Today another young celebrity dies because of drugs, alcohol or both. Actor Heath Ledger age 28 and Oscar nominee for his role in “Brokeback Mountain,” found dead in NYC of an apparent drug overdose.
Rehab Reputation
You read about it in the newspaper, on the Internet and it headlines entertainment television all of the time; celebrities in trouble. Anymore, it is the norm to see Spears, Lohan, Hilton, Olsen, etc, in the headlines for some drug related incident. The mindset is to the point of; if you haven’t had a stint in rehab you are not going to make it in this business. Rehab is very popular right now, glamorous even; I have to wonder if celebrities are using it for the wrong reasons; are they doing it to save their reputations or their lives.
Exploiting or Facilitating
VH1 and Dr. Drew Pinsky have teamed up for a reality series called Celebrity Rehab, With Dr. Drew. Basically there are eight celebrities with various addictions, and you are with them through all aspects of their intense 21 day rehabilitation (Constantino). Critics are of the opinion that VH1 may have taken things too far with this kind of reality series, which is exploiting people’s real problems, for entertainment. Even though I have not seen the series, I was disturbed with the thought of glorifying addiction to young audiences; the news media does this enough.
Too Late
Brad Renfro dead at 25, did a 10 day celebrity style rehab; Chris Farley 33, he died 10 days before he was to enter his eleventh time in rehab. River Phoenix 23, who died in 1993 outside a night club, never made it to the rehab point; I wish his death would have sent the message to these young rehab junkies, to get help for their life, before it’s too late.
Rehab Reputation
You read about it in the newspaper, on the Internet and it headlines entertainment television all of the time; celebrities in trouble. Anymore, it is the norm to see Spears, Lohan, Hilton, Olsen, etc, in the headlines for some drug related incident. The mindset is to the point of; if you haven’t had a stint in rehab you are not going to make it in this business. Rehab is very popular right now, glamorous even; I have to wonder if celebrities are using it for the wrong reasons; are they doing it to save their reputations or their lives.
Exploiting or Facilitating
VH1 and Dr. Drew Pinsky have teamed up for a reality series called Celebrity Rehab, With Dr. Drew. Basically there are eight celebrities with various addictions, and you are with them through all aspects of their intense 21 day rehabilitation (Constantino). Critics are of the opinion that VH1 may have taken things too far with this kind of reality series, which is exploiting people’s real problems, for entertainment. Even though I have not seen the series, I was disturbed with the thought of glorifying addiction to young audiences; the news media does this enough.
Too Late
Brad Renfro dead at 25, did a 10 day celebrity style rehab; Chris Farley 33, he died 10 days before he was to enter his eleventh time in rehab. River Phoenix 23, who died in 1993 outside a night club, never made it to the rehab point; I wish his death would have sent the message to these young rehab junkies, to get help for their life, before it’s too late.
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