Tommy Chong appears on Alex Jones‘ nationally syndicated radio show to discuss the recent FBI raid of Spectrum Labs and the seizure of 10,000 DVDs of Chong’s documentary, a/k/a Tommy Chong. Also on the show is Kevin Booth, creator of American Drug War: The Last White Hope; Josh Gilbert, creator of a/k/a Tommy Chong; and Matt Stevens, owner of Spectrum Labs. The show is guest-hosted by co-producer of the Loose Change documentaries, Jason Bermas.
At the height of popularity of the Bush administration (huh?) — the federal government entrapped and subsequently imprisoned Tommy Chong. Josh Gilbert began documenting the federal case against his long time friend, for the terrible crime of selling bongs. This film (broken down here into four clips) examines the personal effects on Tommy, the motivations and tactics of the politicized Justice Department under George Bush, set against the back drop of the War on Drugs and the legal issues involved.
Listening to Jones’ radio show, followed by Gilbert’s film, one can easily see how one can become a target of a vengeful government bent on teaching someone a very public lesson. Just imagine, if the U.S. Federal government could view Cheech & Chong’s “Up In Smoke” as a threat, how might they have viewed Frank Zappa’s “Pygmy Twylyte/ Dummy Up” (from WSTM-FM’s ‘FZ as DJ’ broadcast, 21 Nov 1974) and treated him if he were alive post 9/11:
[audio: http://www.killuglyradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Pygmy-Twylyte-Dummy-Up-MOI.mp3]
The relevance to Zappa here is, of course, that Cheech Marin and Tom Fowler are twins separated at birth.
We sure know how to spend tax dollars don’t we.
Up in smoke features the famous Ruben from Ruben and the Jets, also backin’ vocalist for Zappa in the mid seventies…
Funny that I should read this just minutes after I decided to put “Up In Smoke” in the DVD player…
However, please do not take Alex Jones seriously. He’s a professional kook. He makes a healthy living from selling paranoia to the type of people who stock up on canned goods and ammo (GO TO THE SHELTER! GO TO THE SHELTER!) and wait for the Secret Shadowy Consortium Of People Who Only Pretend To Be Incompetent Idiots But Are Really Super-Genius Evil Arch-Villains Who Intend To Sap And Impurify All Of Your Precious Bodily Fluids.
In all seriousness, he’s a slightly permutated version of L. Ron Hubbard.
FACT: Tommy Chong was targeted because of a character he portrayed satirizing marijuana use in the 1970s.
FACT: The Cheech and Chong movies were so successful because they so well parodied the ultimate and infamous stupidity of the “war on drugs” particularly when it came to the public use of marijuana from Nixon’s administration right down to George W’s.
FACT: Chong was arrested and jailed for selling “works of art”. Frankly, that’s what bongs are, really, artfully designed works of glass. I have a bong of my own. I have never used it besides anything as an artful object. A bong can be made out of just about anything. Using that logic, the US federal government can arrest you for possession of drug paraphernalia for the mere possession of tweezers (zircon encrusted, of course).
FACT: The FBI confiscated 10,000 copies of his DVD, a/k/a Tommy Chong without reason or charge. Just that they were “in process of investigation”.
Sure, Alex Jones is a kook, but when the Federal Government owns the mainstream media, and mainstream journalists no longer question their government’s actions, who is going to be left except those deemed to be kooks?
I think the sad thing is that (I don’t smoke anymore) but you can smoke a pound of pot and you will probably just fall asleep, but you can kill yourself or someone else with a 6 dollar bottle of cheap liquor and that is legal.
I guess some could argue that Cheech & Chong influenced its viewers.
In my neighborhood back in the ’70s smoking weed was least of your parents problems. So these film were not very threatening to our grown-ups.
I could make a case on how the films of the ’40s & ’50s influenced generations to drink & smoke cigarettes. But, why bother? You are what you is!
Is Tommy Chong being screwed? He sure is.
Does he deserve this treatment? No.
But . . .
Land of the free?
Ha!
Do what you want. Just watch you ass.
Especially, if you’re high profile druggie/comedian selling bongs on the net.
Fact: Asking Tommy to “hold that thought” is an exercise in futility…
Fact: Tommy’s history is skewed a bit, as he said we got “Bush because of 9-11”. W was at the helm (visiting an elementary school) at the time of the attack…
Fact: Conspiracy Theorists tend to be far more intelligent than the Conspirers.
Fact: Cheech is a more lucid Commentator.
Fact: Bill Maher is HOT!!!
Fact: This is numbing my tongue & bruising the inside of my cheek.
Fact: I’m grateful that ug posted this.
This is a big off topic, but I love it when my wife tells our 8 year old that his head stinks. Oh, the things we have to look forward too.
The dirty f*cking hippies were right:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEZoY-TMG4
[quote comment=”4969″]I guess some could argue that Cheech & Chong influenced its viewers.
In my neighborhood back in the ’70s smoking weed was least of your parents problems. So these film were not very threatening to our grown-ups.
I could make a case on how the films of the ’40s & ’50s influenced generations to drink & smoke cigarettes. But, why bother? You are what you is!
Is Tommy Chong being screwed? He sure is.
Does he deserve this treatment? No.
But . . .
Land of the free?
Ha!
Do what you want. Just watch you ass.
Especially, if you’re high profile druggie/comedian selling bongs on the net.[/quote]
Chong did have something when he mentioned that his “bongs” were the only “weapons of mass destruction” the gov’t found that year, Hugh.
I recall, in my neighborhood, growing up with violent gangs, wife abuse and massive alcoholism (that’s right, average blue collar upbringing) — then one summer, around 1974 or 1975, poof! everyone was smoking weed together instead of beating each other up.
Yep, Perhaps Tommy had the idea all along: marijuana as a weapon of mass peace-dom Dump kilos and kilos and kilos of the stuff, along with Chong’s confiscated bongs along the border areas between Afghan. and Pakistan?
[quote comment=”4972″]The dirty f*cking hippies were right:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEZoY-TMG4%5B/quote%5D
Interesting video, Mike. Though even more interesting (and highly ironic, too) is that it’s author wishes to profit from it:
SONGS NOW AVAILABLE AT iTUNES, RHAPSODY, AMIE STREET, LALA, AMAZON MP3, SHOCKHOUND, NAPSTER
Hey, I’ve got nothing against capitalism (it’s gotten us this far hasn’t it) – it’s the unregulated, running amok kind of capitalism I can’t tolerate.
As David Crosby said, we were right about the war, we were right about civil rights, we were wrong about drugs. 2 out of 3 ain’t bad…