By Katharine Swan
There’s been a lot of talk lately about Charlie Sheen’s behavior. He has been saying some crazy stuff in TV interviews, and it’s gotten the media’s attention. Suddenly we have a plethora of media articles, blog commentary, and other sites such as this Charlie Sheen quote generator, all getting a good laugh at crazy Charlie Sheen.
Some people, however, recognize how sad the situation is. According to many professionals, Sheen’s behavior clearly exhibits the results of long-term addiction, and for those who work in the rehab industry and those who have either experienced heavy addiction or know what it’s like to see a loved one go down that path, it’s simply not funny.
Many of the celebrities in our society are often in the news because of drug use. Though it’s not the intention of the media, because these people are status symbols and so many young people look up to them, their actions have the result of publicly glorifying something that most of us don’t want our kids getting into: drinking, drugs, partying, and other bad choices. Celebrities that are known for their party lifestyles include:
- Charlie Sheen – Sheen’s drug use has been in the news a lot over the past year or more. In February 2010, he actually had to take a break from filming the popular show Two and a Half Men in order to enroll himself in a rehab center. Apparently it didn’t work, as in January he was hospitalized and again undergoing rehab. His behavior and public comments in interviews have escalated in the last couple months, getting him first banned from the set of his show, and finally fired.
- Paris Hilton – Paris Hilton is another celebrity whose partying and alcohol and drug use has made the news quite frequently lately. A few years ago, she got a DUI and had her license suspended, but continued driving anyway and eventually her probation was revoked. In response, she decided to appeal her sentence, and tried to use her fame and popularity to her advantage when she supported an online petition asking the governor for a pardon. She later dropped the appeal and served her sentence. In 2010, however, she was caught first with marijuana and then with cocaine, and was sentenced to probation for the latter.
- Lindsay Lohan – Yet another young, popular female icon who has struggled with drinking and drugs, Lohan has gotten two DUIs and has also been through drug rehab several times. Because of her continued violations, her probation was revoked and she served jail time in 2010. Most recently, she was charged in early 2011 with stealing a $2,500 necklace. Despite her many problems, she still remains a popular celebrity figure and denies that she is partying all the time, claiming that she is just “still young and still learning.”
With the exception of Charlie Sheen, whose recent behavior has definitely led to disillusionment in his fans, most celebrities’ popularity doesn’t suffer any when they get in trouble for alcohol and drug abuse. On the contrary, partying simply gets them into the media’s spotlight more frequently. Because our young people tend to idolize celebrities, especially fashionable young women such as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, this helps to reinforce many young people’s perception that partying and doing drugs is cool. Furthermore, the lightness of their sentences gives the impression that the consequences for such violations of the law aren’t a big deal.
So next time you hear a sound bite or read a quote of some crazy thing Charlie Sheen said, think twice before laughing — your amusement might be giving your children the wrong idea about drinking and drugs.
About the Author:
With a bachelor’s in English and a minor in psychology beneath her belt, freelance writer Katharine Swan specializes in writing about topics such as child development and child psychology. At one time interested in pursuing a forensic psychology degree or a masters in psychology, she decided instead to pursue a career as a freelance writer.
Interesting perspective. I agree about Charlie Sheen. I have been guilty of laughing at his antics too, but honestly he is a very sick man due to his long-term drug use and possibly mental illness. It won’t happen, but a more responsible media would pull back from him instead of feeding his ego.
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Notwitstanding how the media chooses to portray them, I think parents can use the situations of Lohan and Sheen as part of an honest discussion with their children regarding the price of addiction and excessive drug use. Both Lohan and Sheen ARE talented actors yet these days they are not recognized for their craft, but for their inability to stay out of trouble. Young people might be drawn to the “party lifestyle”, but the cases of Sheen and Lohan illustrate the downside to that lifestyle.
I agree Anya, at first looked Charlie was just doing a good joke on Hollywood and then came the train wreck. I think kids that see how these actors are treated in a court of law, always getting bailed out, never given the punishment that fits the crime is what they see. The judges need to really follow the law fairly. My word, you see someone who has a few onces of pot sentenced to 5 years, all the while actor’s seem to be above the law. Looks like Lohan and Sheen get rewarded for bad behavior. 🙁
I agree. I have 4 children…my second son is 24 yrs old and started using drugs when he was 14. To make a long story short…he finally hit bottom when he was 21 and had to choose between long term rehab and jail. I raised all 4 of my children the same…and yet one child chose a different path despite many interventions. You name it we tried it with him, all the while fighting the system that most would think is set up to help. He has been better in the last 3 years, but the drugs have done some permanent damage to him….he has memory retention issues, often resorts to what I term his “drug personality” when he wants something.
I did learn a lot about teens and drug use over the years, and one interesting fact that I did not know is that when a teen starts using drugs…that is when they stop maturing emotionally. This is obvious even in what we witness with these celebrities we see and hear about…you often wonder why they act out like they do, but their emotional growth was stunted. I also learned that there often (but not always and definitely should not be used as an excuse) an underlying personality or psychiatric disorder in people that get to the point like we often see.
The simple fact is that drugs/alcohol are devastating and not only affect the addict, but, usually brings the entire family down with the ensuing repercussions.
Great article.
Watching Charlie reminds me of watching the drunk guy in College…then there becomes a point where it just aint funny anymore. 🙁
I think we have a disturbing relationship with celebrity in that we tend to build our stars up and then delight in tearing them down. I remember when Britney Spears was first melting down hard-core, the reaction was similar to what we’re seeing with Sheen. I hate to feel like we as a society are standing on the street below someone on a ledge, yelling “jump!”
Carole, thanks for sharing your perspective. Very enlightening. I wish you and your family the best.
Carole,
Thanks for sharing your story that has happened in real life to you. It’s very hard to place blame on parenting, but some kids will do just want they want to, no matter what you say. I wish you all the best and your son to.
Very interesting article and comments. I don’t think there is probably one of us that can say that we haven’t known someone close to us that has had a drug or alcohol problem.
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I am not sure why people give celebrities a pass. For me, it is probably because they are not my family members and I am not invested in them. However, I do agree it sends a wrong message.
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I agree with Jennie. It does seem like people are yelling “jump.” Especially with Charlie.
In a way this reminds me of Michael Jackson…it seems like everyone knew about his addiction and yet because he was a star, and had money to throw around, he was enabled by those that only saw the $$.
I think it is the same thing with Charlie…from what I have heard, he is estranged from his family and has surrounded himself with people that will do anything he wants for the money he pays them. Hopefully, Charlie will not have the same fate as Michael, but, it is sad that only then people start to want answers. I don’t understand how anybody can think that the behaviour he is displaying is funny…it is a huge cry for help even though he acts like he doesn’t need any.
Thank you to all of the ladies here who have made me feel safe to share a bit of my personal life.:)
I think it is up to parents to point out the seedy side of things when celebrities are invovled with drugs. If there are any kids out there there idealizing Charlie Sheen or truly thinking he is “winning#”, it would be useful to point out that he really only has people who want something from him around him these days. Losing custody of one’s kids is not something to aspire to.
Carole, thanks for sharing and educating. I learned a lot from your posts. I, too, wish the best for your son and your whole family.
I think Christina Aguilera can be added to the list. She worked so hard to get where she is and just recently has been wasting her life away with alcohol with her embarrassing escapades. I hope she realizes that she is a mother and should quit boozing it up before she becomes addicted to alcohol.
Theres nothing with drug use, your body your own life, the problem is that communists and fake rightwingers want to control what people put in there body, the goverment has no right to tell what you eat, what you snort or what you inject self with.