I really don’t get offended by much these days. We could all throw ourselves into an eternal tizzy over a million and one comments. I have learned, in sobriety, to not take everything personally. It is unhealthy. I might as well hand everyone a straw so they drain me of my peace.
When I overhear people laughing at how much they can drink, and calling themselves alcoholic in jest, I don’t take it personally. It doesn’t really bother me. There are so many things in this world I don’t understand, and it is naive to expect everyone to understand alcoholism and addiction.
Yesterday I got offended.
I was scrolling through my twitter feed and came across a video from “Late Night with Seth Myers.” The picture was the duo from The Today Show, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. Unfortunately, one of the staples of the show is their consumption of wine and cocktails while on air, so it was no surprise that they were each holding a glass of wine in the picture.
The headline read “Intervention: Kathie Lee and Hoda – Late Night with Seth Myers.” Of course, I knew it was going to be a joke, but I couldn’t stifle my curiosity and clicked the play button.
Believe me, I am no stranger to humor in recovery, and can even laugh at some of the delusions that I talked myself into. For whatever reason, perhaps an over-sensitivity to the subject, I did not smile or laugh once during the skit. I was embarrassed for myself and even a little embarrassed for Kathie Lee and Hoda. Hoda acted like an intervention was quite possibly the funniest thing ever. I felt minimized by the whole skit.
I felt laughed at. I felt mocked. I felt insignificant…and sad.
We don’t make fun of people who need to seek treatment for cancer, but when it comes to alcoholism everyone seems to be open for a laugh…at my expense, at your expense, and at so many other people I have come to love.
I don’t think alcoholism is funny.
Original photo credit: JoeInSouthernCA via photopin cc
10 Comments
It’s funny, I always have the toughest time acknowledging when I’m offended personally by something, like I don’t want to offend them! I agree with you about this sketch- while I can see the humor in the first two, the third one (as Hoda’s daughter) was really tragic, minimizing the pain both the child and parent feel in recognizing the damage that has been done. Thank you for your post today, I appreciate your honesty and vulnerability so much.
Awesome…just awesome!!!!
I find absolutely no humor in it what so ever but what I do find is arrogance, childishness, and no respect. Until one has walked, crawled, or scraped through this journey we call recovery from alcoholism they will never understand how much of your life it consumes mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. To make a mockery of it shows they have never had the chance to muster up the courage to save their own life. The women who do muster up the courage are all Warrior Women in my eyes
I have a hard time owning being offended by things, too. It is like I don’t want to admit I let something get to me! I originally posted a little rant about this on a secret group…because I didn’t want to offend anyone. Crazy, right?
The clip that really bothers me is the one going around with Ellen talking on the phone with an elderly lady who admits she sill sometimes drink mouthwash for a buzz. Ha-freaking-larious. I have friends that share this video and it’s all I can do not to reply how utterly sick this is.
Yep, i have had the same feelings few times, i know it’s supposed to be funny and it’s a late night show and blah, blah, but there needs to be some boundry, right? It’s all because people still think that alcoholism is a choice, i think. Sure, drunk people can be funny, but needing an intervantion is definitely not! Ugh.
Thanks for sharing, great post!
I almost didn’t watch this because I figured if you were offended why take the time to look at something that would probably be ignorant and depressing but curiosity got the better of me too and I was shocked and angered by the stupidity of the sketch. I’m not sure who the butt of the joke is supposed to be. Is it maybe a comment on our incredibly blasé attitude towards drinking as a society? Whatever the point was I didn’t get it and I didn’t find it funny either. Thanks for your post.
I’m glad you posted this. I like your analogy to cancer treatment – yes, exactly, no one would try to make a goofy skit on someone in denial about needing chemotherapy. Have you posted a tweet or any kind of link to this piece and tagged @todayshow or @KathieLGifford or @HodaKotb or @KLGandHoda ? You should!
Especially since Hoda is a cancer survivor herself – perhaps the message will get through to her if you put it in those terms (I have no hope for Kathie Lee, honestly).
Hi Marie! I actually did link them on twitter when the post first went out. None of us ever heard anything from any of them…not that I really expected to or needed to, right? Part of me absolutely hopes that one of them read it and it at least provoked a little bit of thought. I am not one to seek apologies. Sometimes all I seek is for people to try and understand one another a little bit more than they did yesterday. Thanks for your comment! I really appreciate it. 🙂