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Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel and Heatstreet contributor Stephen Miller welcome Erin Gloria Ryan to talk about her trip at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Erin is a senior editor at the Daily Beast and appears on truTV’s “Greatest Ever.” She previously served as the Managing Editor of Jezebel and Deputy Editor at Vocativ, as well as a writer for VH1’s “Best Week Ever.”
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“I don’t want to advocate the use of illegal drugs, but I met DANCING ROBOTS!”
Guess the word for Erin is… Daredevil?
I stopped listening when Erin started with her juvenile talk of dropping acid at the CES. Having lived through the real 60s I don’t need to see it re-staged by half-literate epigones. This normalization of drugs is really disgusting. If it keeps up I’m going cancel my subscription.
Really, this was a waste of time. As with Sal, I lived through the 60’s and 70’s and had to deal with social events, most of which revolved around the drug culture. Those people were a waste of time as are you. Please don’t do this again.
This was really disappointing. My kids looked at me confused for a minute thinking it must be a joke, then I shut it off.
I too stopped listening about halfway through. With the devastation that illegal drugs has rough on our communities, I found this conversion was turning my stomach. I’m very disappointed.
I was a little put off by all the abortion-related jokes.
If you have known someone who died of a drug overdose, or is a talented but unemployed writer who would happily cover CES honestly, or who has faced an unplanned pregnancy, it’s hard to find humor in those things. But all that aside: Hearing someone recount the details of their drug trip is boring.
Right up there with hearing someone recount the “amazing dream I had last night.”
I agree with Sal and others. This was by far the worst podcast ever on Ricochet. Having a druggie as president for 8 yrs has been bad enough.
A word of advice, like, after like listening to like the same crutch word over and like over again, it gets distracting from like the underlying message. If you would not, like, write it in your article, don’t say it.
I lost a child to a drug overdose. I do not think this prevents me from appreciating the piece. Also, I believe most people die from narcotics overdoses, but not LSD or pot, which are relatively safe. I did not enjoy the stories about the drug experiences either. Having watched my friends “trip”, I conclude that people who do this think it is much more interesting to others than it could possibly be. However, I believe this podcast was meant to be lighthearted and not deep – a bit of a break from politics.
I strongly disagree with the shaming of drug users in these comments. If taking drugs bothers you, don’t do it, don’t talk about it and don’t listen to it. But not everyone agrees with you and you really should have no say as to what others choose to experience. Unlike with abortion, which affects the lives of at least two living human beings, taking a recreational drug generally affects only the person who chooses to take it. If they ruin or end their lives as a result, that is also their horrible choice. The description of this “trip” does not fall into that category. Erin was not taking a great risk to her life or well-being.
I lived through the 60s as well. I had a son die from a drug overdose. People take drugs. That’s part of life.
Listening to people recount what happened when they were doing drugs reminds me of the old Dennis Miller bit:
“I don’t mind getting high so much as I mind the people you have to get high with”.
You should stop telling We Were So High stories when you start paying taxes.
Switched to the Weekly Substandard podcast well before this episode was done.
To paraphrase Vetruvius scolding Emmet in “The Lego Movie,” “this podcast was just – the worst.” It really was and I typically enjoy it very much. Between the bad jokes about abortion (which weren’t funny and I guess I’ve decided there ARE some things that you can’t joke about) and the vocal tics of your guest, it was painful to listen. I know we are in need of a break from 24/7 politics and I commend your effort, but this was a fail.
Appreciate all the feedback, even though most was negative. When we started this podcast, we decided we would take chances. One episode might work for some people, but won’t work for others.
As to drugs, my list of illicit experiences is as follows: thinking I got high off a joint I bought in the parking lot of a ZZ Top concert. Half an hour later, my more experienced friends informed me it was just oregano. I am the squarest libertarian-leaning guy you’ll ever meet.
What I most appreciated about Erin’s appearance was the opportunity for conservatives to talk with a committed progressive in a friendly, civil fashion. Thanks for indulging our continuing experiments.
I don’t object to you two experimenting or talking to the other side. Lord knows I wouldn’t be able to put together enough interesting content to merit a weekly podcast. This instance just didn’t work for me. Even after going over to The Daily Beast and reading Erin’s piece, I still can’t reckon what the point of it was.
I’m not so sure about that claim. I think we need a contest on Ricochet to determine who is the squarest libertarian-leaner here.
The nearest I’ve ever been to pot was at a Willie Nelson concert at the local fairgrounds. Sounds too stereotypical to be true, but it is. I was standing next to a hippie (again with the stereotypes, but I swear it’s true) who offered to share his joint. I politely declined.
Regarding the podcast, if you’re going to bring in a guest to talk about similar indulgences, might I suggest P.J. O’Rourke? He’s actually a fascinating guest no matter what the topic is.
I was very disappointed in this podcast because:
I know I’m late to this as I had an accumulation of podcasts. I don’t want to pile on, but I have a slightly different reason why I stopped listening early on. The casual approach the woman took to taking such mind-altering drugs told me she does not respect herself, and I do not see why I should respect what she has to say by spending my time listening to it.
[Stephen has already been on my “listen skeptically” list because of his contempt for people who do not fully agree with him.]