This is a dark article that brought back memories I wish I didn’t have. The Velvet Underground album was a fave in my social circle during the late Sixties. A number of those friends became involved with heroin and at least two died from overdoses, one intentional.
I have never believed that Freud was right about a self destructive drive, but high risk behaviors, addictions and suicide are definitely an issue for emotionally disturbed people. The young people who go to gender clinics are, according to some reports, prone to self harm. I think they see hormones and surgeries more as a solution than a part of their problem, however. These interventions bring hope which later collapses in many cases.
Thanks for your comment, Sandra. It's hard to know whether albums like 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' inspire self-destruction or are sought out by people who already have that instinct. Possibly both at the same time. There was even darker music available in that era, such as 'Black Mass: An Electric Storm In Hell' by the electronica group White Noise (1969), which left me really unsettled.
The music itself on the "Velvet Underground and Nico" album was great, and the song "Heroin" especially. But it did romanticize the drug. I still have that album on vinyl.
And that is exactly why all of these groups that "pushed the envelope" and "epater les bourgeoisie" (embarrass/scandalize the middle-class) did so much active harm to themselves and to the listeners. Songs about the wonders of heroin convinced some dumbass idiots that heroin was fun, and shooting up was great. Actually heroin is a terrible addictive drug.
Today, Narcan and other "rescue" drugs are doing even worse things. By publicizing that "overdoses are not a death sentence" Narcan makes it even easier to shoot up. Now, heroin is mixed with drugs that Narcan does not work with, and overdoses are death again. But people now look for that killer high.
This is a fascinating and thought provoking piece that goes a long way to explain the ‘cultural elite’ buy-in as well as the personal neurotic/aesthetic attraction to ‘trans’. I’d never really considered this angle, even though for eight years I’ve been thinking of my own daughter’s ‘trans’ attraction as transgression more than anything related to sex or gender norms. Brilliant work! Thank you. 🙏
You're welcome, Jenny, thanks for the support. I wonder if many of the boomers think gender fluidity is just dressing up like Bowie, and don't fully realise how medicalised the culture has become until someone they know goes through it. Lou Reed reportedly didn't support the medical transition of his partner in the 1970's, a gay man who sometimes went by the name Rachel.
This is a dark article that brought back memories I wish I didn’t have. The Velvet Underground album was a fave in my social circle during the late Sixties. A number of those friends became involved with heroin and at least two died from overdoses, one intentional.
I have never believed that Freud was right about a self destructive drive, but high risk behaviors, addictions and suicide are definitely an issue for emotionally disturbed people. The young people who go to gender clinics are, according to some reports, prone to self harm. I think they see hormones and surgeries more as a solution than a part of their problem, however. These interventions bring hope which later collapses in many cases.
Thanks for your comment, Sandra. It's hard to know whether albums like 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' inspire self-destruction or are sought out by people who already have that instinct. Possibly both at the same time. There was even darker music available in that era, such as 'Black Mass: An Electric Storm In Hell' by the electronica group White Noise (1969), which left me really unsettled.
The music itself on the "Velvet Underground and Nico" album was great, and the song "Heroin" especially. But it did romanticize the drug. I still have that album on vinyl.
I never heard a VU song that I liked. I liked singers that sounded beautiful, and that was not the VU. Their music sucked.
Who were your favorite Sixties/Seventies vocalists and bands?
And that is exactly why all of these groups that "pushed the envelope" and "epater les bourgeoisie" (embarrass/scandalize the middle-class) did so much active harm to themselves and to the listeners. Songs about the wonders of heroin convinced some dumbass idiots that heroin was fun, and shooting up was great. Actually heroin is a terrible addictive drug.
Today, Narcan and other "rescue" drugs are doing even worse things. By publicizing that "overdoses are not a death sentence" Narcan makes it even easier to shoot up. Now, heroin is mixed with drugs that Narcan does not work with, and overdoses are death again. But people now look for that killer high.
This is a fascinating and thought provoking piece that goes a long way to explain the ‘cultural elite’ buy-in as well as the personal neurotic/aesthetic attraction to ‘trans’. I’d never really considered this angle, even though for eight years I’ve been thinking of my own daughter’s ‘trans’ attraction as transgression more than anything related to sex or gender norms. Brilliant work! Thank you. 🙏
You're welcome, Jenny, thanks for the support. I wonder if many of the boomers think gender fluidity is just dressing up like Bowie, and don't fully realise how medicalised the culture has become until someone they know goes through it. Lou Reed reportedly didn't support the medical transition of his partner in the 1970's, a gay man who sometimes went by the name Rachel.
One group not mentioned is the Kinks. Their signature song "Lola" is about a tranny. I used to enjoy it, but now I consider it beyond the pale.
Hi George, to keep this article to a reasonable length I focused on Warhol's circle, but I have previously covered Lola here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j14-72YyGWs