LaFemme

Painter and soberjune, those are exactly the types of movies I'm talking about. Did see a great movie "Man on Fire" with Denzel that portrayed alcoholism really well..imo.

Wilde, I know we aren't supposed to offer medical advice here:-) but if you have been to the states, you might ask to be tested fo Lymes disease.

Chops

Off topic and not part of the discussion but I love my Creasy bear.

Bad ass movie

Carry on:-)

I don't think about the institution of alcohol, I am just concerned about what it does to me. But it's a good discussion.

LaFemme

Well, anything with Denzel is bound to be good:-)

I guess I care because until society sees alcohol clearly, instead of glamorizing it, kids are going to end up like us, that is if they are lucky enough to get sober

Supercrew

I agree the media does glorify drinking. And the commercials are over the top, drink beer get chicks, drink beer be good looking and have friends. And the new Mich Ultra commercials where you mountain bike and surf and workout and drink beer to look your best.

My favorite depiction, and one that I most relate to is this scene from Beerfest. It's a little racy so be aware, but everytime I watch it, it remends me of me when I drink with my buddies, and is a pretty good reminder not to drink again!

YouTube - Drunk Barry

Chops

I don't think the glamourization of alcohol has a thing to do with alcoholism.... I have had the experience to spend time in countries (Muslim) where alcohol is actually viewed as taboo, and there are alcoholics. With all due respect one has nothing to do with the other.

Furthermore, for me, if you tell me not to do something then I am going to want to do it more, tell me something is bad, then it must be cool. I need to touch the stove for me to believe you that it is hot.

Maybe I took the first drink because it was the cool thing to do at 13 or 14 or whatever, but after that, it was a chase for the feeling, I like what it did to me, how it made me feel. I could have cared less how it made look or if my favorite actor was drinking in a movie or a cool beer commericial. I liked the liquid courage.

No actor or commerical ever told me that the alcohol would take me out of myself and let me be "free", booze and it's effect on me was the best advertisement that alcohol ever had.

I have also met people in AA and on here that started drinking in the their 20's or even 30's. Thus childhood abstention from drinking does not mean you will be okay.

Just my 2 cents

LaFemme

Hey Chops, I get what you are saying and to a degree agree with you, however, the anti-smoking campaign in the US combined with high cigarette taxes have gone a long way to de-glamorizing cigarettes, all I want is for alcohol to et the same treatment.

And while scare tactics might not have worked on you, I can definitively attribute why I never ever touched drugs to a very scary drug education program in h.s.

LaFemme

Oh and about taces...I was driving in MD the other day, and went past packy after packy advertising 24 bottles of beer for $22 dollars!!! I had no idea you could drink so cheap! Of course I could never stomach beer.

Supercrew

I'm not saying it makes people alcoholics. You are correct, I would have still been drinking, and I still would have been an alcoholic because I like the feeling, and I can't stop after I start.

But it does try to create a feeling that you can't have fun without it. "It's not a party or a fun time without alcohol". It does send the wrong message to kids. It makes drinking look great, and kids see these commercials and think hey I want to have a beer it looks like fun. I know they are trying to sell a product, but it is a product that is bad for you. They are trying to take transfat out of fast food, but they have no problem letting people drink poison. And it is poison .....thats why it makes you drunk and can kill you. So why do they need to advertise it? Because most drinkers are going to drink anyways with or without the commercials, and they normally don't switch their DOC because of a new commercial. They need to advertise it to get the younger generations to buy into their brand before they make the decision of which brand they are going to start drinking with. When I was young I drank Michelob because Dad had it in the fridge and I saw Clint Eastwood drinking it. and we would buy the cheapest stuff because it was all we could afford.. We drank Jack D because Hank Williams Jr. sang about it, as I got older I found a brand of Vodka that I stuck with and also a lite beer because of the carb content, and I have stuck with them for the past 10 years. I wouldn't ever change if I ever drank again.

luckedog

Why isn't alchohol demonized? very simple MONEY! Lots and lots of money! Federal taxes, state taxes, have you seen a brewery or distillery go out of business even in these tough economic times? They are all doing a booming business.

ElegantlyWasted

Caveat Emptor... Just goes to show the importance of parents empowering their offspring to make intelligent decisions. We can pick our own friends mentors, careers, and make our own wise decisions when we are aware. I think the trick is figuring out honestly what we know and don't know.

spryte

I get jealous when I see those alcohol ads, and see people clinking glasses and drinking in the movies, or even getting drunk in the movies, and laughing and laughing and maybe swinging round a pole or losing a shoe. Their movie hangovers are even sort of adorable! Ouch! I have a hangover Kind of cute.

I am envious that because, for most people, it can be like that. Good time plus alcohol. Normal life plus hangover. The alcohol is not running the show: it's a prop or an add-on.

MTWildflower

Ack! The forum just ate my beautifully-crafted, perfect, inspiring post.

What I was going to say was something like I'm interested in studying how non-problem people behave towards alcohol. Basically, I'm going to stalk friends at parties.

I want to look at how non-problem people drink, how much, how long, how much water and food, time between drinks, etc.

One the tactics I've been using is when I want a drink, I ask myself if a non-problem person would drink in that situation and if so, how much.

I'm wondering what this can teach me about the confluence of physical addiction, learned behaviors, and the ability/inability to moderate.

LaFemme

Mtwildflower...I look forward to viewing your dissertation.

Personally I think the line between a normal drinker agd an alcoholic is kinda grey. I was under some control and highly functioning for much of my drinking career...only the last 5 or so years when I tried to stop did I fully cross the line...of course in hindsight those early years held plenty of earning signs.

I think of all the normal drinkers I know today, and almost all of them, I have seen drunk. Alcoholism is progressive, I think most agree on that...so who is to say that the normal drinker you observe today, won't be an alcoholic in 10 years?

A friends dad, very successful guy, has two drinks and becomes the biggest a$$ I have ever met. Might not be an alcoholic, still shouldn't drink.

Normal drinkers get DUIs too.

Normal drinkers have one to many at the office christmas party and hook up with a coworker.

These are all first hand accounts, btw.

Yet, we almost never see these moments in the movies, on tv, in ads.

As someone said its because of $. Alcohol is big business, with a powerful lobby.

MTWildflower

Oh, I agree, LaFemme. Good points all.

Hubby is non-problem, he definitely drinks too much occasionally, but yet he doesn't seem to have that constant yearning for alcohol that I do.

Basically, if there's money in it, media's gonna push it. That's why we get the newest diet craze, the sexualized bigger and better burger, and exhortations for Miller Time.

I wish there was a Life course in high school or college. Not that it would all sink in then, but I wish could sit people down and explain media bias and tell them things like this is how alcoholism progresses, this is why your possessive boyfriend is a bad idea, etc.

Chops

Check out some reality TV :-) Always good for a train wreck..... :-)

Taking my Alcoholic hat off.........

For me the fundamental issue is if we limit alcohol advertising what is next? Does McDonalds have to show a cardiac patient or diabetic with an amputated limb after they do a spot for the Big Mac? If anything in America is a problem for the children its that so many of them are, ahhh, FAT.

Booze is not poison done in moderation, just because I cannot turn the switch off does not mean other people can't either. Unless prohibition comes back it is a legal beverage and can and should be advertised how the companies want to do it. The commericals are accurate for some people, fun, sun and pretty girls or a ball game etc. For some of us it is not.

When we start demanding that companies show both sides of the coin are we then going to mandate that a casino shows a family homeless in their commercial too because Dad had to sell off the house because he is a degenerate gambler? Some people go to Vegas, have a good time and go home, some lose the kids college tuition.

It is a slippery slope when we start telling people how to advertise their products because of what may happen to a segment of the population, a minority segment at that.

If you don't want kids watching the ads with the so called glorification of booze, well get on their parents to supervise them, better yet, tell the parents to tell the kids to turn the TV off and go outside and play so you can work off some of those extra calories. :-)

Supercrew

It's funny Chop because I do agree with everything you have said. I seem to like to get on my high horse when we are discussing an issue of mine. One of the reasons I had a problem being around my drinking buddies in the past was because I became judgemental of them. On a side note, alcohol is truly a poison which although will not kill you in small doses does affect your body negatively and impairs your health. You can drink strychnine in small doses without dying as well, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Oh yeah, and those commercials aren't accurate for anyone. Normal guys don't drink beers with supermodels.....not even here in Socal.

Dee74

A lot of good points here - especially about the effect on the young.

Everyone needs to be educated about the dangers - but again, I was the problem - I don't blame alcohol at all.

I still think the main 'pusher' of alcohol is family and friends....it certainly was for me.

I was thinking earlier...I see ads for paintball or lazer tag, or rock climbing, bungy jumping or jetskiing - they're all made to look great too - but I'd never try them...

D

Round234

It definitely plays a part.
Most of the music that ends up on the radio has to do with drinking/partying and stuff. Its always around us.
One song for instance:


Party All The Time
Party All The Time
Party All The Time
Party All The Time

If If We Could Party All Night
And Sleep All Day
And Throw All Of My Problems Away
My Life Would Be Eaaasy
My Life Would Be Eaaasy
i Would Drink And Go Out Out
With My crew Party Party
all the time Yeah Thats What I Do
Make Models Pop Bottles
Live Life Like The Sheet
(Party)
Under Do Turn Them Thru
Every Day Of The Week
Hot Octane Light
In The Fast Lane Zoom
And The Joint Don't Pop Till
I Walk In The Room
And The DJ's Rockin My Favorite Tune
And Their Shakin Up The Speaker Like
Boom Boom Boom

(Chorus)

If We Could Party All Night
And Sleep All Day
And Throw All Of My Problems Away
My Life Would Be Eaaasy
My Life Would Be Eaaasy
If We Could Party All Night
And Sleep All Day
And Throw All Of My Problems Away-Ay-Ay
Eaaaasy
My Life Would Be Eaaasy
Life Would Be Eaaasy
Party All The Time(7x)
If If We Could Party Party Party(Heyy)
Make That Body Down
Ladies Don't Stop It
Shake It Round & Round
Feel That Bass Bumpin
And Rock To The Beat
This Beat Is Steady Bumpin
They Jumpin Off Their Feet
Check It Out
Ladies Got Their Hands in The Air
Shake It Like You Just Don't Care
Party It Down Like Yeah (Yeah)
Somebody Say Yeah (Yeah)
Check It Out
Check It Out
What
Check It Out
Check It Out
Check It Out
What
No You
Check It Out
Check It Out
What
Cold Party All I Like To Do
Is Turn it Back
Whatcha Gonna Do

(Fergie)
Party All Night
And Sleep All Day
And Throw All Of My Problems Away
My Life Would Be Easy
(Oh Yeah)
Our Lives Would be Eaa-Easy

(Chorus)
If We Could Party All Night
And Sleep All Day
And Throw All Of My Problems Away
My Life Would Be Eaaasy
My Life Would Be Eaaasy

I Don't Give A F***
Im About To Get Loose
Im A Tech-Ch-Ch-Ch
Gos Get Drunk Of Goose
Imma Live My-y-y Life
Imma Party All Night All Day Any Time
I Don't Care If It's Right
I Wanna Party Party Party
Party All Day
P-P-P-Party Party
Party All The Way
I Wanna Party Like Aretha
We Don't Need No Visa
Party Ariza
I Don't Need Juanita

Take Me To The Club
I Need To Dance(3x)
How Bout A Dance
Girl Imma Take You To The Club
So We Could Dance(4x)

(Chorus)
If We Could Party All Night
And Sleep All Day
And Throw All Of My Problems Away
My Life Would Be Eaasy
My Life Would Be Eaasy

If We Could Party All Night
And Sleep All Day
And Throw All Of My Problems Away
My Life Would Be Eaasy
My Life Would Be Eaasy



I duno. Then there is Eminem's new recovery album .... which influences me to stay sober! I LOVE it.

Chops

Hahahaha Touche!

But after a few or a few dozen beers I have had some girls look like supermodels:-)

mf150

Alcohol and cigs have the same place in society as harley davidson motorcycles if you think about it. They are vehicles for displaying a counter culture...people fed up with life and society. They make a statement without a word ever being spoken. There is something sexy about that message, but what people don't realize are the major health issues with continued abuse...if you keep riding that harley, chances are you'll crash at some point...

Artists who buck the norm also also associated with substance abuse...

This bring me to the idea that really creative people, artistic and "think out of the box people" tend to be drawn to substances (or they are at least portrayed to be by the media)...maybe this is to envoke another level of consciousness or to self medicate. IDK.

Media also uses alcohol and tobacco use as a way to show that their characters don't care or that they are somehow superhuman or "bad."

The marlboro man excentuates the "rugged man/cowboy" stereotype, etc.

Could it be that we are all trying to identify with a part of our own personality that these images seem to portray?

what is so enticing about these images?