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Author: Justin Mckibben
Michael John Burkett, AKA ‘Fat Mike’, is an American musician and producer. Fat Mike is best known as the bassist and lead vocalist for the punk rock band NOFX from Los Angeles, California. Fat Mike started the band in 1983, and over the years they gained momentum until their 5th studio album Punk in Drublic gained them popularity back in 1994. In recent years Fat Mike has spoken honestly and openly about his battle with addiction. He even took to Instagram to publish the play-by-play of his detoxing from painkillers. Now Fat Mike and NOFX have made it a fight of punk rock VS Big Pharma with their newest video “Oxy Moronic.”
NOFX and First Ditch Effort
NOFX is excited to release a new album First Ditch Effort on Fat Wreck Chords on October 7th. Fat Wreck Chords is the legendary label Fat Mike started, which is part of the reason NOFX stands out; they never signed to a major label.
NOFX’s new music video for “Oxy Moronic” off the album makes a bold statement from the first line, and they consistently address the concept in their typical punk rock humor. “Oxy Moronic” is the first single and the track takes on Big Pharma in a big way. Just a sample will show it:
“I’ve been called an Oxy Moron
Because I question which drugs our war’s on
Why are there more drug stores than liquor stores you can score on
The healers have become the harmers
They’re just pharmaceutical farmers
What we used to call dealers
We now call doctors”
And from there, the song just drives the point home with a stream of clever word-play that calls out basically every major pharmaceutical company in the industry. Phrases like:
“It isn’t ADDERALL-trustic by overprescribing… how can we fight them in a SUBOXON ring?”
…or later on in the song with…
“With every DEMEROL-tercation… they’ll have a good XANAX-planation…”
The Emmy-winning comedy video website and production company Funny or Die produced the NOFX music video, and throughout it is designed to mock the well-known infomercials that the public is so used to seeing. Not only is this entertaining, but it is full of direct jabs at an issue impacting so many. Our country has been suffering for years thanks to the failed War on Drugs, while simultaneously over-consuming prescription medications.
Drug Dealing Commercials
The aspect of the NOFX video that parodies drug commercials actually is more important than most people might recognize. This is not the first time attention has been brought to how Big Pharma is allowed to advertise in our country. Meanwhile, we have learned to shrug off the idea as an everyday norm, the truth is most other countries don’t allow Big Pharma to advertise prescription drugs to individuals.
It seems like almost all other countries only let Big Pharma advertise prescription drugs to doctors. Some doctors have even been accused of prescribing more meds after receiving money from Big Pharma. In America, we have new commercials every other day trying to deal out a new miracle pill product, while listing off a pretty scary list of side-effects. Then, the ads encourage people to “ask a doctor if (blank medication) is right for you.”
Thanks in part to the over-prescribing of America, an estimated 52 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. With a country containing only 5% of the world’s population, it is truly troubling to know we as a nation consume 75% of the world’s prescriptions.
Fighting Big Pharma
Many experts do believe that public advertising of such powerful prescription drugs does indeed cause people to seek out healthcare. Even worse, some of these Big Pharma companies have already been accused of minimizing necessary warnings about substance abuse or addiction.
I need no more convincing. Literally, as I write this I’m watching YouTube and have been interrupted by 3 commercials for prescription drugs. The fact is, Big Pharma has been over-saturating us with potent medications, while not giving us all the facts on how dangerous they are, and impact should be obvious at this point. America is entrenched in an opiate epidemic, and prescription drug abuse has caused more damage than ever before.
In the words of Fat Mike, “How can we HYDRO-condone this conduct?”
The fight against addiction is about more than the fight against Big Pharma. There is real help out there; real solutions beyond relying on medication, and being medicated to overcome medications. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free now. We want to help.