‘Breaking Bad’ Themed Items Remain Big Business In Albuquerque
Breaking Bad ended its iconic 62-episode run last year, but that has not slowed interest in Albuquerque. The city that was the television home of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman has experienced the formation of a cottage industry based on all things Breaking Bad. Fiction is the business, and business is good.
Pop culture relevance can be a powerful thing, and the city of Albuquerque has fully embraced its connection with the immensely popular show. The Breaking Bad logo can be found on just about anything you can imagine in the city, and local businesses are more than happy catering to the legions of devoted enthusiasts who will pay for the privilege of wearing a Walter White t-shirt or a Los Pollos Hermanos hat.
This phenomenon goes well beyond a few local shopkeepers plying their wares. Breaking Bad business is all encompassing, so much so that various tourism sites for the city recommend a variety of show-related activities, including tours of locations used on the show. One such tour is called The BaD Tour, and can be taken via trolley, offering three and a half hours of popular show locations.
Since the show debuted in 2008, the city of Albuquerque has become a more attractive destination for the filming of television and movies, yet another ancillary benefit beyond the more obvious advantages. The appealing tax incentives offered by the state of New Mexico assisted greatly in luring the production to Albuquerque, and the city has experienced an unprecedented surge in notoriety as a result.
“People around the world can spell the name Albuquerque, all because of that show,” said Ann Lerner, the city’s film liaison.
While the city of Albuquerque has clearly benefited from the exposure, there is an unfortunate dark side to this tale that involves rampant drug abuse in the city, specifically methamphetamine, and the criminal repercussions of said abuse. The city is now known as the methamphetamine capital of the Southwest, which is not the most attractive moniker when you consider the city already had a significant drug problem that predated Breaking Bad by several decades.
Prescription drug abuse has been prevalent in Albuquerque for some time, while the proximity of the city to the border of Mexico has made it an attractive location for the transport of illegal drugs. In regard to Breaking Bad, the blue methamphetamine featured on the show is now popping up all over the city. When you consider the fact there are several stores selling candy designed to resemble plastic bags of crystal meth, it creates a unique problem for the city.
This is not to say the show is culpable in any of this. But Breaking Bad is a pop culture locomotive that does not seem to be slowing down. The city of Albuquerque will need to figure out a means of balancing both the good and bad elements of the show while reconciling the overall effect on the city and its citizenry in general.
