April 5, 2019

"Yes adderall is passed around D.C. like candy, and many of your favorite journalists also do meth."


I have no idea whether this is true, but I will just say that I would not watch a newsperson or commentator on TV if I knew they were on such drugs. And I do have an aversion to the TV news and news commentary shows. Perhaps those 2 things fit together. I would read an article even if I knew the person used meth or adderall. You're not staring at a human face. You're not hearing the human voice. You're looking at words, and it's a subtler thing, the way drugs get into the words.

Anyway, I wonder how much of the intensity and anxiety in the TV newspeople can be understood as symptomatic of drug use. When I do watch some news TV (almost always because I'm with someone else), I study and comment upon the faces, some of which have an insane and weird expression. From a summary of symptoms of chronic abuse of Adderall:
Chronic abuse is marked by severe rash, insomnia, irritability and personality changes. The most severe symptom of abuse is psychosis, which is often clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia, according to the FDA. Toxic symptoms from taking an overdose of Adderall can come at low doses. Initial signs of an overdose include restlessness, tremor, confusion, hallucinations and panic, the FDA says. After this central stimulation, the patient will undergo fatigue, depression, and often cardiovascular and gastrointestinal symptoms....
Irritability, restlessness, hallucinations, panic.... Where do you see that on TV news commentary? Whether these people are jacking themselves up with drugs or not, it's a bad idea to fill your evening staring into these anxious faces and hearing their intense chatter. I was watching one of those shows yesterday — I won't say which one — and they were talking about the possibility that Attorney General Barr misrepresented what is in the Barr report. There was loud, fast talking; darting, over-wide eyes; and hand gestures so big that I paused the show and exclaimed that it looked like a wild late-night party. It's screwy to be sitting, relaxed and passive in your lounge chair, and letting these weird humans have their way with your mind.

74 comments:

Ann Althouse said...

"it's a subtler thing, the way drugs get into the words."

A writer can, of course, choose to write in a style that seems drug-influenced, but you don't know why that's happening. I would assume that most journalists on drugs would work at suppressing the evidence. There is a style of journalism — we don't see it too much these days — that reads as drug-induced. There's Hunter S. Thompson. He meant to do that.

Rusty said...

Sure would explain Maddow. That woman ain't right.
And meth is nasty shit. Heroin users are afraid of meth.

rehajm said...

The lefties in my orbit are all on Stuff like Prozac, Zoloft, Valium, Xanax. I know since they openly compare notes about their drugs and their shrinks. Plus they act like the people on CNN and MSNBC...

rhhardin said...

I dropped TV news in 1970, as just being too stupid.

Expat(ish) said...

I loved (when I was younger) all of Kesey's novels, and I am 100% sure that there were drugs in the language. Double-ditto "Still Life with Woodpecker."

When I got a bit older I could not read or enjoy those books again, though Faulkner remained a favorite.

Perhaps my reading sobered up.

-XC

Earnest Prole said...

Yet another excuse for the idiocy of our media.

Anonymous said...

Interesting, Althouse. We know there's something mentally and emotionally out-of-kilter with these people; drug abuse is as reasonable and tidy an explanation as any other. That modern "journalists" are really just hired actors doing drama also neatly explains things, but that doesn't preclude the first explanation also being true.

I never watch any of this stuff unless it's forced on me in a public place, either. But every time I do see it the content is stupider and the screeching yakkers crazier than the time before.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Having given up on cable news, I do watch the local news most every evening. For a sometimes accurate weather forecast, sports and local stories that they pretty much cover without bias.

When the national stuff comes on, especially on the local fox channel, it gets semi-hysterical.

Althouse, do you regularly watch any local news shows? If so, are they reflecting the national screams?

rhhardin said...

De Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium Eater is good, prose-wise.

traditionalguy said...

Amphetamines would explain the stupidity level of the jabbering partisans hired by CNN and MSNBC to rattle on about the latest imaginary crimes of the illegitimate President.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

and they were talking about the possibility that Attorney General Barr misrepresented what is in the Barr report.

Should be the Mueller report.

Freder Frederson said...

So if I published on Twitter that I heard all retired law professors, especially those that run a blog, are crack whores, heroin addicts and alcoholics, would Althouse have a long post contemplating the validity of the charge.

I notice I said "I heard", so just like "they said" anything I say after that can not be interpreted as something I think could possibly be remotely true.

Roy Lofquist said...

How can you tell if someone is using drugs? Short of an intrusive medical test you can't. The general perception of drug users is shaped by the actions of those who can't maintain control. We have no idea of the proportion for any particular drug.

What we can do to get a rough idea is look at the public record as to drug seizures, street prices, anecdotes, etc. I have read analyses that claim drug use is substantially more common than most believe. Lots of folks can take a snort of nose candy with no more outward signs beyond those of a second cup of coffee.

rhhardin said...

The Mueller report problem could be solved with the telephone game. What's released should come from a chain of 50 people, each summarizing what he heard the report said to the next person.

Butkick51 said...

Chris Cuomo. I dont see him often, but his eyes scream that he's on something.

Lyle Sanford, RMT said...

Amen! I got rid of tv over 20 years ago, and now only see those people in brief clips when I want to hear what a politician says. I'm always viscerally repulsed by how the tv people 1) feel that they are as much the story, if not more than, as the newsmaker and 2) and seem to be more concerned with making me feel a certain way about something, rather than simply reporting.

Gilbert Pinfold said...

Never mind journalists—carefully watch Beto. Beyond the wierd dyskinetic arm movements, the facial affect of not being able to look people in the eye and the restlessness of body culminating in the jumping up on tables and bars strongly suggests to me that he is using ritalin or adderall. If you’ve ever had to be around someone abusing these drugs you’ll see it instantly.

Tom T. said...

Someone with Cernovich's track record is presumptively unreliable at this point. Aderall, however, is the standard of care for ADD among adults. When used pursuant to a prescription, it no more denotes "drug use" than antidepressants, nor does it produce visible indications of its use.

Freeman Hunt said...

Occasionally I see a slice of television news at someone else's house. People sitting around screaming at each other. Why does anyone watch it?

The local television news seems mostly like a press release service.

Francisco D said...

Anyway, I wonder how much of the intensity and anxiety in the TV newspeople can be understood as symptomatic of drug use

Until recently, Adderall prescriptions were pretty easy to get and abuse. Insurance companies have been increasingly requiring psychological testing of younger people to determine if they have AD/HD. Unfortunately, older patients can pretty much get those types of meds prescribed by sympathetic doctors.

It has been well known that Adderall abuse among white collar types is as prevent as meth abuse among blue collar types. It would not surprise me to know that many "journalists" take Adderall with their morning coffee. That might explain the level of craziness in their TDS. It also explains Ritmo and others.

ga6 said...

cue Keith O....

Lloyd W. Robertson said...

I think the older model of a talking head on TV was to be mature, avuncular or fatherly, speaking slowly and calmly. Authoritative. Of course game show hosts had to be up and hyper (except Alex), raising their voices in more ways than one. I think it's in the movie Broadcast News: it might help to slap your face a couple of times to ensure you look a bit stupid. Now there is this idea of being up, manic or hyper: WHAT I AM SAYING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT EVEN IF IT IS ABOUT THE KARDASHIANS. Trying to trigger views to join the swings between crazy hopes and crazy fears. Drugs might help.

Bob Boyd said...

Journalism is the homeless encampment of the Ivy League.

Fernandinande said...

I know some people who take caffeine nearly every morning. I can tell they're wired from the way they move their hands and their speech exceeds an acceptable number of words per minute and they have withdrawal pains and don't feel right until they get their daily "fix".

Seriously, those TV people are actors. Besides the weird expressions, they wear weird clothes and have weird hair-dos and weird speech patterns (listen without watching).

The livescience article's claims about epigentics are probably false.

Or...

mockturtle said...

The only TV news I watch is Stuart Varney on Fox Business News in the morning. Varney doesn't appear to be on drugs, although sometimes the Market does.

Lnelson said...

Remember the Stormy Daniels TV interview last year with pupils so dilated it seemed obvious she was jacked up on something?
There is a documentary on Netflix about the rampant use of Adderall in colleges and the Silicon Valley tech industries.

Black Bellamy said...

You have no idea how many people are on Adderall in NYC. You can literally walk into a doctors office and say "I have ADHD" and they will just give you a prescription. This town used to run on cocaine, now it's speed. I wouldn't be surprised if there's meth use to complement it, that stuff is just as easy to get.

Chuck said...

So here we have a pro-Trump jagoff like Mike Cernovich who has never worked as a real journalist, attempting to do something like journalism, about journalists.

Cernovich is an Alex Jones acolyte, who helped promote the Pizzagate hoax.

And yet Althouse is not merely giving Cernovich a megaphone through this blog post; she's labeling it "Trump Derangement Syndrome" because presumably Cernovich is correct and much of mainstream media is using/abusing psychiatric drugs and it is distorting the work of journalism, writ large.

This is really a new low for you, Althouse. You may thing it funny or entertaining. I don't see it that way. I see it as sick and perverted and this post should really haunt you. I cannot ever recall a more disgusting subject for you to provide space for, nor any more regrettable execution on your part.

SeanF said...

Freder Frederson: So if I published on Twitter that I heard all retired law professors, especially those that run a blog, are crack whores, heroin addicts and alcoholics, would Althouse have a long post contemplating the validity of the charge.

I notice I said "I heard", so just like "they said" anything I say after that can not be interpreted as something I think could possibly be remotely true.


I notice that neither of the tweets in Althouse's post says "I heard" or "They say" or anything remotely like that, so I wonder what your point is?

gilbar said...

Gilbert Pinfold said...
Never mind journalists—carefully watch Beto. Beyond the wierd dyskinetic arm movements, the facial affect of not being able to look people in the eye and the restlessness of body culminating in the jumping up on tables and bars strongly suggests to me that he is using ritalin or adderall. If you’ve ever had to be around someone abusing these drugs you’ll see it instantly.


after reading Gil's post, i hopped over and watched Beto on 'cash bail'; and (having been around All Too Many meth head's,) i'd have to say Beto won't be giving any urine samples any time soon.

narciso said...

Like the garbage you've been shoveling for 7 seven years about Palin chuck?

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Don't hold back Chuck, tell us how you really feel.

readering said...

Google trump adderall

gilbar said...

let's take a quick poll!
Anyone that's SURPRISED that a Life Long Liberal is using words like 'jagoff' to smear Anyone that criticizes his beloved MSM idols; raise your hands?

wild chicken said...

I think Cernovich is the one hawking his own brand of dope, Gorilla Mind or something like that. I stupidly tried it and didn't feel a thing.

Takes a lot to speed me up

Rusty said...

And yet Althouse is not merely giving Cernovich a megaphone through this blog post; she's labeling it "Trump Derangement Syndrome"
Nope. No irony at all.

narciso said...

Well his documentary on Qatari blood money is worth a look, but practically all the critics are on that gravy train.

Chuck said...

Mike Cernovich is one guy whom you could ask, "When did you stop beating your wife?" and he could give you a date. Actually, I'm not certain that his 2003 misdemeanor conviction for battery of a woman involved his wife. He really did great by his first wife. She was such a successful tech IPO lawyer, that when they got divorced, she ended up paying Cernovich what he called "Seven figures." Cuck indeed.

wild chicken said...

I do get the feeling that everyone is on some kind of drug. So intense, so anxious. I believe over time it screws up your seratonin reuptake inhibitors to where your reactions become more extreme.

And young people speak so goddamn fast.

Does anyone know how to do normal anymore?

Amadeus 48 said...

Masterful trolling of the MSM by Cernovich.

Michael K said...

I see Chuck did not get his morning TDS fix on the other post,.

narciso said...

The qatari gravy train is why they were so sad about Hamas and Islamic state booster khashoggis passing, Bezos has followed up with folks of similar mindset toward Israel and the weat.

Freder Frederson said...

I notice that neither of the tweets in Althouse's post says "I heard" or "They say" or anything remotely like that, so I wonder what your point is?

Well yes, that makes re-publishing the tweet and pretending it has some validity even more egregious.

The "I heard" and "They say" references were a call back to the post about Trump saying "they say wind turbines cause cancer". She, and many of the commenters defending him, seemed to believe that since he said "they said" he was not saying whether it was true or not, just repeating something "they said", so don't read anything into about whether I believe it is true or not.

narciso said...

It's like espresso, what you might call rocket fuel.

mtrobertslaw said...

"Drug induced journalism" This finally explains the perpetual and frenetic motion of Rachel Maddow's hands and arms.

Bob Boyd said...

There was loud, fast talking; darting, over-wide eyes; and hand gestures so big...

Sounds like Beto.

narciso said...

I think he has one too many whipeouts with a skateboard.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Cernovich is an Alex Jones acolyte, who helped promote the Pizzagate hoax.”

Is it possible she didn’t know who Cernovich is?

“Rape via an alpha male is different from other forms of rape. We can't really understand this, as our culture is too detached from instinct.”
—Twitter, September 2013

“I went from libertarian to alt-right after realizing tolerance only went one way and diversity is code for white genocide.”
—Twitter, October 2015

“Not being a slut is the only proven way to avoid AIDS. If you love Black women, slut shame them.”
—Twitter, February 2016

“Rape requires the use of force, and ‘date rape’ does not exist at all as all rape is rape.”- his blog 2016

Order her around the bedroom like you own her ... You are setting the tone. She exists for your sexual pleasure. She exists to please you.” - his blog 2014

”Going to the gym to train legs with sex and period juice all over you from last night leads to an interesting aromatic bouquet.”

Pedophiles, pedophiles everywhere

Cernovich particularly likes to paint his opponents as pedophiles, perverts, or sexual harassers. We have prepared a partial list of those Cernovich has labelled as pedophiles or connected to pedophiles:[11]

The BBC (news organization), accused of being full of pedophiles[12][13][14]
Ben Sasse (Republican senator), accused of trafficking children[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
"The Clintons" (Democratic political family), accused of child rings[22]
Louise Mensch (Heat Street)[23]
Jesse Singal (writer / journalist), accused of sexual predatorship[24][25][26]
John Podesta (Democratic operative), accused of child rings[27][28][29][30][31]
The New York Times (liberal newspaper), accused of being pro-pedophile[32]
The National Review (conservative newspaper), accused of defending pedophiles[33][34][35]
Salon (liberal news website), accused of defending pedophiles[33][36][37][38][39]
Tim Kaine (2016 Democratic VP nominee), accused of being "creepy" like a "pedophile"[40]
Victor Berger (comedian / video editor), accused of running a "pedophile ring on Twitter", somehow[11][41][42]

RationalWiki

Ann Althouse said...

"So if I published on Twitter that I heard all retired law professors, especially those that run a blog, are crack whores, heroin addicts and alcoholics, would Althouse have a long post contemplating the validity of the charge."

Cernovich didn't say "all." And I didn't write about "the validity of the charge." I specifically set that to the side, with "I have no idea whether this is true" and "Whether these people are jacking themselves up with drugs or not." What I contemplated was something else. Why not pay attention to what the words really say and try to understand what I'm interested.

By the way, Cernovich's Twitter feed includes the link to this NYT article. There is some journalism on this subject. I have no opinion of how good it is.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Cernovich has also promoted numerous other conspiratorial beliefs. For example, Cernovich believes that:

False flag conspiracy theories:
"The Orlando shooter did not act alone"[44]
Alt-right conspiracy theories:
South African whites are being exterminated and the media is covering it up.[45] He claims that whites in South Africa "are being raped and slaughtered by blacks" but are being denied from coming to the United States.[46]
"South African Whites have more of a claim to being "native born" than the black majority. This is not taught in schools".[47][48]
Obama-era political conspiracy theories:
Obama is not a Muslim, but an atheist – and the media is covering it up.[49]
Obama is gay – and the media is covering it up.[50]
Trump-era political conspiracy theories:
Cernovich claims that Clinton paid people to attend rallies.[51] More absurd, he believes that the Democrats are literally buying votes: "Felons vote Dem. Liberals killed party going all in with SJW/BLM, so the only way to win elections is buying votes."[52]
Hillary Clinton wanted war with Russia.[53]
Bill Clinton has an "abandoned black son".[54][55]”

Inga...Allie Oop said...

Oh hahahahaha! This one is funny. Last excerpt.

“Semen, the "life force"[edit]
Cernovich literally thinks semen has addictive properties, cures depression, and prevents women from cheating:

Once they've bad[sic] my "super serum", they don't want anything else. Girls become addicted to cum.
Condoms destroy pair bonding. When you raw dog and share your "super serum," she won't want anything else. "Super serum" is what you give to women to make Captain America babies[sic]. Most addictive drug on market.
Semen is a man's life force. If she cheats[,] this means your life force is week[sic], needs rebuilt [sic]. When you have super serum, they never leave.[94][95]

Browndog said...

The fierceness of the attack on Cerno by certain Atlhouse commenters has me rethinking my assessment of him.

I read his twitter daily. Some things I agree with, some things I don't. Some things I find interesting, some things I don't. Kinda like Althouse. However, I didn't think he had much of an impact (other than getting John Conyers to resign). I guess I was wrong.

Aside: Is it a conspiracy theory to say the left labels everything they don't want people talking about a "conspiracy theory"?

narciso said...

Seeing as the shooters father was a 15 year bureau informant they cant match the ammo to the weapons fired. There's one example.

narciso said...

Louise mensch is straight up crazy and an admitted coke addict, GCHQ seemed to have thrown her some crumbs.

roesch/voltaire said...

Isn't this like the kettle calling the pot black, or my uppers are better than your uppers because mine enable me to see truth?

Dad29 said...

related, but not directly on-point...

Watched election-eve news story on the local Fox channel. Female anchor interviewed the UW-M prof who is ALWAYS the election-eve interview, Mordecai Lee.

Her comments and questions were delivered with a ridiculously over-the-top "EXCITED!!" voice--as though she were the home-town announcer at a soccer game when the team scores a goal.

Never saw or heard that before. It was seriously off-putting. Maybe it was Adderall, eh?

roesch/voltaire said...

Well now this does explain Fox And Friends and a few other commentators on Fox, so yes I see his point-- this could be the oranges of the problem.

narciso said...

As opposed to the crew of morning joke they are on some Somali extract if you get my drift.

Unknown said...

> who has never worked as a real journalist, attempting to do something like journalism, about journalists.

What was it Ben Rhodes said about "real journo-lists"?

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/magazine/the-aspiring-novelist-who-became-obamas-foreign-policy-guru.html

“All these newspapers used to have foreign bureaus,” he said. “Now they don’t. They call us to explain to them what’s happening in Moscow and Cairo. Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington. The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That’s a sea change. They literally know nothing.

“I can name them,” I said, ticking off a few names of prominent Washington reporters and columnists who often tweet in sync with White House messaging.

mockturtle said...

If this is even partly true it explains a lot. Their grandiosity, for one. Maybe reporters, like athletes, should have to be subject to drug testing.

walter said...

Gilbert Pinfold said... Never mind journalists—carefully watch Beto. Beyond the wierd dyskinetic arm movements, the facial affect of not being able to look people in the eye
--
I've been surprised how little that's been mentioned. He gets that little boy got caught look a lot.

Anonymous said...

Tom T: Someone with Cernovich's track record is presumptively unreliable at this point. Aderall, however, is the standard of care for ADD among adults. When used pursuant to a prescription, it no more denotes "drug use" than antidepressants, nor does it produce visible indications of its use.

Cernovich's reliability is certainly relevant to the discussion, but why is a description of prescription drugs used properly pertinent? Nobody here is positing a problem with properly used prescription drugs.

You could rightly dismiss the discussion as malicious idle gossip, but not because of an entirely irrelevant point about the standard of care for prescribing and using Aderall. Unless you think legally prescribed drugs are never misused or abused. See Francisco D's comment @7:58 AM.

mockturtle said...

Gilbert Pinfold said... Never mind journalists—carefully watch Beto. Beyond the wierd dyskinetic arm movements, the facial affect of not being able to look people in the eye

In many cultures, looking someone directly in the eye is considered rude. Perhaps Beta is from another culture. Or a parallel universe!

Jim at said...

The sad thing is - true or not - it's plausible.

How else to explain the antics of the media and their fellow, deranged leftists the last few years?

Jim at said...

So if I published on Twitter that I heard all retired law professors, especially those that run a blog, are crack whores, heroin addicts and alcoholics, would Althouse have a long post contemplating the validity of the charge.

When all retired law professors start acting like crack whores, heroin addicts and alcoholics, get back to us.

Because that's the flaw in your comparison.

ALP said...

Let's talk about sleep. I am obessed with getting enough sleep in the way most people are about avoiding gluten, GMOs or whatever 'evil of the day' is to be avoided in food. It is the single most important thing you can do for your body.

But most ignore this, choosing to gain good health with extra pure eating, popping a bunch of vitamins (or drugs) to feel energetic. This does not surprise me at all; I'll bet half of the employees of my big law employer are taking something like this to keep going. Pushing, pushing, pushing...taking drugs to push some more. Maybe it goes along with the fear of boredom? It does explain the hyena-like intensity of newscasters. I gave up TV news 19 years ago - it was probably cocaine back when I got fed up.

Rosalyn C. said...

I realized yesterday that one of the reasons I was/am so unsympathetic to Biden is that I have not been watching the television commentators and their overwrought advocacy for him.

Freder Frederson said...

Cernovich didn't say "all." And I didn't write about "the validity of the charge." I specifically set that to the side, with "I have no idea whether this is true" and "Whether these people are jacking themselves up with drugs or not." What I contemplated was something else. Why not pay attention to what the words really say and try to understand what I'm interested.

Actually, if you were paying attention to the words I was saying you would have learned that part of my objection is your tendency to re-publish bullshit (like Trump's claim the other day that "they say windmills cause cancer"), attempting to cover your ass with a statement like "I have no idea whether this is true" and then reinforcing, or at least lending credence to, the original bullshit claim. "I don't know if these news people are on drugs or not, but they sure act like they are".

AJ Ford said...

Side effect may also include earnestness and, in some cases, self-righteousness.

Dave Begley said...

Watch Chris Cuomo and tell me what you think.

Jupiter said...

"I have no idea whether this is true, but I will just say that I would not watch a newsperson or commentator on TV if I knew they were on such drugs."

Should be "... if I knew he were on drugs.". Unless you feel that an anonymous individual has a right to your choice of pronoun.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

Went over to my Mom's house when my ex-mother-in-law was visiting. The news was on. What a horrible intrusion. With my son as an excuse, I changed it to hockey. I don't watch hockey.

How can you watch the news without thinking the newscasters are annoying and rude? I guess people got used to it.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

It's really bizarre because most of the TV audience is older folks, and they've lived long enough to remember the news when it wasn't crazy.

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