“But, I Mean, the Thing Has Become a Myth that Nobody Can Live up To.” Lou Reed’s Narrative of Transgression, Stigma, Self and Resistance

This study contributes to the criminological transgression literature with an in-depth ethnographic analysis of Reed’s narrative transgression, stigma, self and resistance. includes two intertwined perspectives on rule breaking, 1) concept within cultural criminology 2) deviance studies its focus labeling stigma. combination creates academic that empowering disempowering qualities breaking. Lou rich extending over a period six decades shows meaning making process his transgressions was shaped by interactions several transgressive social worlds, commodified mediatized representations work, societal transformations changing drugs sexualities. In addition, this article were intimately related stigma shame, angle which is hardly explored deserves more attention in order further our understanding meanings transgression.