[Archived] I Can't Help But Wonder (S1/E4)
Are men in their twenties the new designer drug?
Are men in their twenties the new designer drug?4 - Are men in their twenties the new designer drug? (Season 1, Episode 4)
Yes.
My opinion on designer drugs runs parallel to that of men. Once you’ve done them, it’s hard to understand what all the fuss is about. If you’re lucky, they make you happy for a brief moment, but if you’re unlucky they could kill you. Not only are men dangerous for your health, but getting addicted could cause long term effects like insecurities, desire for weight loss, self doubt, and general frustration. Men in their 20s don’t come with instructions or a warning label, much like fresh powder in a folded piece of paper that makes its way to the end of a key.
In fact most - if not all - the information we have on the sister subjects are passed down through experienced word of mouth and vague hear-say turned unsourced internet articles that leave us with more questions than answers. Is acid really more intense than mushrooms? Do men actually think about porn as much as we project they do? Is it okay to do coke four days in a row? Why hasn’t he called back? How much Ketamine does it take to end up in a K-hole? Do they really not see the irony of idolizing strong, handsome, muscular superheroes while still being homophobic? Questions we may never know the true answers to because no amount of research can capture the multitudes of men or drugs. So complex of subjects that we have to settle for information gleamed off the reassurance that the comparison between the two is correct; like deducing the type of triangle only knowing the length of two sides.
If used correctly, they can leave you feeling enlightened; however overdose is more common than talked about. Both have ruined the lives of innocent young women and continue to go unregulated. The government knows it’s a problem but for personal reasons lets the epidemic continue. After all, toxic masculinity is the foundation of capitalism and this country. Always striving to be bigger and better than the next.
So what can be done to help mitigate this damage and ubiquity? Nothing. Yet another thing they have in common. It’s as impossible to get everyone off drugs as is it to convince your friend that their partner is abusive. Both feelings are addictive and addicts feen for what doesn’t serve them. In fact, making bad decisions might be the most consistent thing they’re good at. Besides doing drugs.
While not a new phenomenon to report, men in their 20s are indeed still fast acting, unpredictable, and irrationally desired. As are designer drugs. No matter how many times you use it, the itch is never really scratched and suddenly incremental insufficiency breeds addiction. Both mysterious and overly simplistic. There’s always something missing with guys in their 20s, they’re great until they’re explaining what baking soda looks like. You never really know what you’re getting. Is it unsolved trauma, trust issues, or closeted misogyny? Nothing is perfect, but that’s why they make test strips.
Now we’re all focused on checking for the wavy blue lines and missing the red flags. If only women in their 20s were as cautious about pills as they were about dates. It’s not entirely their fault, men in their 20s are dangerous because they explore the unknown with looser inhibitions. They’re doing far less than what women in their 20s would do if misogyny wasn’t such an oppressive tool. That being said; the market value of men in their 20s is also way too inflated. $100 for a ball?! If only more men liked themselves instead of drugs, maybe they’d stop designing them, but sometimes the hardest thing to face is ourselves.
Shit We’re Loving: READ
Blaze’s Pick: “Secrets of Happiness: A Novel” by Joan Silber
I’m currently reading “Secrets of Happiness: A Novel” by Joan Silber that came out this summer.
It’s rare for me to read current books as I like to slug through the classics but this just leaped out at me at the bookstore recently. I do hate titles like this because it comes across as a cheesy self help book while reading on the bus, yet it actually is a hilarious and insightful novel about a family in New York and the secrets that get revealed about each other. The writing style is interesting and fast paced with great descriptions of their vivid world. The author divided the novel into 5 sections, each one from a different person’s perspective, which gives the audience a very well rounded view of the characters and their family dynamic. It’s a fascinating story and would highly recommend.
Show Your Support: Children’s Literacy Initiative
School has officially begun for everyone from kindergarteners to university students and, of course, their devoted teachers—learning is in the air again. As we may be aware, many schools and their students across our country are severely underserved, especially when it comes to accurate, anti-racist, LGBTQ+ friendly, and sex-positive literature and books. Children’s Literacy Initiative has stepped in to change this.
Literacy is the very foundation of all learning and the pathway to liberation for every human being.
The CLI seeks to dismantle structural racism by providing Black and Latinx children with anti-racist early literacy instruction, support and advocacy needed to create equity in education. Educators currently serving high-need student populations can join the CLI and learn high-impact strategies and nurture dynamics to continue the necessary trajectory of improvement in our schools. Just some of the ways CLI assists teachers is by providing workshops and seminars about literacy content and pedagogy, by stocking classrooms with much-needed, high-quality books and other learning materials, and by coaching teachers to incorporate these practices in their classrooms.
At the time of this writing, the Children’s Literacy Initiative has served 295 schools, 5894 educators, and 104,419 students. They have also distributed 34,907 books. In the OTF fashion, we have already donated to CLI and we encourage you to do the same if you can!
Daily Intention:
Today I choose…
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