Efstratis 1 John Efstratis Psych 50 Elder 27 November 2011 Clubbed to Death From the late 1980's through the

early 90's, New York City was introduced to one of the most outlandish and dangerous club scenes it had seen in years. At a time when sexual boundries were being challenged and gender-specific ideals were starting to morph, the Club Kids exposed America to the dark lifestyle known for hard drug use, partying and bizarre costumes.The 2003 avant-garde film Party Monster, gives an odd yet seemingly honest depiction of the true tale of Michael Alig, a 20something club promoter turned murderer. Born in small town Iowa, Michael had been the victim of molestation at a young age and neglectful single parenting. Fleeing his painful memories and continuous sexual confusion, Alig moves to New York City where he is sure his dreams will come true. Upon arriving, he meets James St. James, a local Manhattan celebutant who frequents the club scene. Desparate for acceptance and attention, Michael is quick to imitate St. James flamboyance and garb and does his best to assimilate into this Warhol-esque community of trustfund children. After many hours of networking Alig secures a party planning job at Limelight and quickly begins to climb the ladder of popularity. Over the next few months Alig blossoms into a superstar club promoter, transforming Limelight into the most profitable nightclub in NYC. He continues to climb the social hierarchy, even collecting a following, later to be known as Club Kids'. He becomes bored of club parties and begins to throw Outlaw Parties' in public places such as McDonalds, 18-Wheeler trucks, etc. They were living the life of excess and glamour. This lifestyle had its price however. Occasional bumps of hard drugs had turned into deeply

Efstratis 2 rooted addictions and were beginning to become the currency of this underground playground. Accepted forms of payment included Ketamine, Cocaine, Heorine, Ecstacy, Rohypnol, etc. Due in part to his addictions, Michael befriended Club Kid wannabe, Angel Melendez. The two of them never shared a deep connection, however the duo benefitted eachother in their own ways and continued to tolerate the other. From Melendez, Michael was given a constant personal drug supply to bestow upon his Kids. And from Michael, Angel received the belonging that he had been so desperatly searching for. Michael then grew close to Limelight club owner Peter Gatien and became increasingly more invlolved with his notorious hotel drug parties, one of which led to Michaels overdose. In Septmeber of 1995, Limelight was raided by the Federal Government on Drug Trafficing charges. Upon reopening Angel was let go as a bartender due to his drug connections. Unemployed, Angel then moves in with Michael and his roommate Freeze. While Angel is out one day, Alig and his Kids do all of Mendez's drugs, with no intention to pay for them. When he arrives home, there is a verbal altercation which quickly matures into a full out physical fight between Michael and Angel. Michael, high on cocaine, goes into a frenzy and calls Freeze over to help. Between the two of them, they bludgen Angel over the head with a hammer, inject draino into his veins and hide him in the bathroom. They chop up his body and then throw it in the Hudson river, wrapped in a cardboard box. Months later, Michael Alig was taken into custody for the murder of Angel Melendez and sentenced to 10-20 years. Personally, I think that the role that drugs played in his demise come second only to the role that his insecurities played. It was because of his own anxieties about himself that he had to be the center of attention. It was because of his insecurities that he needed to turn to hard drugs and a made-up world with other outcasts. And together, his insecurities and the drugs fed and helped to nourish a budding sociopath. I feel that James St.james said it best in his memoir, Disco Bloodbath. He says that Alig is,

Efstratis 3 a mirror, and he will give to you whatever it is that he thinks youre looking for. Thats why, when hes talking to me and were doing the Phone Call From a Felon, it is just lightness and fun and fabulous and sick, and then hell turn around to you or his mother and start crying. A life of unregulated drugs, sex and excess have ruined the lives of many of the Club Kids, but none so dramatically as the rise and fall of the charasmatic Michael Alig.