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Pop Culture

A Brief Survey of Ridiculous Anti-Drug Propaganda

By Sophie Weiner on

Yesterday, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, a high-level group that’s been studying drug usage and policing around the world, came to the somewhat unshocking conclusion that the war on drugs has utterly failed “with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world.” Not only has the decades-long war cost world governments untold trillions of dollars, it has taken the lives of countless people, innocent and guilty alike, all while doing nothing to stop the global spread of illegal drugs. The comission, which includes former international presidents, U.S. Secretaries of State and Federal Chiefs, recommended that we simply stop fighting, legalize marijuana at the very least, and experiment with the legalization and regulation of other drugs.

In celebration of this news, we present you with a some of the best (and worst) anti-drug propaganda the media has to offer. We hope that future drug education takes on a tone that is less about fear-mongering and more about providing real facts, but while we wait for that to happen, we may as well laugh at the absurdity of these campaigns. … Read More

Art

Awesome Infographic: These Are Your Eyes on Drugs

By Judy Berman on

They say the eyes are the window to the soul — and while that’s debatable, there’s no denying that they’re an excellent indicator of an individual’s recent chemical intake. Red-eyed with droopy lids? Looks like you’ve been hitting the bong. A wired, wide-eyed stare, however, could indicate that you’re hiding out in the bathroom with some rolled-up dollar bills. Decode your friends’ erratic behavior with tattoo artist Liam Sparkes‘s “Language of Eyes” chart, after the jump. … Read More

Film

Video of the Day: Adorable Bear Eats Magic Mushrooms, Trips

By Judy Berman on

We already knew that bears were stoners. But the Village Voice points us to a lovely clip that proves our ursine friends don’t always stop at the gateway drug. Yup, this is a video of a small bear chowing down on some prototypical magic mushrooms before lying down in a wide-eyed reverie and communing with a lovely butterfly. The source of the clip, according to a helpful YouTube commenter, is Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1988 film The Bear. There is some obvious editing going on here, but let’s not think about it — let’s just, like, go with it, man, as our bohemian bear friend might suggest. … Read More

Pop Culture

Ecstasy in Pop Culture: A Highly Subjective Timeline

By Judy Berman on

Remember back in the late ’90s, when people were panicking over the possibility that MDMA was poking holes in everyone’s brain and making a whole generation of teenagers stupid? Well, your ability to recall that moment in time is a further testament to the value of a new study that found users “showed no signs of cognitive impairment attributable to drug use: ecstasy use did not decrease mental ability.” There is some fine print, and it’s not like ecstasy doesn’t have other risks or side effects, but it’s also a blow against drug-related hysteria. With that in mind, now seems like a great time to relive some of ecstasy’s greatest — and silliest — pop culture moments. … Read More

News

Conversation Pieces: 5 New Articles Worth Discussing This Weekend

By Paul Hiebert on

Welcome to Conversation Pieces, where Flavorpill curates five articles from the past week that you should read. Some are long, others are short. Some are from major publications, others aren’t. The only thing all these articles have in common is that they’re interesting. This week, we discuss the strangeness of William Shatner, the philosophical importance of lost laundry, the current state of poetry, Canada’s willingness to let drug addicts have their fix, and more. After the jump, find something exciting to discuss this weekend in the home, at the bar, or on the street. … Read More

Music

10 Great 21st-Century Drug Albums

By Judy Berman on

As any Lou Reed or Keith Richards fan can tell you, few things go together like music and drugs. And with that in mind, the NME is celebrating that cosmic connection this week, in a feature counting down the 50 druggiest albums of all time — tied to a special issue celebrating the 20th anniversary of Primal Scream’s Screamadelica. (Guess which record comes in at #1?)

It’s a strong list, full of classics from the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix to Spiritualized and Missy Elliott. We do have one complaint, though: Where are all the new albums? Sure, there a few obvious choices (Lil Wayne, MGMT) and some questionable Brit picks (Libertines, Klaxons). But, with the help of Flavorpill’s shrewd staffers, we’ve come up with our own list of ten great 21st-century drug albums — those that were made on drugs or about drugs, along with those that seem designed to listen to in an altered state. Add your own suggestions in the comments. … Read More

Music

10 Music Videos That Glamorize Drug Use [NSFW]

By Judy Berman on

Watching the video for “Synchronize,” Discodeine’s new collaboration with Jarvis Cocker, we couldn’t help but be taken with its darkly beautiful, drug-laced imagery. And it occurred to us that, despite the undeniable synergy between drug-taking and music-making, we actually don’t see too many controlled substances in music videos — perhaps because that shit is bound to get you banned from TV, not to mention condemned as a horrible influence. Now, we certainly don’t endorse (or even, in all cases, understand) the behavior in the clips below, but we can’t deny that they do make drugs look awfully glamorous. … Read More

Music

10 Wondrous Drug-Themed Album Covers

By Judy Berman on

When you name your mixtape Cocaine Waitress, you’d better have the artwork to back it up. And thanks to The Awl, we now know exactly what the cover to that album, by the Atlanta rapper Diamond, looks like. It is so deadpan wonderful that it made us think about all the other incredible drug-themed record covers we’ve seen over the years. Check out ten of our favorites, picturing everything from heroin to sizzurp, after the jump and link us to any we missed. … Read More

Web

Video of the Day: ’80s Anti-Drug PSA

By Caroline Stanley on

This hilarious PSA from the ’80s that we spotted over on The Daily What reminds us that kids don’t have to meet some shady dope dealer from the mafia to get their hands on drugs. They just have to want to run around looking like Madonna. Or to hear colors. Take the trip to K-land after the jump — unless you’re worried about destroying your life. … Read More

Television

Amazed and Confused: The Best Fictional Drugs on TV

By Andrew Hwang on

Movies and TV shows have found many ways to integrate drug culture into their plots and even character-development arcs, whether they be beneficial or detrimental — and we don’t mean to their healthy constitution. They’ve served as the gateway into the viewer’s world, contextualizing a scene so it is more palatable, more relatable — even if not everyone has a didgeridoo at their disposal.

Find out our favorite television moments that feature the unlikeliest of substances to be abused. Let the hilarity ensue. … Read More