I came across an interesting essay by American novelist Bob Shacochis, published in the August 1994 edition of PLAYBOY, that argued for the need of drinkers, smokers, and adulterers, "If Charles Darwin was correct, smokers, drinkers and libertines are doing the species a favor, accelerating the biological quest for perfection."
Perhaps satirical, Shacochis implied how easy it was to live on the edge "drinking, smoking, and screwing" before the "priggish, middle-aged nation of naggers and health harpies" of the 80s and 90s.
Reflecting on this, I would agree with Shacochis that, although drinking and smoking was not unusual and far from vice, sex became serious, and rightly so. AIDS was a new thing and people feared having sex -- protected or unprotected. And if they did have sex, they wouldn't talk about it as openly as perhaps today.
He acknowledged the futility of defending smokers, drinkers, and "fuckers." But added, "... who wants to live in a world without them, without their libidinous hunger, without their exalted obsessions? They take the joy and sometimes the pain of living to the very edge and shot back instructions, dire caveats, titillating weather reports."
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