Cultures of Addiction
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Cultures of Addiction By Jason Lee

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people defining themselves through their consumption. Whether this is consciously chosen as a means of behavior and being is arguable, but Nietzsche could have been even more forceful—it is the core of the current system. The emphasis on the dangers of drugs and alcohol is one approach, but Mel Gibson in chapter 5 reveals how something as seemingly innocent as reading can be condemned in a similar manner to a drug addiction. This analysis of British comics is followed by the examination of Japanese manga in chapter 6. Putting oneself in the hands of a drug such as cocaine or at the mercy of a cultural product such as a comic is one form of transcendence, a portal that may set one free or enslave one. Problematic usage is when something dominates one’s life. The important question is why one allows this to happen, for ultimately there is always a choice. In this sense, all addiction is false, like false consciousness, promoted through the cultures of addiction.