Mr. Mike:
In ROX #83 the gang (J, B, and Xy) take a trip to Gary, Ind. (pausing in B's lunar hometown of Greenwood to roll down a construction site mound) because the powers-that-be in Gary have decided to ban eating garlic in public. Feeling that the herb is getting a bad rap, B and Xy interview Dr. Varro Tyler, who tells them of the medical benefits of garlic, and why garlic along with prune juice will never be regulated by the FDA (they're too natural.) Meanwhile, J runs around in front of the Lake County Courthouse eating garlic and mixing up the horrid “Gary Mary” drink, while back in Bloomington TBlack (anarchist extrordinare) sets a Bible on fire and reads from it.
It's at this point that “J & B Eat Garlic” changes gears slightly as the gang interviews state rep. Woody Burton, who is trying to ban public humping in Indiana parks. Because of the questions, Burton winds up looking constipated. Finally there are man in the street interviews where it's obvious that the questions are about hemp, and the episode ends on the grainy, herky-jerky home video of a younger Editor B streaking a college campus circa 1988.
I'm of the opinion that ROX #83 is in fact a satire of ROX #59, the infamous pot-smoking episode that garnered ROX it's five minutes of national exposure. Notice the focus on banned substances. Notice that J and B both eat garlic with mini herb crushers, devices that might be mistaken for hash pipes if seen from a thousand feet away. Notice that Xy rips up a parking ticket she got in Gary, a possible symbol of the Drug War's violation of the Constitution. Seriously, while the episode lacks a true center, it makes up for it in comedy.
