February 06, 2007

Rehab for Gavin

Is anyone else tired of high-profile individuals making idiots out of themselves in public and then immediately seeking treatment for alcohol abuse?

I'm not saying Newsom doesn't have a drinking problem (or that he does, I have no idea), but this sequence of events has almost become cliche. How can the country have this many famous alcoholics?

I think this quote from Gavin sums up why this happens so frequently:

"Upon reflection with friends and family this weekend, I have come to the conclusion that I will be a better person without alcohol in my life. I take full responsibility for my personal mistakes, and my problems with alcohol are not an excuse for my personal lapses in judgment."

There you have it. Paying lip service to personal responsibility but also claiming that you're about to transmogrify into a whole nother (and better) person because you've decided to stop drinking. If you pick this apart, though, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Essentially he's saying, "I chose to bang my co-worker's wife. Therefore, I'm going to stop drinking." This only makes sense if alcohol, not personal judgment, is the cause of his bad behavior.

What he really means is, "I chose to drink, which is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. Unfortunately, alcohol made me bang my co-worker's wife. I am now choosing to stop drinking, because alcohol makes me do unexpected stupid things." It creates a layer of insulation between himself and the specific objectionable conduct by linking it to drinking, which is objectionable only in excess. In other words, banging your co-worker's wife is always bad. Drinking is only sometimes bad. Running to rehab after you screw up turns your transgression from one of kind (adultery) to one of degree (drinking in excess).

Not every idiot, bigot, and sex maniac is a drunk. Some people just have genuinely poor judgment, sober or not.

Posted by hb at February 6, 2007 08:17 AM

Comments

Nod.

It's a nice piece of excusing-by-self-flagellation, akin to that trick where George Bush bows his head and says in pained tones that he takes full responsibility for the failure of the federal government to prevent or respond appropriately to the flooding of New Orleans. Hey, I've taken full responsibility -- what more do you want from me? To show that I actually understand what I did wrong and why? Of course not.

Posted by: Dianna on February 6, 2007 10:06 AM

I feel bad for the wife. Here she shared this nice, albeit extramarital, moment with this guy, and the next thing she knows he's on national television swearing she was a huge mistake and his biggest regret. She's thinking, wow, that's the LAST time I pity-sex the Mayor after his painful divorce.

Posted by: didofoot on February 6, 2007 10:35 AM

Also, from the Chron article: "He has set a terrible example, especially to young people."

You laugh, but it's true. Teens all over the city will be sleeping with the wives of their campaign managers. As if Newsom hadn't attacked marriage enough already with that gay business, now we have to guard the wedded bliss of our nation's teens.

Posted by: didofoot on February 6, 2007 02:28 PM

Please, won't SOMEBODY think of the children?

Posted by: Dianna on February 6, 2007 03:09 PM

Also, Kris, I thought that meant that all of the nation's teens will now be sleeping with Ruby Rippey-Tourk.

Who, incidentally, is not getting nearly enough appreciation for having such a fun name.

Posted by: Dianna on February 6, 2007 03:17 PM

Typical "San Francisco values" on display.

So, to recap, alcohol makes Mel Gibson anti-Semitic it makes Gavin Newsom sleep with his friend's wife, and it makes Mark Foley have cybersex with teenage boys. Alcohol or some other drugs makes Isaiah Washington call his co-stars faggots, and Michael Richards is just a racist without the help of chemicals.

Posted by: sean on February 6, 2007 05:40 PM

Post a comment




Remember Me?

(you may use HTML tags for style)