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Forbidden Vices: Reefer Madness!
Have you ever met that funny reefer man? As we all know, in the old days, marijuana
only affected one sector of the population favorably: Hot Jazz Musicians.
They wrote love songs to it while swaddled in its smokey embrace. Those vipers!
Let’s listen:
Cab Calloway – Reefer Man
Fats Waller – Viper’s Drag
Harlem Hamfats – Weed Smoker’s Dream
White Ghost Shivers – Weed Smoker’s Dream
The other 99% of the
population was so adversely affected by this horrid drug, that it sent good girls bad and stable boys mad.
“Reefer Madness,” from 1936, formally entitled “Tell Your Children” is a cautionary tale about the effects of smoking “Jazz Cigarettes.”
This film proves, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that smoking weed leads to sexual promiscuity, widening of the eyes,
clenched fists & jaws, and frenzied attachment to piano music. Be sure to exercise extreme caution should you be exposed to that noxious marijuana smoke!
You may find yourself stranded on a chaise longue with an empty cookie jar! Horrors!
This month we’re harkening back to a bygone era, when illicit substances flowed more freely –
the jazz clubs were hazy with smoke, and everyone was hopped up, or laid low.
Prepare to enter into a den of feverishly lush iniquity – the seamy underbelly of Vintage Vivant awaits you…
Do you dare? Here’s a mix of some of our favorite reefer-inspired tunes to get you going! If you’re a viper!
