For the unfortunate few of you trawlers that haven't seen the disturbing and hilarious PSA from 1970, "THE TRIP BACK", I bring it to you in all it's terrifying glory. Speaking at a New York high school, Florrie Fisher, a middle aged ex-druggie, rants and raves and generally harangues the trapped students with dire warnings of what fates will befall them once they do drugs. Chain smoking! while she tells them not to punish their young bodies, she comes off as a self-centered, self serving wrongheaded twit. With a raspy voice she refers to the "Negro" girls in the audience and answers questions with jaw-dropping responses. My favorite moment is when one poor girl dares to question her contention that marijuana leads to harder drugs to which old Florrie growls...that sure she knew people that never did other drugs after smoking weed..only because they didn't get a chance cuz they died in the electric chair for committing crimes of passion while on the reefer!!! This whole scare tactic sham is tempered further by the fact that one year after this speech Florrie was back to her old ways, getting arrested in Miami on drug charges and other things, then seemingly dropping off the face of the earth. Her legacy lives on in Strangers With Candy, however, as Amy Sedaris modeled her character,Jerri Blank, on Florrie. So without further ado, I bring you "THE TRIP BACK" to have for your very own. Grab a pack of smokes and get it here. You'll thank me in the morning.
Posting this short made my week. I'd heard of The Trip Back yet forgot to seek it out over the years. The entire piece is great. I watched it and wanted to take drugs.
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