I think for a lot of people it seems the depiction of drug taking warts and all was hard to swallow (pun intended). But the mod, soul and skinhead scenes have always been partly driven by illicit substances and illicit behaviour - as has pretty much all of club life since it started - you can go back to the 1920 and 30s for that.... no everyone didn't take then and the same now. But it had a big influence on the types of records that were being picked and played and the path the scene took - i'm only going on what i have been told by people there at the time and from my own experiences over the last 20 years. You need the grit and the grime imho, that's what makes it exciting.
ps. i was trying to re-quote chalky not myself btw!