# The crack epidemic in movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2014, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742 "2014-01-26T11:39:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Danger\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742/1 "2014-01-26T11:39:56Z")
> **[Crack epidemic in the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crack_epidemic)** > > The crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States throughout the entirety of the 1980s and the early 1990s. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in American inner city neighborhoods, a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime policies, and a massive spike in incarceration rates. > In the early 1980s, the majority of cocaine being shipped to the United States was landing in Miami, and originated in... It has been linked to an increase in crime in the US in the 80s and 90s. I was watching some movies from that period and I was wondering if you could see any of the effects of this in the movies. In some movies, like Robocop and Batman, the street just seems to be filled by violent psychopaths with no hope for the future. Is this just coincidence or could there be a connection? ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742/2 "2014-01-26T12:12:56Z")
I always interpreted The Crow to be a comment on the crack epidemic, and the decline of Detroit. While Robocop might well be the same, I’d say that Batmans criminals were there back in the 40s, 50s and 60s. The recent movies may however have made out that drugs are far more of an influence on them… ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742/3 "2014-01-27T05:19:04Z")
New Jack City. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742/4 "2014-01-27T14:39:18Z")
H-U-S-T-L-E-R hustler! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742/5 "2014-01-27T16:08:51Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > New Jack City. Seconded. For me New Jack City is THE definitive crack movie. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742/6 "2014-01-27T16:18:29Z")
It was a belief in the 80s that drug and crime rates would just keep climbing forever until 150% of all people were junkie crooks. Just like how pollution was going to increase until 150% of the world was covered with thick smog, but nevertheless the population was going to keep rising until we hit 10 people per square metre. Oh, and 300% of all jobs were going to be taken over by machines. Movies from that era tend to expound upon those themes, or even just take them for granted as part of the setting. ---
**Author:** ![Danger\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crack-epidemic-in-movies/679742/7 "2014-01-28T16:19:23Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > It was a belief in the 80s that drug and crime rates would just keep climbing forever until 150% of all people were junkie crooks. Just like how pollution was going to increase until 150% of the world was covered with thick smog, but nevertheless the population was going to keep rising until we hit 10 people per square metre. Oh, and 300% of all jobs were going to be taken over by machines. > > Movies from that era tend to expound upon those themes, or even just take them for granted as part of the setting. This is exactly what I’m thinking about. Are there any other movies that can be attributted to this?