Blog #4

Alcohol consumption seems to have been a focal point of a lot of the shows targeted to teens while I was in middle and high school. Shows like 90210, Gossip Girl, and the like portray alcohol consumption by high schoolers as if it is nothing out of the ordinary. Parties with alcohol, as portrayed by these kinds of shows, teach young viewers that it isn't a big deal and often, that it can be a solution to the problems one "typically" experiences while in high school. Recalling a specific scene from Gossip Girl, where one of the main characters ends up in a devastating situation, simply spends their evening at a bar, drinking themselves into oblivion, only to have everything work out in the end, as if by some miracle, their consumption of alcohol played some role.

It isn't even just these shows, most television seems to have seen an increase in alcohol consumption being portrayed. It seems to be a character development tool for a lot of shows, something meant to give certain characters different personalities and traits based on the drinks they drink. Women are deemed classier creatures by their consumption of wine and fancier drinks, in general. However, this attempt to "character build" is misguided, giving us the impression that alcohol consumption is pure fun, having absolutely no consequences. While the activity of drinking can be a means of being social, the consequences and negative health effects, such as alcohol addiction or alcoholism, are rarely ever portrayed. This may lead younger, more impressionable viewers to believe that there aren't any consequences at all, despite alcoholism being a serious and highly relevant issue. Should there be more of a commitment to portraying these effects or would that be detrimental to the entertainment industry?