Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan was interviewed on the Joe Rogan Experience, discussing why why Tool can be ‘difficult’ and ‘ignorant’ as well as poking fun at Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich’s battle with Napster in the early 2000’s. Here, Keenan discusses how the original purpose of oxycotin was to help those who were addicted to hard drugs such as heroin. In addition, he later compares heavy social media usage to heroin. Alternative Nation transcribed his comments. The new Tool album ‘Fear Inoculum’ is set for release on August 30th.
Keenan: Kind of on topic, but kind of off-topic but the purpose when Oxycotin first came out was that they discovered in that drug something that inturputed and helped people who were, you know, meth and heroin addicts. It was helping them get sober and getting them off the heroin because it replaced that feeling that was getting – the dopamine, womb-like feeling
Rogan: Mmm-hmm.
Keenan: That escapist thing that they were getting from heroin so they would get and use the Oxycotin. One problem was that, unless you cut your hands off you’re gonna take another one. So you’ve just replaced the heroin with another thing that’s a dopamine dump. Now, they are finding that this whole process of [social media] likes and validating or not validating. You get depressed because nobody likes your post, [entire rest of sentence inauble]. It’s the same thing.
Rogan: Yeah.
Keenan: It’s affects the same part of your brain and they are finding that there is that absolute connection. So if you can’t go ten minutes without looking at your phone, you are an addict. The actual chemical reaction in your body to the charge you get and the fact that it’s fed by adjusted titles, whatever the headline is. If they’re not getting it they adjust the headline to see if it gets you now and then you click on it and go: “that’s the one!”, then they adjust that one then it’s the rat hitting the cocaine button.
