“Hotel California” by The Eagles has been the recipient of much speculation since its release in 1976. Although many other interpretations exist including some which claim this song to be referencing drugs, much evidence suggests that “Hotel California” is, at least partly, making a statement about the lifestyle of drug and alcohol users particularly in the large cities of California. As with many songs, duality of meaning exists in “Hotel California.”
Since “Hotel California” debuted in the seventies, one can understand why the topic would be Californian drug-using lifestyle. “The scare tactics of the 1960s gave way to the contradictory messages of the late '70s and early '80s. Drugs became glamorous, without becoming better understood”
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After examining the whole song, one can guess that the song makes the claim that marijuana is a drug that allows easy passage to worse drugs. According to “a 1969 Gallup poll, only 4% of American adults said they had tried marijuana. Thirty-four percent said they didn't know the effects of marijuana, but 43% thought it was used by many or some high school kids” (Robison); therefore, many individuals might not understand that marijuana, as many claim today, leads to usage of more harmful substances. The speaker then sees a shimmering light as if he is about to die which signifies the death of an old life and the birth of a new one. The temptation of drugs becomes too strong, so the speaker has to stop at the Hotel California. The mission bell that sounds contrasts so with the topic of this song that the bell must symbolize the perversion of life by the drug-use in California and elsewhere. “This could be Heaven or this could be Hell,” furthers the idea of the death of an old life. Here, the speaker does not really know whether or not his or her new life is going to be enjoyable in the end. As it turns out, the speaker's new life is hell. Then she lights up a candle, or perhaps a joint since the place most likely has electricity in the seventies, and shows the speaker the way. Perhaps the woman is a drug-dealer or a prostitute; ether one could lead a person to a lifestyle full of drugs and alcohol.
“Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends,” (The Eagles)
“Just Say No!” A statement that takes us deep into yet another decade in the history of the United States which was excited by controversies, social issues, and drug abuse. The topic of this statement is fueled by the growing abuse of cocaine in the mid 1980s. I shall discuss the effects of the crack cocaine epidemic of the mid 1980s from a cultural and social stand point because on that decade this country moved to the rhythms and the pace of this uncanny drug. Cocaine took its told on American society by in the 1980s; it ravaged with every social group, race, class, etc. It reigned over the United States without any prejudices. Crack cocaine was the way into urban society, because of its affordability in contrast to the powdered
The book being reviewed in this papers is Code of the Suburb: Inside the World of Young Middle-Class Drug Dealers by Scott Jacques and Richard Wright. This book is written on the context of 30 different individuals from a small location referenced as “Peachville” in Atlanta Georgia (Jacques & Wright 1). Each of these known individuals during their time in high school were selling drugs. Marijuana was the particular substance to be sold, but few dove into other illicit drugs including ecstasy, cocaine etc. (3). Generally speaking, the first questions that appears is what pushed these students to dive into the prospects of peddling and using drugs? Better yet, why continue to use them? The 7 chapters included in this book contain various stories of popularity and financial gains and losses along with the destruction of relationships.
In order to spread lies about marijuana use, various agencies released propaganda films, most notable of these films is “Reefer Madness”. In this film, high school students are lured into using marijuana, which leads the students to commit murder, rape, suicide, and an overall decent into madness. Despite the strong use of propaganda, marijuana use saw an upward trend between the 1950’s and the 1960’s. Use of marijuana had spread to the white upper and middle classes by the 1960’s, partially changing the negative connotations attached to marijuana use. The drug was used by these middle and upper class whites to rebel against the older generation’s way of thinking. Many teens were introduced to marijuana use in college, where various other counter-culture ideas were being expounded. While the use of marijuana experienced a rise since the 1800’s to the middle of the 20th century, use of the drug saw a strong downward trend in the 1970’s through the early 1990’s, in part due to the strongest
Stephen Crane’s short story, The Blue Hotel, is a very diverse and interesting story with many themes. One of the themes is consequences for your actions. In the story a man they called the Swede went to a bar and tried to force a Gambler to drink with him. He kept pushing and wouldn’t leave the man alone resulting the Swede being killed. Another theme in this short story is honesty. During the Story the Swede claimed while playing cards that another character, Johnny, was cheating. While Johnie denied it another guy at the table, known as the Easterner, also knew he was cheating, but he didn’t speak up resulting in Johnny and the Swede fighting. Consequently causing the Swede to go to the bar where he was killed. The Easterner felt guilty for the death of the Swede because if he only would’ve been honest about Johnny cheating the Swede would have never went to the bar where he was killed.
Art influenced by drugs faces a unique challenge from the mainstream: prove its legitimacy despite its "tainted" origins. The established judges of culture tend to look down upon drug-related art and artists, as though it is the drug and not the artist that is doing the creating. This conflict, less intense but still with us today, has its foundations in the 1960s. As the Beatnik, Hippie, and psychedelic movements grew increasing amounts of national attention, the influence of drugs on culture could no longer be ignored by the mainstream. In an age where once-prolific drugs like marijuana and cocaine had become prohibited and sensationalized,
Drugs have been a problem in the country for a long time. Issues with drugs even existed in ancient times. However, through the War on Drugs, the media created a panic about the issue, making citizens believe drug abuse was an exponentially growing new epidemic in the United States. Although the War on Drugs was declared in 1982 and was intended to reduce the rates of drug abuse in the US, America’s drug problem increased dramatically over the next years (Bagley, 1988).
Young, white, suburban kids began dying of overdoses. Out of shame, most parents didn’t want to talk about it, but one grieving mother who did break her silence compared Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, to a “large, corporate drug cartel.” It was into this grim scene that stepped the heroin-selling Xalisco Boys, an actual drug cartel. Hailing primarily from Xalisco, a small, agricultural town in Nayarit on Mexico’s west coast, they quickly set up shop across the United States. But these entrepreneurs did things differently. By avoiding big cities, they went unseen by sophisticated police departments. Law enforcement officials gradually grew wise, but shutting down such a vast distribution network has proved daunting. What worked so well in this book was how Quinones emotionally illustrates the downfall of Dreamland, the beloved public pool that closed as a direct result of the heroin scourge. What was once a prominent multigenerational gathering place became a rundown relic of a once-thriving community. Dreamland may be gone for good, but the story ends on a high note: Many addicts are now moving back to Portsmouth to get clean. As Quinones says, the town may be “as scarred and beaten as an addict’s arm,” but the dreamers are hopeful they can heal and start anew.
Since the beginning of time people have been using all kinds of substances to make them feel liberated. Alcohol and marijuana are consumed every day in America by teenagers to elderly people; there is no set range on who consumes these drugs. Despite efforts from imposed laws: people feel the need to consume these substances and encage in behaviors out of the ordinary. Drugs and alcohol are used in the story “Cathedral” but also they are used in Raymond Carver’s personal life.
Introduction - Use of psychoactive substances for recreational purposes is not a radically new social issue. In fact, history tells us that almost every society had their own pharmacopeia of herbs, potions, and substances that not only contributed to healing, but also allowed the user to escape reality (Schules 1992, 4-5). However, it is the contemporary use of psychoactive drugs purchased through illicit or illegal channels and used by persons neither prescribed nor in quantities larger than necessary that defines modern drug abuse (Robins 2006). Prior to World War I, substances like morphine, heroin, and cocaine were available in the major American cities, particularly those with active international ports. For instance, when Chinese immigrants were first imported to work in the mines and railroads during the early 1800s, they brought opium to America. It was the leisure class, who began to experiment with this drug, and, as in Europe, many major U.S. cities had so-called opium dens. In addition, there were a substantial number of "society women" who ended up addicted because their doctor prescribed this drug to deal with female histrionics or to "cure" an excessive sexual appetite (Johnson 2002). Within major cities, this problem began to spill over into other groups: prostitutes, child laborers, orphans, and even men and women of lower social classes seeking to escape the harshness of their lives (Courtwright 2002, 3-19). Between the widespread use and general
Glenn Frey, the co-founder of the Eagles, was a middle class kid living in the midwest. He dreamed of acquiring tremendous wealth in Los Angeles, but later realized that there are more important things than money. In their song, Hotel California, originally titled Mexican Reggae, they (The Eagles) express this idea to their audience through lyrics that convey the idea that there are more important things than just possessions, and there are negatives to the “American Dream. The audience in this could be the average person, yet, the rhetorical devices in The Eagles’ “Hotel California” are intended to reveal to the audience that there are negatives to the American Dream, and you shouldn’t change who you are in order to make it rich.
Imagine laying on a private beach right now in California. You’re sitting in a comfortable lawn chair with a front-row seat to the Pacific Ocean. You have waiters bringing you any kind of drink or food you want, and the sun is making you golden tan. Now, imagine the thrill you get while being on a roller coaster. The sun is beating down on you while you’re standing in line, but the wait for the exhilarating roller coaster is worth it. I got to experience all of this and more on my trip to Los Angeles, California. I went on this trip the week of my birthday, which is July 31, with my parents and my two sisters. My second trip to California was an unforgettable experience that was important due to all of the locations I got to visit, all of the knowledge I now have from this trip, and all of the memories I made with my family.
Los Angeles is one of the most exciting cities in the United States. According to the Los Angeles post record tourist numbers in 2012, the city attracts 41.4 million visitors per year. Even though the traffic is terrible, Los Angeles is still one of my favorite places because of the many restaurants to dine in, and the many wonderful attractions.
The so-called “War on Drugs,” as declared by the Nixon administration in the signing of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, marked the beginning of the current era of mandatory minimum sentencing, racism, privatized prisons, and a powerful constituency that profits as a result of the prohibition of drugs. Psychoactive substances have been apart of the human experience as long as humans have walked the earth. There is little hope that drug production will ever be curtailed, so long as there is a demand; a demand that has remained steady even though it has been forty years since the beginning of said war. As Judge James P. Gray from the Superior Court of Orange County has so plainly put it: “Where did this policy
If you had the chance to visit San Diego, California you might consider staying at the Hotel del Coronado. This popular beachfront hotel was once featured in the movie “Some Like It Hot” starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. It is possible that this hotel inspired writer L. Frank Baum to come up with Emerald City in “The Wizard of Oz”. The hotel isn’t green but it slightly resembles Emerald City. The hotel was built in the Victorian age in 1888 and is considered to be a luxury beachside resort hotel on Coronado Island just a ten-minute drive from downtown San Diego. Oh, yes there is one more interesting thing about this hotel; it comes with a resident ghost.
If you’re planning a trip to Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, you most likely want to be in a located that is in close proximity to the tourist attractions, local restaurants, shopping centers, and the markets. With a focus on being kind to your wallet, Hotel Amer is a wonderful option to choose to be your new home away from home. Located in the historical district, and only 1.3 miles (2.2 kilometers) away from the stunning architectural forts (Amer/Amber, Jaigarh, and Nahargarh) you will be able to see more, and save money. Let me continue to share with you, the enhanced features of Hotel Amer.