The Real Meaning behind Drugs are Bad.

Hello all. After reading all of the discussion drawn from the latest episode, I just thought I'd give my interpretation of the "Drugs are Bad" theme that was interwoven into the sub-plot. I don't know if anyone caught how Mr. Mackey, even after his "experience," still gave no clear explanation as to why drugs were bad--in fact, when offered the drugs, he couldn't even explain to himself why. This is the way parents and teachers usually are about forbidden subjects. Just Don't Do It. "Why?" "It's bad." "Why?" "It just is, okay?" It teaches children nothing to be told what not to do without telling them why, and I think that that was an important theme of the episode(in fact, it goes right along with the circumcision plot--telling Kyle that his brother was going to have a Bris, without explaining of course, what it was, and then his leaping to a comical conclusion). The moral of the story, kids: always have instructional brochures.

Sincerely, Christopher S. Carrig

P.S. It was a nice change of pace to see the show make a joke of adult ignorance right alongside childrens'.

Because Jehovah-Allah says so.

Because the Mafia, pharmaceutical companies, hypocritical politicians, the meical establishment, and the Christian Coalition all say so.

<snip>

Yes -- that was the first point of the subplot. But there were a couple of other memetic messages that really made this episode subversive:

-- Once Mr. Mackey experimented with drugs, he loosened up, fell in love with a hippie chick and got married. His life became far better than it was when he was drug-free.

-- Mr. Mackey's "rehabilitation" gave him everything he needed to be a productive citizen again. He got a brainwashing, his former dead-end job, that too-tight tie and the heartless mocking of smart-ass third graders.

This was a very funny episode, but it was also great satire. It's not often that a TV show has the balls to question the basic assumptions of the "War on Drugs."

-- Dorraj "So this article is not going to end the way I thought it would ... and looking back at the lead I see that it didn't even start that way either. As for the middle, I can barely remember it." -- Hunter S. Thompson

You make a good point. Here's another one.

Mackey was clean and sober in Nepal after he got married. He passed through that phase of experimentation and began his new life, which was when the ill-timed rehabilitators showed up(after the fact as they usually do). They showed up to make him a better person after it was actually necessary. I can symphathize with this. A few years ago, I became despondent and wanted to kill myself. I told a friend. A week later, I started to feel a lot better about myself. I rode over to the video store, where I was met by several clergymen(I shit you not) who were on a mission to help me want to live. They had come to my house looking for me, scaring my family in the process, and when they reached me, they dragged the whole mess up again. Perfect timing.

Dorraj wrote in article ...

was

yeah those lousy holyer than thou people who think they know whats good for you. people sometimes need help but the people who help them usually arent doing it to help the sick person they are doing it for thier own glory and they lose sight of the fact the person might be recovering on thier own

Christopher S. Carrig wrote: