Recovery?

I have a pet peeve. Reality shows. When they first started to show up on T.V. I saw them as a "bleep on the screen". But, now they have all but taken over the airways.

Don"t get me wrong. I like shows where a child's paternity is determined, and seeing how much weight big, fat girls can lose, as much as the next guy. I really like the shows where girls that the movie," Weekend at Bernie's" look alike Hugh Hefner has screwed, are filmed as they shop, and talk to friends (who have also been screwed (pawed?) by Hef). I especially like to watch shows where crack whores are arrested. It brings back fond memories of when I used to get arrested, while in the company of crack whores!

No, it's not those broadcast wonders that I have a problem with. It's the shows depicting people, "seeking recovery." As a recovering addict/alcoholic, I find them to be the most despicable shows on T.V.. The shows "Intervention" and "Celebrity (celebrity?) Rehab" come to mind.

I will not bog you down with a description of how difficult it is to become, and stay sober. That has been well chronicled by experts, much more qualified than myself. The problem is that these shows are so exploitive as to almost trivialize the real life struggles of fighting addiction.

I will not judge the effectiveness, or merits of the Intervention process. The grim success statistics speak for themselves. I understand that watching relatives scream, cry, and blame the addict for every family problem, except the stock market crash, is "must see" T.V..

What I don't get is that Celebrity Rehab. I'm kind of a media junkie ( another addiction?), but, I don't know who most of the celebrities are. Are they celebrities, if you have to be told who they are? Sure, I recognize the child actress who has made a living recounting her past screwups. And, who can forget the skanky madame, fat porn star, or the guy beat up by the L.A.P.D.?

And, that Dr. Drew. He is on every show on T.V., except ,maybe the Shamwow infomercial. He seems to be fairly knowledgeable. Can't he come up with a better show, than one chronicling the lives of has-beens, and never-beens pretending to be serious about recovery?

O.K. I'll stop ranting now. I'd like to think I'm committed to my recovery. But, just the thought of those shows makes me want to have a big, stiff drink.