The Out-of-Touch Adults’ Guide to Children’s Culture: What Is Galactic Gas?
This week, young people are using nitrous oxide to make delicious whipped cream, taking pride in not consuming enough, and for some reason hanging out with the guys at Costco.
What is “galactic gas”?
Galaxy Gas is a brand name for a company that primarily sells nitrous oxide, but is quickly becoming a slang term for the substance itself. Nitrogen, a mind-altering drug when inhaled, appears to have cultural significance for young scoundrels. While there is no definitive data on whether N2O abuse has actually increased, awareness of the substance is certainly growing. According to the source, Kanye is addicted to it and you could spend all day watching videos of young people snorting nitrous oxide or commenting on its use if you wanted to.
Nitrous is one of those “gray zone” drugs. Laws vary from state to state, but in most situations it is legal. If you find a dentist who is old and fancy enough, you can do a high nitrogen root canal. You can also use nitrogen to make Belgian waffles and hollandaise sauce. You also use nitrogen to make your race car faster.
In many states, anyone can buy nitrogen canisters, but some states limit sales to adults only. Possessing nitrous oxide is generally only illegal if you’re using it to get high (it says right on the website, “Intentionally inhaling our product is illegal”), but it’s still rarely prosecuted because , perhaps “I’m not getting Hello Officer, I’m making dessert” is a strong defense. Nitrogen whipped creams like Reddi-Wip are sold everywhere, even though they will give you just as much pleasure if you overindulge in them.
Whether they call it Galaxy Gas, “wippets” or “hippy crack”, getting high on nitrous oxide is nothing new. People have been snorting N2O to get high since the 1700s, when “laughing gas parties” were popular among the British elite and mystics like William James did it for spiritual purposes. Deadheads love it, and so do Phish fans, frat boys and Juggalos. In this sense, it brings people together. The recent rise in popularity is sure to lead to some serious trouble in the near future, so be on the lookout.
What does “August” mean?
If you see the word “August” lately, it means your summer love has dumped you. It’s usually not taken in a “I’m heartbroken” way, but rather in a bittersweet way, as in, “Our romance turned out to be a summer fling, and now it’s August. Well then. It was fun.”
Like all good things, “Augusted” belongs to Taylor Swift, specifically her song “August” from 2020’s Folklore . It further evolved into a TikTok hashtag full of videos illustrating the concept, usually focusing on the moment of realizing you’re being Augusted, accompanied by a Swift song. They often run along the beach there.
What is the “underconsumption core”?
An offshoot of minimalism, ” core underconsumption ” is a trending aesthetic/lifestyle based on using the things you have for as long as possible and not buying new things until it’s absolutely necessary.
Inflation spikes have always led to people saying, “I guess I won’t buy anything then,” but promoting the idea on social media – with people making a big deal out of it – is a new phenomenon. This explains the “core” portion of underconsumption: influencers showing off their miscellaneous glassware , old hairdryers , and jeans with holes online. It’s a nice counterpoint to the mood of many consumer-oriented online users.
Some might argue that using things until you have to buy new ones is not “the core of underconsumption” rather than “living a normal life”, but cultural trends have shifted away from old ideas such as “frugality is good” , towards more recognition that we are at some level dependent on consumerism, and if we all stopped churning up the economy by buying new things, the wheels might stop turning. (I’m more of a “lazy” person who hardly notices how many things are outdated and doesn’t buy anything new because it takes effort.)
The Costco Guys, Rizzler and “Just Give Me My Money”
“We’re Costco Guys” is AJ and Big Justice, a father-son duo from Boca Raton who have gone incredibly viral lately by posting videos about Costco, chain restaurants and other nonsense on Instagram and TikTok . Millions of people watched their videos (probably by choice) and enjoyed watching them eat, shout “Boom” and explore what it was that made them Costco guys and not some other type of guy.
“Rizz,” as you probably already know, is slang for “charisma.” Risler is “someone who has charisma”; and The Rizzler is a member of the extended Costco Guys clan. He’s a little guy who becomes a real star because… man, I don’t know. Just because. I think people love his performance in Guy’s latest viral video, where everyone takes turns saying, ” Just give me my money ” and cheering until it’s the victim’s turn, who doesn’t get any applause.
I don’t like this shit. I don’t like it when they rap. I don’t like the way they look at the camera. I don’t like the way they get paid for advertising . I don’t like how ruthless they are. They are so energetic , and it all disgusts me and makes me sick. I guess I’m not a Costco guy.
Viral Video of the Week: We’re the Costco Guys
Apparently I’m not the only guy not affiliated with Costco, because this week’s viral video “We’re Costco Guys ” comes from top internet animator Meat Canyon, who imagines Big Justice’s dark but funny fate as he gets sent to Indonesia to collect cocoa beans, away from his overfed family. The Meat Canyon video is more than just a distortion of a grotesque American trend. It invites viewers to wonder how it is that Costco can sell everything for such a low price. Where do all these cheap things come from? And how much are consumers complicit in absolute cruelty so that we can eat $1.50 hot dogs and say “boom!” after we eat a double chocolate chip cookie that costs $2.49?