…
There’s a whole lot more involved here. Check out the rest on Guri’s site.
The merchandise that he is selling for charity is here.
What do you think of the designs and the concept?
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