Musicians & Drug Addiction Syllabus

Drugs. From medicine to trade, to music and mental illness, legal and illegal drug use alike has permeated and fascinated American society.

We analyzed the portrayal of drug use in the 2004 film Ray and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1999 album Californication and alternate sources to supplement our understanding them.

The analysis of any popular culture artifact extends past the artifact itself. It is also essential to understand who was involved in its production, both the intended and actual audience and the socio-historical context the artifacts are set in.

Drug use in prevalent in both America and its popular culture. The way it is perceived, explained and criminalized differs according to race, ethnicity, gender, sex, and socioeconomic status. While some narratives may demonize a group for their drug use, others seek explanations, empathy and solutions.

As popular culture and the media continue to depict drug use and addictions, and real people continue to struggle with them, it is essential to understand how it is represented so we can understand the true nature of addiction and the most accurate and humanizing ways to embody it in our culture.