Heroin chic

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This morning on public radio there was a roundtable about increasing heroin use in the Chicago area. The moderator asked if there were perhaps cultural influences on the trend and trotted out the phrase "heroin chic," which one of the guests seized upon to talk about how the media and popular culture glamorize drug use.

But for as much mileage as that term has gotten, what exactly is heroin chic, apart from some Kate Moss perfume ads from 10 years ago? What in the culture are today's youth responding to that makes them think that heroin, or other injection drugs, is cool? I know it's these people's jobs to blame the media whenever they get the chance, but it made me wonder if I was missing some huge cultural artifact, like some popular Eminem song in praise of smack or something.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Bebe print ads often have that Kate Moss look. But I think it's a red herring. Easy catch phrase for the media to throw around and rile people up. Essentially meaningless.

― Skottie, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Requiem for a Dream was pretty pro-smack, right?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

There's also that slightly sideways (non-mainstream) mythmaking/glamorization that makes it rightfully seem awful but also like it can be part of the stuff of the dirt and agony of true art (RtX, Lou, Carroll) - once you BEAT IT it'll be all good and you'll be a survivor and write a book like LIKE BEING KILLED (oh BOY) so if you're not that interesting now, maybe a shot or two.....

― LC, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Also the fact that if you shoot heroin you'll be able to play bebop like Charlie Parker might have something to do with it.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

RtX

What or who is this?

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

royal trux. (a rock band)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh right. I've only heard the odd song or two from them, didn't know heroin played a role.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Lindsey Lohan be stickin needles in yer childrenses arms yo!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'd like to stick a needle ..."

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

There is no 'heroin chic' right now. The media in Chicago are just freaking out. I guess they haven't considered that Chicago is a transportation hub, and all the heroin in the midwest comes through Chicago.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Here is an article on Chicago & heroin use - it's pretty interesting if you live around here.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought the Heroin Chic look was pretty models laying around, dirtied up with dark make-up around their sunken eyes

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Heroin Chic" wasn't about taking drugs, but looking like the media image of a junkie, i.e. emaiciated, tired, depressed, etc.

― sexyDancer, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

The Kills are doing their best to keep the chic alive. The last time I saw them the girl smoked five cigarettes onstage.

― andy, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

When I was in high school, the newspaper staff had an entire wall of heroin chic ads. It was a joke passed down from year to year, and none of us got addicted to heroin.

It's an insult to the average junkie's intelligence to think that a fucking fashion ad was what got him hooked.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:07 (twenty-two years ago)

in 1999, i was an extra on an episode of Third Watch. i was supposed to be a teenage heroin addict runaway living in a playground in Harlem. they put me in a really tight tshirt and the makeup people did my eyes and put trackmarks on me. it was fun!

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

wow.

did you meet bosco?

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:22 (twenty-two years ago)

there was an Irish kids puppet called bosco, he had luminous red hair and lived in a box.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:23 (twenty-two years ago)

boxo?

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:26 (twenty-two years ago)

no no, bosco.

one of the presenters had big sideburns and a rural accent and later played a SINISTER CULT MEMBER in the the soap opera on our national station.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.hometownfavorites.com/images/items/Large/hfbe103.jpg

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

www.rte.ie/.../products/ sleeves/vc10.html

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:36 (twenty-two years ago)

www.rte.ie/.../products/sleeves/vc10.html

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

BAH. one second.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/040329/photos_lf/mdf506118&e=5

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.rte.ie/about/cel/merchandise/products/sleeves/vc10.html

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Wave of nostalgia for childhood threatening to drown me now.

I always hated Bosco though.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Those two pics are quite a contrast.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The last time I saw them the girl smoked five cigarettes onstage.

In a row?!

― Vitamin Leee (Leee), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)

She is way hot though. In a heroin chic way.

There, we can now blame music for sex and drugs again.

― mouse, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 21:49 (twenty-two years ago)

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