This sounds a little ridiculous. This is like saying Miley Cyrus or Katy Perry predicted the end of broadcast news. “I Want a New Drug” starts with him talking about how he needs a drug that won’t make his “eyes get red” or “One that won't hurt my head”. He then goes into how wants a drug that “One that makes me feel like I feel when I'm with you. When I'm alone with you.” He in this sentence talks about a drug that doesn’t give him symptoms an can make him feel how he is alone with a girl. The internet doesn’t have any symptoms and pornography is one of the most popular uses of it. Right now, during the Technology Age drug use is down especially, cocaine the drug of choice in the 80’s when this song came out. Is it possible that America has found a drug that can satisfy the Lewis is singing about? According to so researchers Internet Addiction affects the brain in the same way alcohol and drug addiction does. One CBS article claims it is similar to cocaine. This shows that the Internet can be incredibly addicting to the point that it is a drug. To the newest generation it has created this drug that Huey craved. It has given him a way to feel like how he does when he is alone with you. 15% of searches on search engines today are pornographic content. So, in a way, it accomplished Lewis’s wish for a drug that accomplishes these goals.
Saying Huey Lewis is a prophet is a little brash, but he did in a way he voiced a public need that was fulfilled by the internet. This catchy song was showing a real hole in the lives of people that was filled by the Internet.
I agree, Jack. So many people are consumed with the web these days that their minds can not comprehend the actual world outside. More and more children stay inside and don't enjoy the great outdoors.
ReplyDeleteI find it slightly ironic that you are expressing yourself through the power of the internet while you are discussing the internet in a negative tone haha. I really enjoyed the music reference and i hope you continue to make universal references like that. Maybe you could use sports as another parallel for a future post? How obsessive society has become with sports. for example: Europe with soccer, North with baseball (i saw some lady on the news crying it), India with cricket, South with football, ect
ReplyDeletei saw some lady on the news crying about it*
ReplyDeleteI found this to be very factual, but also incredibly interesting. I would have never imagined those lyrics meaning that, and I applaud you on that discovery. I would have loved to see you a little bit more opinionated and talk more from your standpoint and how you see it. What do you hope to discover about yourself from this topic? Are you in fact an Internet addict? Awesome work though
ReplyDeleteJack this was a fun read. I am wondering what direction this is going to take next, are you going to continue analyzing other Huey Lewis songs, and apply them to other scenarios? Or use the same song and compare it to sports, as Elizabeth suggested? I am interested to find out what route you take.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a story I heard the other day where video game developers are using modern brain science to design their games and controllers to be more addictive. So, they are not necessarily trying to make their games entertaining, but trying to mimic pathways in the brain that drugs/alcohol cause in addicts. Maybe that's what entertainment is: an addiction? What's the difference? Is some entertainment healthy and other entertainment is a hollow, destructive addiction?
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