Posted 4:10 PM by Scoobie Davis

A Jack Chick-like Critique of Dysfunctional Rave Culture
I found a great Jack T. Chick tract parody. I love Chick tract parodies. Some Chick tract parodies are better than others (quick note: my favorite Chick tract parodies: Daniel Clowes' "Devil Doll" from Eightball #1; Jim Woodring and David Lasky's "Jesus Delivers"; Jim Huger's "Dead to Rights"; and Kurt Kuersteiner's "The Collector").

It's been so long since I've been to a rave. When I moved to LA in 2000, I had been to more than a few raves. I didn't like the LA rave scene. Why did the rave scene start sucking? A couple big reasons: 1) sleazy promoters who care about nothing more than making a buck; and 2) The cult of DJ worship. People started going to raves and underground parties, not to interact and party with each other but to be spectators to a popular DJ. After a couple years of going to raves and underground parties in which people were losing sight of the whole purpose of a rave--to party and interact with others; more often than not, these raves degenerated into DJ concerts. In 2002, I couldn't take it anymore and focused on getting into Hollywood parties by any means necessary.

The other day, I found a Chick tract parody titled "The Trance Cracker" that echoes many of my frustrations with the modern rave culture. This is a re-wording of the highly inflammatory Chick tract "The Little Bride." "The Trance Cracker" tells how rave culture has been hijacked by self-promoting Eurotrash DJs and their clueless followers and it calls on those with the authentic spirit of the rave to reclaim the rave. Best lines in the tract: "A party exists for its own sake and for the sake of its participants. Your job is to contribute, to interact, and celebrate" and "What do you think The KLF would have to say about the state of today's concert-raves? They'd storm the fucking stage in a furious act of liberation and conceit, calling all true ravers to 'Kick out the JAMMS, motherfuckers!' MC5 1:2"

Addendum: Favorite rave film: Doug Liman's Go. It's not only has a good take on rave culture but the film also lampoons Amway. You can't ask for much more out of a film.