Dr. Addict: Does America need a dose of reality?

The bulk of TV that I watch is sports and news shows. One of the shows that I watch regularly is Nurse Jackie on Showtime. In recent years, Showtime has created some excellent original programming that has rivaled HBO. Nurse Jackie is about a drug addict nurse who is selfless, caring, and most importantly a great nurse.

In the most recent episode, Jackie’s husband is portrayed in a darker light when he breaks up a bar fight in his own bar by banging a baseball bat on the bar and kicks out the two drunk people fighting. This scene transpires with Jackie and their two young girls in the bar watching the “nice guy” father figure protecting his property.

Immediately, the father explains to his children, with the help of their mom and aunt that he was not going to hit the men fighting. He explains that he was only trying to scare them into leaving, which they did. The scene ends up portraying the bar owner/ father as a hero instead of the observed angry person that the children saw have a fit of rage.

The show somehow finds a way to show Jackie’s husband as somewhat of a bad guy who cannot catch a break while the audience constantly is rooting for Jackie, the lying drug addict, to succeed. I find it somewhat disturbing that while drug abuse is not glamorized in this show, the protagonist is the person who the audience wants to succeed especially with her drug problem.

In this era, where we have heard of way too many prescription drug overdoses, and young people are using drugs recreationally either to cope with a harsh reality or out of “boredom,” it upsets me that the writers of this adult show want their audience to be jubilant when Jackie uses drugs. I understand that it is just a TV show, but Jackie seems to get away with too many close calls that make me wonder what the show is trying to prove.

There is a major difference between illicit infrequent use of drugs that is glamorized and the addiction to drugs that is shown in carefree light. Jackie’s lack of consequence and escape from trouble through her manipulative ways is not something that even the most mature adults should be watching. Maybe reality TV has some value for the public. Maybe seeing what drugs and other terrible things can do to people and their families is the best deterrent for abuse.