Addiction is a pretty insidious disease. People struggle with a dependency, be it drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling or even food. Representations of addiction on television has moved beyond docu-series like “Intervention” into the realm of sensationalized reality television and even sitcoms. But is this helping undiagnosed addicts of the world and people struggling with dependency, or is it creating a greater distance from sober people? Are these sensationalized representations making a mockery of addiction?
Addiction came to the forefront on television with the success of the reality show “Intervention.” Sure, it’s existed before, but for the first time TV-going audiences could join in on the pathos. Whether it was to make your life seem less bleak or just pure schadenfreude watching addicts heading to treatment became a huge hit. This gave way to “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” where the former “Loveline” host bringing Z-list celebrities ravaged by addiction to his own rehabilitation program. The morbid fascination with watching former celebrities seek out stability created a brief boost to some careers and spawned the spin-offs “Couples Therapy” and “Sober House.” As with most reality television, like Skynet, it became self-aware, and people scrambled to get on these shows to extend their 15 minutes of fame. But if behaving badly on television and rehabilitation becomes conflated with quick fame, are these people really getting helped? “Grease” star Jeff Conaway starred on multiple seasons of the series but ultimately ended up being a casualty of his own addiction.
Fame can be addictive in its own right. Lindsay Lohan’s recent foray into reality TV/docu-series put pressure on her sobriety. The show was originally meant to document her sobriety and the rebuilding of her career. Instead, it quickly devolved into typical reality television fare, and her sobriety is still in question. Most 12-step programs are centered on anonymity. This alleviates the pressure of being an “addict” in your public life. But these shows force someone to try and find the serenity and mindfulness to battle their addiction while being scrutinized by the general public and followed by cameras.
Addiction is leaving reality television and even entering scripted television shows. “Nurse Jackie” focuses on a nurse played by Emmy Award-winner Edie Falco. She’s a seemingly functional addict who uses drugs to deal with the demands of her job and tense relations with her family. “Mad Men” also features a ton of characters using alcohol and occasionally drugs to deal with the high-pressured world of advertising. Although, how pressured it is is up for debate if the characters can drink so freely. Both shows tackle the actual addiction and the ramifications it has on these characters’ lives. However, it does give it a dark glamour since these characters are ultimately anti-heroes on the drama.
Even comedy has taken up addiction. Oftentimes, sex addiction is dusted off as a quick joke to mock someone with a high libido. Twelve-step meetings are also used a potential meeting ground for nymphomaniacs. However, Chuck Lorre has gone one step further to document actual addicts in recovery. “Two and a Half Men,” in the Charlie Sheen era, can arguably be considered a profile of an addict. He also went on to start “Mike & Molly” as a show about two overweight people who find love while in Overeaters Anonymous. His most recent show, “Mom,” literally focused on a family struggling with alcoholism. Christy (Anna Faris) spends the first season dealing with her first year of sobriety and tackling her relationship with her mother, fellow recovering addict Bonnie (Allison Janney).
Ultimately, it’s great that these shows are spreading awareness of addiction to the general public. There is a strong possibility that they may even help people seek treatment. However, they also glorify and occasionally trivialize addiction. Fantastical and fictionalized visions of addiction further distance people from one major fact that anyone can be an addict. With a society based on commodifying everything and popping a pill to fix your problems, it can be easy for people to displace emotional issues with external substances/stimuli. People cannot be expected to connect with their feelings and reliance on drugs, alcohol or other substances if the face of addiction is a lothario ad exec, reality star or sitcom actor. While addiction shouldn’t be relegated to the closet or a church basement, there should be some sobriety to these representations. Sensationalizing addiction for ratings only further distances people who are suffering in secret, avoiding treatment because they’re not “like that.”
Christian Cintron is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.
