Glamour or Horror?

Celebrities drinking or posting alcohol are often viewed as sophisticated, cool, and classy. But this might be sending the wrong message 

You see them everywhere – in the pages of glossy magazines, on the big screen, and lately, on social media platforms. They’re either walking on the red carpet, strutting their stuff on the runway, or holding a glass of bubbly at a social event.  These attractive and famous celebrities are often seen drinking or posing with alcohol and immediately, they’re regarded as sophisticated, cool, and classy. 

It goes beyond Hollywood, too. A study conducted by scientists at the University of Chicago revealed that ” celebrities are often posing with or posting about alcohol”  where “95.2% of the celebrity social media posts were not sponsored by food and beverage companies“. 

Actors, models, and musicians are humans and we get it, they just want to enjoy and indulge like everyone else. However, for someone struggling with alcohol, celebrities’ sponsored or unsponsored endorsement of alcoholic beverages may send a very harmful message.

Glamour Gone Too Far

In the entertainment industry, it is no secret that popular celebrities themselves also use and misuse alcohol. Johnny Deep openly confessed to his excessive drinking, ” spending more than $30,000 a month on wine” before going into rehab. Amy Winehouse’s song Rehab, won three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. TIME magazine declared it the best song of the year, even admitting that Winehouse’s “real-life problems with alcohol came second place to her originality”. She later died of alcohol poisoning.  

Some celebrities have also taken the “glamorization”  a notch higher and have crafted their own brand of alcohol. George Clooney jumped on the bandwagon with Casamigos Tequila which he co-owned with a friend. Supermodel Kendall Jenner has her own 818 Tequila.  Singer Jon Bon Jovi has Hampton Water wine which promises ” One sip and you’ll feel like you’re living the good life, even if you don’t have a house in the Hamptons or the South of France“.

Now here’s the apparent danger:  “Hollywood glamorizes alcohol to the point that viewers believe excessive alcohol use increases social status, makes you look more appealing, and there are zero negative repercussions.”  In fact, another study also warned that “celebrity advertisements risk “glamorizing” underage drinking”. 

Great power, great responsibility 

Celebrities’ drinking would have been a pretty ordinary sight but unlike normal folks, they carry so much power to influence our everyday choices. 

Recent research in neuroscience has discovered that celebrity endorsements activate brain regions involved in making positive associations, building trust, and encoding.  Unfortunately, some people can become quite obsessed to the point that they follow the lifestyle of the rich and famous even if this presents as a health hazard. 

When they are seen holding or drinking alcohol, celebrities are deemed as fun, independent or bold. However, there is more to it than the glamour. Alcoholism is a serious condition and the complications it brings can be deadly and devastating. It wreaks havoc not only on the body but on personal relationships as well. With such great reach, it would have been prudent and safe for celebrities to choose carefully the products they present to the public. 

The Gold Standard 

Heal@Home knows all too well that there is no glamour in having liver disease and cancer caused by alcohol. So if you have issues with excessive drinking and you want to cut back, contact Heal @Home for personalized treatments. 

Heal@Home’s programs bring the gold standard of alcohol use treatment to the privacy of your home.  Download the exclusive app and talk to Heal@Home now for the treatment that best suits your needs.