I Can't Help But Wonder (S1/E4)

Are men in their twenties the new designer drug?

Jul 22, 2021

“Are men in their twenties the new designer drug?”

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—of the information we have on the sister subjects is 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 gleaned 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 feel 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, but now we’re all focused on checking for the wavey 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: EXPERIENCE

Blaze’s Pick: Anticipation for what’s to come

Right now I’m experiencing a new job. It’s exciting, daunting, and a little nauseating like all new jobs. I like getting dressed in the morning. I like the possibilities that await. I like getting to explore a new part of this city I thought I knew so well. It feels strangely unfamiliar yet repetitive interacting with the bustling downtown area of a place for the first time after living there for nearly 10 years.

I notice the pool hall that stays open late. Five years ago and filled with gumption at 1 am, my restaurant friends and I would take an empty bus 16 blocks when we felt like it had become absolutely necessary to drink outside of the neighborhood.

I notice the dragon gate at the entrance of Chinatown, where three years ago someone dumped me. Now I click my heels on the sidewalk I once cried on. The change in architecture in Chinatown is abrupt and beautiful. Most of my favorite buildings and beatnik bars line the streets between my bus stop and the office.

I notice the subway portals perfect for seeing shows in Oakland, but I never noticed the tall buildings as places of work until now. I’ve always worked in the community. Schools, restaurants, stores, community centers.

It’s a change in my routine but it also feels vaguely familiar. I’m experiencing anticipation of what’s to come. 10/10 would recommend.

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Show Your Support: The Audre Lorde Project

This month we are spotlighting OTF writer, Blaze’s pick, The Audre Lorde Project. ALP is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans, and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color community organizing center in the New York City area. First brought together by Advocates for Gay Men of Color (a multi-racial network of gay men of color HIV policy advocates) in 1994, the ALP is committed to struggling across differences and seeking to responsibly reflect.

Their guiding principles prioritize the collective histories of LGBTSTGNC people of color and the struggle against discrimination and oppression. The ALP is a home base for LGBTST peoples of African/ Black/ Caribbean, Arab, Asian & Pacific Islander, Latina/o, and Native/Indigenous descent. They wholeheartedly believe that services and organizing efforts are most successful when they involve the communities served, so ALP creates and supports decision-making and organizational structures that represent the communities they serve. The ALP knows competent skills and expertise already exist in the LGBTSTGNC people of color communities, but they often go underutilized. Therefore, ALP supports and promotes the work of existing and emerging LGBTST people of color organizations as well as the efforts of LGBTSTGNC people of color cultural workers and activists.

Thanks, Blaze for this inspiring pick! In Our Trust Fund’s honor, I have already donated $100 to the Audre Lorde Project and encourage you all to give what you can. We all need to participate in building a better world.

Head to their Instagram for the most recent updates and, if you’re in New York City on August 28th, check out BedStuy Pride, which they’re organizing.

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