Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
"All addicts, regardless of the substance or their social status share a consistent and obvious symptom; they're not quite present when you talk to them. They communicate to you through a barely discernible but un-ignorable veil. Whether a homeless smack head troubling you for 50p for a cup of tea or a coked-up, pinstriped exec foaming off about his speedboat, there is a toxic aura that prevents connection. They have about them the air of elsewhere, that they're looking through you to somewhere else they'd rather be. And of course they are. The priority of any addict is to anesthetize the pain of living to ease the passage of the day with some purchased relief." -Russell Brand in a letter about Amy Winehouse
Monday, July 25, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
I can haz drugs? Post-modern culture and the quest for perfection
British singer Lily Allen has been in the tabloids and all over the internet lately, due to comments she made regarding american culture, her comments can be found below:
"I hang out with models, the biggest pop stars and, you know, really and honestly, I hate saying this, but none of them are achieving those body shapes by being healthy. They’re not just going to the gym two hours a day. They’re not eating or they’re taking speed not to eat. In America everyone abuses that Adderall stuff and people aren’t normal."
Her comments have received mixed responses from blogs and new websites, some calling her "self-righteous" and claiming her statements are a gross over-exaggeration. I personally have no trouble at all believing Lily is telling the truth, and am more surprised that people are so taken aback by her statements.
First thing we need to consider are her statements about the modelling industry specifically; American society has long held models and supermodels in very high regard, because they are considered to be some of the most beautiful women in the world. Their bodies and their perfectly symmetrical faces are traits that american women aspire to. Make no mistake about it; the mainstream media's pre-occupation with modelling and perfection as a standard of beauty have caused a massive shift in standards of identity. Women everywhere are under the impression that if they can somehow attain this impoossible standard of beauty, that they will finally achieve happiness. And this mindset is only a small part of a much larger cultural shift that is uniquely American: Perfection.
America is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and influential countries in the entire world, and because of this we are all convinced that we need to be the best. At everything. Which brings me to Adderrall. The CEO of a fortune 500 company and someone like Adriana Lima or Rosie Huntington Whiteley both have the same motivation: to be the best at what they do. And millions of us Americans feel the exact same way. We must be the best at what we do, because mediocrity means nothing. It's inconsequential. And in a world where everything has the ability to become an Internet Meme, Inconsequential just won't cut it. It's like we are all trying to actuate Andy Worhal's idea that in the future everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes. We have translated this to mean that everyone in the country must be famous, must be exceptional, in order to even matter in an existential sense. This need for absolute perfection and superiority is unattainable to most people, so what are they left to do? If they want to matter at all, then they must succeed at all costs. And what other way is there to achieve perfection in a society with an attention span no longer than the length of a commercial, than to augment yourself with prescription/illegal substances. Advances in medicine coupled with modern society's obsession with anything "new" drives us to use whatever resources are available in order to improve our chances at success. It's why athletes use steroids. These days there is a prescription solution to almost every medical problem a human could possibly have. Back in the 50's, before Amphetamines were made illegal, factory workers and office workers would use "speed" in preparation for the 14 hour work day that awaited them. Benzodiazapenes were heralded as a miracle for people suffering from anxiety and depression, and not an eyelash was batted because science was the way of the future and drug use was not yet vilified as the past time of the "counter culture." That coupled with the emerging evidence that Amphetamines and Opiates were highly addictive were what made drug use simultaneously abhorrent and glamorous at the same time. It was unacceptable for regular people to use drugs, but it was OK for celebrities because their lifestyles were both unattainable and unimaginable to "regular joes." That was the 80's and 90's. But somehting happened. And that something was called High Speed Internet. In the days of dial up, it cost precious time to be able to access things like email and AOL.com (gasp) so people's time spent browsing the web was limited; they were connected to the rest of the world, but only at 56kbps. They were forced to interface with the real world. But now, in the glory days of the 21st Century, it takes about 5 seconds for me to load up my Gmail, Facebook, and Reddit.com. Literally the entire world is at my finger tips as I type these words, and this fact has done wonders for celebrity culture. Now instead of just hearing rumors about how Kate Moss does coke in the bathroom at photo shoots, I can see pictures of it on Perez Hilton!
There's also this phenomenon unique to the Internet where Everybody can be famous. Everyone has an opinion, and when they want to share it without worrying about the social ramifications of their thoughts, they turn to the internet. And so celebrity culture has finally become something attainable, but it comes with a price...before everyone accepted that they would never be as great as Marilyn Monroe or Joe DiMaggio, and that was OK. Now, you too can be an exact replica of Marilyn Monroe for the right price. With enough money, society tells you, you can be and do anything that you want. Understandably people have taken this to heart. Mundane human problems like Insomnia can solved by a little Ambien for the price of your provider's Co-pay. Depressed? Well There are about 6 million different drugs you can take for that too, believe me, I have tried a few of them. Can't focus? You must have ADHD, here take this Adderrall! Don't have any problems? HAH are you sure about that? Wouldn't you rather buy this eyeshadow and these high heels and this weight loss DVD and be absolutely sure? Our growing connectedness to everyone else around us coupled with our absolute obsession with making as much money as humanly possible has caused us to seek out a solution for every single one of our "problems." Can't bench press 1000 pounds for 20 reps? What's wrong with you man? Oh wait, here's some steroids, you're all set. And in a culture that obsesses over perfection and where millions of people are all fighting for their piece of the spotlight; for the validation of their existence, don't you think they might try to cheat the system? I do.
Being a recent College graduate I can speak intimately to the effects our Postmodern culture has had on my generation. When I was a senior in high school (2007), Yale had an acceptance rate of 6.4%, and Harvard came in at a measly 7%. And yet we all felt somehow that we should have gotten in. These obviously unrealistic standards had been drilled into our souls by well-meaning teachers who preached that we are all smart and special and bright, but in our own unique and beautiful ways. I personally went to a state school, having been wait listed at all my other schools. But it didn't matter that I was at a state school, and I am certain it wouldn't have mattered what university I went to at all (going to Harvard or Yale only means you can spend more of your parents money on drugs). We were expected to be the best. We were expected to be the brightest, and anything less than an A was irrelevant.Whether that's true or not, it is the standard of our culture. To get a job, you better have a transcript full of As and a novel's worth of extra-curricular activities. Hell, I had to work almost 30 hours a week while going to school full time just to make the rent. I can also tell you that my generation's mentality about recreational drug use is far different than my parents. We are the ADHD generation. When our parents couldn't handle the stress of dealing with children with far more energy than they would ever dream, they gave us drugs to calm us down. My brother, who is a generation behind me (the cusp of the "Tweens") really does have severe ADHD: he had to repeat kindergarten. So in order to function in normal society, he had to be medicated. For him, Adderrall was a life saver. But then other people; my friends, your friends, and maybe you and me, heard about this wonder drug and decided to give it a try; surprise, Adderrall for people without severe attention problems is like giving Barry Bonds a corked bat (the steroids are only more to my point). It's a wonder drug. Tons of energy, motivation, drive, without the hassles of sleep and food that get in the way of work and partying. Wait, you're telling me I can spend all week going to class, working 6 hours a day and partying like the assholes on Jersey Shore all night, and then take this pill the night before my final, study all night and get an A? Where do I sign up? I am sure if there was a list of everyone who used Adderrall for anything other than ADHD, it would be long, and a sizable amount of the people you know are on it. It doesn't just stop at college though. Yeah it might be time to put away the dope for a while so we can pass our drug tests, but as long as a doctor says I can take it, it's not abuse right? In order to pay off my student loans, maintain an apartment, remain fashionably relevant (woman only requirement) and be able to afford that snazzy iPhone or Android all my friends have, I have to work like 80 hours a week. God forbid I should settle for just "average". So what do we do? We do what our parents taught us; we go to the doctor. Self-medication, and Self-Augmentation have become the American Way, and this culture of impossibly high standards has created a need to improve ourselves beyond our own physical and mental limitations. Welcome to the Future, If you can't keep up don't worry; There's a pill for that.
And our society's paradoxical obsession with perfection and aversion to altering one's consciousness with min-expanding drugs is a bed time story for another time.
"I hang out with models, the biggest pop stars and, you know, really and honestly, I hate saying this, but none of them are achieving those body shapes by being healthy. They’re not just going to the gym two hours a day. They’re not eating or they’re taking speed not to eat. In America everyone abuses that Adderall stuff and people aren’t normal."
Her comments have received mixed responses from blogs and new websites, some calling her "self-righteous" and claiming her statements are a gross over-exaggeration. I personally have no trouble at all believing Lily is telling the truth, and am more surprised that people are so taken aback by her statements.
First thing we need to consider are her statements about the modelling industry specifically; American society has long held models and supermodels in very high regard, because they are considered to be some of the most beautiful women in the world. Their bodies and their perfectly symmetrical faces are traits that american women aspire to. Make no mistake about it; the mainstream media's pre-occupation with modelling and perfection as a standard of beauty have caused a massive shift in standards of identity. Women everywhere are under the impression that if they can somehow attain this impoossible standard of beauty, that they will finally achieve happiness. And this mindset is only a small part of a much larger cultural shift that is uniquely American: Perfection.
America is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and influential countries in the entire world, and because of this we are all convinced that we need to be the best. At everything. Which brings me to Adderrall. The CEO of a fortune 500 company and someone like Adriana Lima or Rosie Huntington Whiteley both have the same motivation: to be the best at what they do. And millions of us Americans feel the exact same way. We must be the best at what we do, because mediocrity means nothing. It's inconsequential. And in a world where everything has the ability to become an Internet Meme, Inconsequential just won't cut it. It's like we are all trying to actuate Andy Worhal's idea that in the future everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes. We have translated this to mean that everyone in the country must be famous, must be exceptional, in order to even matter in an existential sense. This need for absolute perfection and superiority is unattainable to most people, so what are they left to do? If they want to matter at all, then they must succeed at all costs. And what other way is there to achieve perfection in a society with an attention span no longer than the length of a commercial, than to augment yourself with prescription/illegal substances. Advances in medicine coupled with modern society's obsession with anything "new" drives us to use whatever resources are available in order to improve our chances at success. It's why athletes use steroids. These days there is a prescription solution to almost every medical problem a human could possibly have. Back in the 50's, before Amphetamines were made illegal, factory workers and office workers would use "speed" in preparation for the 14 hour work day that awaited them. Benzodiazapenes were heralded as a miracle for people suffering from anxiety and depression, and not an eyelash was batted because science was the way of the future and drug use was not yet vilified as the past time of the "counter culture." That coupled with the emerging evidence that Amphetamines and Opiates were highly addictive were what made drug use simultaneously abhorrent and glamorous at the same time. It was unacceptable for regular people to use drugs, but it was OK for celebrities because their lifestyles were both unattainable and unimaginable to "regular joes." That was the 80's and 90's. But somehting happened. And that something was called High Speed Internet. In the days of dial up, it cost precious time to be able to access things like email and AOL.com (gasp) so people's time spent browsing the web was limited; they were connected to the rest of the world, but only at 56kbps. They were forced to interface with the real world. But now, in the glory days of the 21st Century, it takes about 5 seconds for me to load up my Gmail, Facebook, and Reddit.com. Literally the entire world is at my finger tips as I type these words, and this fact has done wonders for celebrity culture. Now instead of just hearing rumors about how Kate Moss does coke in the bathroom at photo shoots, I can see pictures of it on Perez Hilton!
There's also this phenomenon unique to the Internet where Everybody can be famous. Everyone has an opinion, and when they want to share it without worrying about the social ramifications of their thoughts, they turn to the internet. And so celebrity culture has finally become something attainable, but it comes with a price...before everyone accepted that they would never be as great as Marilyn Monroe or Joe DiMaggio, and that was OK. Now, you too can be an exact replica of Marilyn Monroe for the right price. With enough money, society tells you, you can be and do anything that you want. Understandably people have taken this to heart. Mundane human problems like Insomnia can solved by a little Ambien for the price of your provider's Co-pay. Depressed? Well There are about 6 million different drugs you can take for that too, believe me, I have tried a few of them. Can't focus? You must have ADHD, here take this Adderrall! Don't have any problems? HAH are you sure about that? Wouldn't you rather buy this eyeshadow and these high heels and this weight loss DVD and be absolutely sure? Our growing connectedness to everyone else around us coupled with our absolute obsession with making as much money as humanly possible has caused us to seek out a solution for every single one of our "problems." Can't bench press 1000 pounds for 20 reps? What's wrong with you man? Oh wait, here's some steroids, you're all set. And in a culture that obsesses over perfection and where millions of people are all fighting for their piece of the spotlight; for the validation of their existence, don't you think they might try to cheat the system? I do.
Being a recent College graduate I can speak intimately to the effects our Postmodern culture has had on my generation. When I was a senior in high school (2007), Yale had an acceptance rate of 6.4%, and Harvard came in at a measly 7%. And yet we all felt somehow that we should have gotten in. These obviously unrealistic standards had been drilled into our souls by well-meaning teachers who preached that we are all smart and special and bright, but in our own unique and beautiful ways. I personally went to a state school, having been wait listed at all my other schools. But it didn't matter that I was at a state school, and I am certain it wouldn't have mattered what university I went to at all (going to Harvard or Yale only means you can spend more of your parents money on drugs). We were expected to be the best. We were expected to be the brightest, and anything less than an A was irrelevant.Whether that's true or not, it is the standard of our culture. To get a job, you better have a transcript full of As and a novel's worth of extra-curricular activities. Hell, I had to work almost 30 hours a week while going to school full time just to make the rent. I can also tell you that my generation's mentality about recreational drug use is far different than my parents. We are the ADHD generation. When our parents couldn't handle the stress of dealing with children with far more energy than they would ever dream, they gave us drugs to calm us down. My brother, who is a generation behind me (the cusp of the "Tweens") really does have severe ADHD: he had to repeat kindergarten. So in order to function in normal society, he had to be medicated. For him, Adderrall was a life saver. But then other people; my friends, your friends, and maybe you and me, heard about this wonder drug and decided to give it a try; surprise, Adderrall for people without severe attention problems is like giving Barry Bonds a corked bat (the steroids are only more to my point). It's a wonder drug. Tons of energy, motivation, drive, without the hassles of sleep and food that get in the way of work and partying. Wait, you're telling me I can spend all week going to class, working 6 hours a day and partying like the assholes on Jersey Shore all night, and then take this pill the night before my final, study all night and get an A? Where do I sign up? I am sure if there was a list of everyone who used Adderrall for anything other than ADHD, it would be long, and a sizable amount of the people you know are on it. It doesn't just stop at college though. Yeah it might be time to put away the dope for a while so we can pass our drug tests, but as long as a doctor says I can take it, it's not abuse right? In order to pay off my student loans, maintain an apartment, remain fashionably relevant (woman only requirement) and be able to afford that snazzy iPhone or Android all my friends have, I have to work like 80 hours a week. God forbid I should settle for just "average". So what do we do? We do what our parents taught us; we go to the doctor. Self-medication, and Self-Augmentation have become the American Way, and this culture of impossibly high standards has created a need to improve ourselves beyond our own physical and mental limitations. Welcome to the Future, If you can't keep up don't worry; There's a pill for that.
And our society's paradoxical obsession with perfection and aversion to altering one's consciousness with min-expanding drugs is a bed time story for another time.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty
It would be hard to find a person who does not know who Casey Anthony is in our media soaked society, so I won't belabor the post by explaining the trial. Did she kill her daughter? Probably. Is it the jury's fault that she is going to go free? NO. Unfortunately, the jury's job is not as a council of elders, making decisions based upon assumptions and wisdom. The job of a jury is to assess innocence or guilt based on the evidence they are provided with. For someone to be found guilty, it must be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. Since there was not much physical evidence here, there was reasonable doubt. The jury had no choice but to conclude that there was not enough evidence to link Casey to the crime, and therefore had to find her not guilty. I am sorry that there was no physical evidence, and that the guilty parties didn't just fess up to their crimes, because in this case nobody wins. A little girl is dead and her killer is out there somewhere, newly free or free this whole time? Will we ever know?
Friday, July 1, 2011
Salma Hayek's husband is the father of Linda Evangelista's four year old son...
The child was conceived in 2006; when Hayek and Pinault were separated. Hayek and Pinault would go on to marry in 2009. I guess technically in this case it was not cheating because they were apart, but there was obvs still something between them because they got married later. I guess it just goes to show, that no matter how beautiful a woman you are, a man will go off and f*ck other women. Why? Because he can? I don't know. If anything, this just makes me think that the reason men cheat has nothing to do with the women they are with, but more to do with the fact that they are weak, and prone to sticking their dick in places they shouldn't, because they can.
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