Has Dr. Drew Crossed The Line?

Dr. Drew - an actual MD and still holding his medical license, not merely a pundit like Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura - has come in for a lot of criticism over his role on "Celebrity Rehab." It's exploitative, they say, and damaging to the patients as well as to the audience.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, though, says he's doing it to turn entertainment into something educational. Watching Jeff Conaway have seizures, watching Jessica Sierra throw up, watching Seth Binzer smoke crack, reminds us of the perils of drug abuse. He says he did the show because he wanted there to be a decent portrayal of rehab on the air, and he picked celebrities because they're used to being on camera, unlike the regular folks on shows like "Intervention."

My take: Is it exploitative? Sure it is. But it exploits celebrity misery for a relatively good reason: To teach us about addiction and recovery. It's not a perfect view of what recovery is like, but it's better than any other on TV.

Comments

[priscilla]

This is not only riveting TV, but a public service. So, now you know. Strip away the PR, the agents, the studios, costumes, make-up and money, and this is what lies beneath - damaged children who have been self-medicating with drugs, alcohol and adulation for years. Dr. Drew is very good at what he does. I learn something every time I watch. I've been through a family week program in a major rehab facility when my brother was in "Spin Dry." Believe me - this is what really happens to ordinary people who have the same underlying issues and problems. Find me a person who was systematically beaten, verbally and sexually abused, neglected and mis-treated as a child, and this is what you get. This show is going to save lives. Icing on the cupcake: Dr. Drew is hunk!