Cocaine Induced Opulence

Wall Street wannabes and nicotine nostalgia

What we’re discussing in this issue—

• Trump heralds the return of productivity porn

• The yearn for stimulants and nicotine nostalgia

• Meet the Erewhon of cocaine and ketamine

• Have CEOs been posessed by 6D Mesoamerican demons?!

Wall Street Wannabes

Has the pendulum swung back on the whole work life balance narrative that was heralded by millennials over the course of the last decade? The success of shows like Succession and Industry alongside the late romanticization of 80s Wall Street cocaine induced opulence may be a hint that this new generation is longing for office work even if it is only to indulge in “wealthy vibes.” It’s no surprise that Trump’s return to presidency would inspire such a move considering the 80s yuppie eventually led to Trumpism, and not to mention GenZ has entirely missed out from office life enough to actually create a yearn for it.

On TikTok you can find videos of GenZ cosplaying “80s banker” vibes whether it’s dressing up inspired by yuppie Wall Street, creating 80s office ambience music or imagining what it must be like to have had a corner office at a law firm in the 80s. The late 80s are often associated with economic prosperity, otherwise known as the Reagan Boom, and it’s no revelation that a generation that has been completely raised in economic lows and uncertainties (DotCom bust, The Great Recession, 2020 Pandemic) would feel nostalgic for an era they were never part of, only referenced via movies like Wall Street or American Psycho and carefully curated IG accounts, maybe it’s the fact most have missed out on executive experiences like going up crowded elevators and overflowing cubicles under incandescent lighting, exchanging meticulously crafted business cards or gossiping around the watercooler, though you can get a certain version of this thanks to publications like Emily Sundberg’s FeedMe.

Technology Brother’s pod made its official debut this week, eerily coinciding with the announcement of the American Psycho remake, “Quiet luxury is over. The time for loud opulence is now.” reads a tweet from one of its co-hosts John Coogan, who can be seen riding in helicopters and driving around in a convertible Bentley, alongside co-host Jordi Hays, in a scene that felt very Menendez brother-esque. VCs and tech bros alike can’t stop talking about American dynamism, even as others point out it feels like they are just living out their fantasy of being an engineer with venture capital—some enticing charts made the rounds this year, as Financial Times reported US productivity eclipses that of Europe and most other nations—with productivity exponentially increasing post pandemic.

The idea of American dynamism, like Viagra awakening capitalist libidos, goes hand in hand with optimization, see Trump and Elon’s creation of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) to the calls for MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) both which seemingly aim to save America from itself. Chadism and the search for Alpha both in investments and self-fulfillment, a notion being adopted by GenZ and Alpha alike, see mewing, Gigachads and maxxing—and on the other side of the coin, trad wives and pronatalism, as we move on from peak millennials in their 30s, currently the largest demographic in the US.

A few weeks ago I came across what I think best encapsulates all of the above—these mockups by branding agency Candy Brophy, for a Trump gold protein bar, which isn’t so farfetched of a concept as we make our way into mid-2020s, filled with Wall Street wannabes and productivity porn.

Nicotine Nostalgia

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Perhaps no other year can serve as reference of vice being back than 2024, the Zynconomy boomed, cigarette bouquets and parties abounded, while an entire generation seems to moving on from vaping. The trad movement has infiltrated stimulants, we made a meme to best visualize this earlier this year and no surprise it went viral. They say nostalgia is a powerful drug, perhaps even more than nicotine, counterculture to the demonization of cigarettes of the past decades, disguised around conventional, which is what made Marlboro campaigns so alluring, an ally to the common Alpha-like man, equal parts American and productive, a form of nicotine nationalism.

Cigarette use overall declined due to regulation of spaces turned “smoking-free” —it became more and more incovenient to be a smoker, and of course there is the cancer aspect to consider, but when has that really stopped people form indulging in their preferred vice? Vapes replaced cigarettes, GenZ in particular, becamed obssesed with vaping, it soon became considered a teen epidemic, there’s entire campaigns across countries to try to deter vape usage amongst the youth, by sharing the facts like vapes use toxic chemicals and real testimonials in “My Vaping Mistake”—it became this generation’s “Truth” campaign. Eventually, Juul who was one of the most renowned vaping brands, faced a massive class action lawsuit, and was forced to pay up, with many surprised from the hefty payday.

Is GenZ any less obsessed with nicotine? No—if anything they have jumped into a seemingly less damaging format, the nicotine pouch. Zyn by far has become the most recognized brand, it even led to shortages throughout the year, with competitors like Tucker Carlson creating a version that is taking a page of Marlboro advertising, Sett creating an adaptogen version, and Excel’s productivity pouches are a Wall Street wannabe's stimulant of choice—if all else fails, there’s always aderrall.

Ultra Premium Cocaine

Meet the Erewhon of cocaine—based in Canada, Delics offers several psychedelic, disassociative and stimulant drugs as a form of treatment. Do we mean to say strawberry flavored Ketamine akin to Hailey Beiber’s strawberry smoothie—no, but moreso the fact that they seriously list premium and ultra premium cocaine. This review containing a little box that’s branded Sinaloa’s Finest really makes me think this is truly one big spoof—which I commend them for, but would not be surprised as we approach the next half of 2020s, with folks eager to be stimulated.

This service seems to be only available for Canadians—it could also be a trick from the Feds, so tread carefully….

Stimmys Over Demons

The fact that the Burning Man techeratti is turning away from psychedelics in lieu of productivity is the last indication that we are gearing up for a highly stimulated rest of the decade. According to wordChads, doing Ayahuasca will make you quit your job, your family, etc—overall being less productive in every aspect of your life, it has become the drug equivalent of “soyboy”.

What was once seen as enlightining is now quite literally being demonized—as the narrative around psychedelics is that you will get oneshotted by a six dimensional demon—which can be beneficial considering how cliche the shamanification of CEO’s like Jack Dorsey came to be. Americans had become obsessed with this idea of “next stop, nirvana” psychedelic psychosis, from ayahuasca to poisonous toads, and everything in between. Capitalism is not such a benevolent god—and requires constant sacrifice in the form of IPOs and 10x returns, CEOs have been lead astray, and wordChads serving as prophets reminding us that the way to redemption is filled with nicotine and caffeine, not adaptogens.

The pendulum has swung back hard, the era of enlightment is over—stimmys over demons all the way.