By: Russell
Anyone could tell you a number of reasons for why sex, drugs, gambling, and skipping meals are so trendy now. Perhaps it’s the people you hang out with every day. Maybe it’s good advice from your parents, living vicariously through you. The real reason, however, is television and its partner in crime, the internet. So many people in this country take what they see on the news and web as strict reality. Even worse, since film and television celebrities are the royalty in America, everyone should be doing what they’re doing.
Every year, CNN, FOX, ABC, and NBC unfold at least half a dozen stories about stars with drug addictions, winding up in rehab, or becoming born again. What’s shocking is how the continual “looping” of this news suggests a sick fascination, rather than a condemnation, of stars with drug habits. Charlie Sheen had his multiple benders, but claimed he was “Born ready…winning,” spoke People magazine. Lindsay Lohan bounces between Betty Ford Clinic and the county jail. Whitney Houston died from a cocaine overdose, but reporters from LA Times and Y! Music headlined there was also Benadryl, marijuana, Xanax, and Flexiril in her bloodstream. This obsession with stars’ sordid lives seems more celebratory than anti-drug. Being a victim of drug abuse makes it okay to become an addict.
An addiction to sex is certainly healthier than drugs or gambling, and it’s all over television and film. What is particularly trendy, however, is that kids and teens are becoming more established in the forefront of it. Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber attracts millions of girls and symbolizes sex for a young age. Hannah Montana, the glamorous teen rock star played by Miley Cyrus, is hardly a stature for abstinence. In the recent blockbuster “The Hunger Games,” the producers have put the “sex” into survival with teen actress Jennifer Lawrence playing the lone hero Katniss. Her physique is fit and her outfit isn’t exactly rags or hand-me-downs.
Gambling is still glamorous, even in today’s struggling economy. From those humorous Vegas TV commercials to the movies and TV shows that celebrate casino life. Hit comedies like “The Hangover,” certainly sparked further interest in Sin City for those who hadn’t experienced its expensive charms. The most responsible culprit, however, for gambling addiction could be the internet. Avid players can flip on their PC or Mac and spend hours hitting craps or Texas Hold-em, all within the comfort of their home. That saves plenty of gas money in today’s economy.
Finally, not eating food is probably the oldest trend in Hollywood. It’s also the biggest problem because people, especially women, across the country feel they have to look just like celebrities. If Scarlett Johansen or Halle Berry can look gorgeous on the red carpet, why shouldn’t millions of other moms, fiancées, teen girls, etc, do the same? Reality shows like “The Biggest Loser” single out obese people and aggressively market the show as an instigator to lose weight. Commercials for dieting push for thinner people: Activia yogurt; Sensa sprinkles; Weight Watcher meals. Put that Twinkie down!
Hollywood and celebrities will probably always radiate that special allure to the mass public. Television and the cinema supposedly speak higher truths to the American viewers rather than books or printed newspapers. So what other trends can we expect created from television, film, and the internet? Apart from sex, drugs, gambling, and dieting, the social milieu is rife with possibilities.
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