Streaming Recommendations (Netflix, HBO, Amazon, etc.)

All month I have been watching "Drugs, Inc" first aired on Nat Geo channel. I find in interested because I am hooked so to speak on learning just how big some of these drug problems are, especially heroin. (No offense intended by using "hooked" to any who may have had addiction issues.)

Assuming it is not staged, I have to wonder how on earth they get away with this? Cops of course let TV ride along all the time. Addicts surely will go on camera, few people get pinched for buying dope. Maybe even some dealers can be convinced to go on camera, they are all disguised and some may want their 15 minutes.

But how on earth can even a crew of say 2 people be there filming guys cutting heroin, coke, and molly and not be committing several felonies? Heck, one dealer said he was spiking his bags of H to cause an OD and thus good word of mouth that he has strong stuff. This is not a wildlife show where they let the litter die because the mother animal died. This is a guy setting up a person to possibly die from their actions.

The wild part on the Staten Island episode was how the dealer and junkie both were so divorced from reality of their lives. The junkie was addicted to well the junk. The dealer was addicted to selling it. Both hoped to move away from it "in 2 years or so." Of course, in the end most on both sides exit the drug by a body bag or prison. Even in prison dealers and users just pick up on the inside where the risks are all the higher.

Quote: AZDuffman

Both hoped to move away from it "in 2 years or so."

I doubt these 69 year old twins thought they would still be working prostitutes at their age.

Quote: AZDuffman

Assuming it is not staged, .

It's all staged. It's reinactments of supposed real
stories. Sometimes it uses real addicts and dealers,
mostly it's just bad actors. No real drugs are used.
Just like Mooshiners, it's all reinacted BS. There
is never any real booze being made, it's a federal
crime. All reality shows are mostly fake, and the
real ones are boring as hell.

Quote: Evenbob

All reality shows are mostly fake, and the
real ones are boring as hell.

I would call it more a documentary than a reality show, at least it appears to be pushed as one. One thing does not seem real is that when they are cutting the dope they do not wear respirators, something any smart dealers knows to do. Henry Hill claimed he got hooked because of the heroin in the air around him.

Quote: AZDuffman

I would call it more a documentary than a reality show, at least it appears to be pushed as one. One thing does not seem real is that when they are cutting the dope they do not wear respirators, something any smart dealers knows to do. Henry Hill claimed he got hooked because of the heroin in the air around him.

They also wear rubber gloves, like doctors
do. Some drugs get into your system with
enough skin contact. A documentary is
a reality show, Cops is an example. Cops
is one of the few that's not faked, but it's
also very boring half the time.

In the 80's I read an article by a guy who was
undercover for 5 years in one of the big NYC
Mob families. Deep cover, only made contact
with the FBI once a month. He said it was an
excruciatingly boring life for a college grad. It
was the same every day, even the conversations
were the same. He was around really stupid
high school drop outs who never read a book
or a newspaper. All they did is go around on a
route and collect money, and make the same
tired jokes and conversation every day.

The point is, life is mostly boring, even a life
that's full of actual danger and criminality. A
reality show has to be faked, nobody would
watch it otherwise.

Quote: AZDuffman

All month I have been watching "Drugs, Inc" first aired on Nat Geo channel. I find in interested because I am hooked so to speak on learning just how big some of these drug problems are, especially heroin. (No offense intended by using "hooked" to any who may have had addiction issues.)

If you would like some real enlightenment, go to a few N/A meetings. You will be surprised at how decent and friendly the survivors are, and how deeply they have examined themselves. In a city like yours there are many meetings, and at different times. Different ethnicity's, ages, etc. Find one that fits. As a matter of fact, there may be a side gig. Members often plan party's and events as social gatherings for sober people. They would love it if you organized a casino night. The whole show would be yours without having to share much of the vig. In Laughlin, once per year N/A pretty much occupies the Riverside, hundreds meet there. Addicts are natural gamblers.

To those that have never been, the meetings absolutely are not how you envision them. I have two friends with over 30 years clean time. The meetings aren't really about drugs. They are about how to cope and live free and sober. They are sometimes a social group for sober people.

Many celebrate their "birthday" as the day they got clean. Someone mentioned about trusting someone who is an ex addict. The ones I know, are rabid about being honest, and often review the steps. I like #4, "To take a fearless and searching moral inventory of ourselves", it is a spiritual, not religious program.

I recommend it for young people, that don't have a value system, to learn how to live. Even those that have never tried drugs. Membership is not dependent on being an addict. "Just for Today"

Quote: petroglyph

If you would like some real enlightenment, go to a few N/A meetings. You will be surprised at how decent and friendly the survivors are, and how deeply they have examined themselves. In a city like yours there are many meetings, and at different times. Different ethnicity's, ages, etc. Find one that fits. As a matter of fact, there may be a side gig. Members often plan party's and events as social gatherings for sober people. They would love it if you organized a casino night. The whole show would be yours without having to share much of the vig. In Laughlin, once per year N/A pretty much occupies the Riverside, hundreds meet there. Addicts are natural gamblers.

To those that have never been, the meetings absolutely are not how you envision them. I have two friends with over 30 years clean time. The meetings aren't really about drugs. They are about how to cope and live free and sober. They are sometimes a social group for sober people.

Many celebrate their "birthday" as the day they got clean. Someone mentioned about trusting someone who is an ex addict. The ones I know, are rabid about being honest, and often review the steps. I like #4, "To take a fearless and searching moral inventory of ourselves", it is a spiritual, not religious program.

I recommend it for young people, that don't have a value system, to learn how to live. Even those that have never tried drugs. Membership is not dependent on being an addict. "Just for Today"

Interesting idea, though even with what you say I would be way worried about being perceived as some kind of "sight-seer." I briefly had a guy worked for me was one of those 30 years in AA. Good guy, cleaned his life up. Died the day after we gave him a promotion.

Started watching Glee on nflix. Now I'm drawn
to it like a moth to a candle. It's bad and good
all at once. The song and dance numbers are
good, the silly plots are bad. The dialog is often
over the top edgy, the put downs of Gays and
cripples is off putting.

It was nominated for a couple hundred awards,
it must have something going for it. It reminds
me of Buffy, Mary Hartman, and 90210, kind
of. It was on for 6 seasons, but I see the ratings
started to go in the toilet in season 4. I bet I
get tired of it before then.

Quote: Evenbob

It was on for 6 seasons, but I see the ratings started to go in the toilet in season 4. I bet I get tired of it before then.

I can pretty much guarantee that you won't be able to force yourself to watch 121 episodes. But the first season is pretty good.

Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, vanished in season #4 as he went into drug rehab. He died of a heroin overdose that summer, and the loss of his character was a factor in the death spiral in the ratings.

As usual, the high school kids are played by much older actors. Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy) was almost 20 in real life when the series began, but Alyson Hannigan (Willow) was age 23 , and Nicholas Brendon (Zander) was almost 26 .

Cory Monteith was age 27 when the series Glee began, so he was playing a character a full decade younger than he was.


Naya Rivera turned age 23 in the first season, and she was able to turn her role as the lesbian cheerleader into a lot of glamour shots. A lot of parents were upset about the actors doing that kind of modelling. Although they were adults in real life, they played teenagers on the show.

Quote: Pacomartin

Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, vanished in season #4 as he went into drug rehab. He died of a heroin overdose that summer, and the loss of his character was a factor in the death spiral in the ratings.

My least favorite character. I don't see
any of the younger people as very good
actors. The female lead, Lea Michelle, is
irritating and awful. The adults carry the
show. Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch
stand out. Yes, the 'kids' are ridiculously
old to be playing teens, it's embarrassing.

I've read it's the guest stars that kept the
show going. Gwyneth Paltrow, Brittany
Spears, John Stamos, Carol Burnett, Kate
Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Neal Patrick
Harris, and many others. Kristin Chenoweth
was in one I saw and she never disappoints.
What a doll.