What's in a name?
The terms 'Pot' and 'Grass' have long been synonymous with Marijuana. I personally have heard many other terms used to describe the euphoric inducing smoke. I've also been to my share of Widespread Panic pre-show lot scenes. I can say in the many years of attending shows from one coast to the other I have never heard Pot described as 'Widespread Panic Parking Lot Breakfast Combo'.
Am I out of the loop? Have my friends been holding out on me? Have I been laughed at when I've asked "Pass the joint"? Should I have been asking "Pass the Breakfast Combo"?
While reading a recent article in the Orange County Weekly I cringed when I read Pot described this way. I really wasn't stupefied as much as I was disturbed. Just the thought that many of the OCWeekly readers may now associate my favorite band with illegal drug use or conjure up thoughts of drug users wandering around a Panic pre-show lot event really irritated me.
The article was a witty piece about the legalization of industrial hemp and it's relation to it's "cousin" Marijuana.
"...(a.k.a. pot, grass, chronic, the Devil’s Weed, Widespread Panic Parking Lot Breakfast Combo)..."
I thought I should research this more and what better way than to Google the term to see what other people across the vast interweb have said about the phrase. I typed in the phrase with quotes, without quotes, used a variety of words, did advanced searches and finally I gave up. My search did not match any documents. Nothing. Nada. No one anywhere on the web has mentioned the phrase.
This left me to beleive that the person who wrote the article, namely MATT COKER, simply made up the phrase. I googled Mr. Cooker and found plenty of information on him. Even his favorite music came up in one search.
From Amazon.com Matt Coker's profile:
Hello. My name is Matt Coker, I'm a fourth year student at University of California, Davis. My music collection is currently pushing around 500 CDs, which including The Beatles, Emmylou Harris, Led Zeppelin, The Velvet Underground, Tim Buckley, Rosanne Cash, The Clash, Warren Zevon, Modest Mouse, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Lucinda Williams, Cream, Big Star, Dwight Yoakam, Electric Light Orchestra.
There wasn't much in that list of bands and music artists that gave me any indication that this person, although eclectic in his tastes, is a fan of WP.
Another search revealed that Matt Coker is the executive editor of Orange County Weekly. I was not impressed.
I'll be honest and admit that during a concert, and I mean ANY concert and not just a WP concert, I have occasionally had a drink or smoked a little something to get into the mood. And I reiternate ANY concert which includes the time my brother and I took mom to see Merle Haggard and even when I attended a Harry Connick Jr show with my sister. Of course not too many concerts attract a pre-show "lot scene" and I've been to many of those scenes. I've met new people from all walks of life in "the lot" and most of the time were just talking and there's nothing else going on. No booze, no drugs just chatting it up. I'm not saying that drug use doesn't exist in those scenes as I'm certain it does just as it does before any musical event. But designating a band's name into a phrase which descibes an illegal drug is just irresponsible reporting especially for an executive editor.
Light-hearted or not I doubt Mr. Cooker would enjoy some random newspaper deciding to arbitrarily name their aricle... Marijuana. (a.k.a. pot, grass, chronic, the Devil’s Weed, Matt Cooker OCWeekly Potpourri). Actually, that sounds like a great name for a blog!!
The OCWeekly article can be read here.
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