Investigative journalism has finally caught on to the festival drug of choice: MDMA. For an episode of her show "This Is Life," CNN's Lisa Ling journeys to Woodstock for the Mysteryland Festival to investigate dance culture and its psychoactive muse. She sits with Gramatik, a raver named Odin, MDMA dealers, and vigilante drug purity test group known as the Bunk Police to discuss why reasons why "Molly" is quintessential to dance culture.In a written piece accompanying the clip, Ling admits to being a 90s Rave Queen. "Those who knew me in the '90s during my party days are often able to do a particular impression of me while at a rave," says the respected reporter. " It goes something like this: massive, ear-to-ear grin, teeth gleaming and eyes that read total bliss."The report has instigated a conversation within the dance community. Krystal Rodriguez posted an op-ed for Beat Port saying "As an out-of-practice raver, Lisa Ling explores the current dance music phenomenon with a prior history and earnest curiosity that is mostly lacking among her journalist peers." DJ Mag also praised the segment: "Refreshingly, the focus of the show is not on placing blame but promoting [drug] education, with Ling interviewing advocates of on-site festival drug [purity] testing."The report ends on a somber note, Ling interviewing the parents of a girl who died of dehydration while rolling. "What young people need to be aware of when they decide to take Molly or Ecstasy," Ling says, "is that there are risks just like there were when I carelessly took it. I was young, but I had no excuse not to know."
Editor's note: a previous version of this article attributed Krystal Rodriguez's op-ed to Mix TV. Her piece had originally been posted on Beat Port and was reposted by Mix TV.
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