D.U. Why Risk It?

Being the celebrity fanatic that I am, it should come as no surprise to see me curled up on the couch with the latest issue of People or Us Weekly. Every so often, the magazines will place a two page spread entitled “Stars, they’re just like us.” This has to stop. The fact that Angelina Jolie drinks water or Cameron Diaz was seen walking her dog does not automatically make us “twinsies”. The truth is stars are not like us. They attend award shows, donate insane amounts of money and support when the world is in a time of need, and have privileges that many people have only dreamed of. One of these privileges is financial security. That being said, why the hell do so many celebrities get stopped for DUI’s when they could just as easily have called a driver?!

            She is in no way the first person to have done this and certainly won’t be the last, but for some reason, Paris Hilton was the first one to pop into my head. We all know her for her bleach-blonde hair, her famous lineage, and that doe-eyed stare that begs the question, “the lights are on, but is anyone home?” Her first DUI arrest took place back in 2006 where she was booked at 1:43 am and released shortly after. The unfortunate thing is that from the get-go, the seriousness of her offense was trivialized. Hilton later spoke with Ryan Seacrest on his radio show and when asked about her DUI she said, “It was nothing.” Furthermore, her publicist Elliot Mintz told the press that “…I don’t know if this is going to have an impact on [her fans] one way or another. But of course she regrets what took place.” What if her fans are teenage or even 21 year old girls, who now think that it is ok to drink and drive? "The potential of celebrity figures to influence others exemplifies the concept of observational learning, or modeling, which is an integral component of Bandura's Social Learning/Social Cognitive Theory" (Smith, Twum, & Gielen, 2009). Essentially, developing individuals tend to mimic what they see. If what they see sends a negative message, then they're being set up to fail.

            Also back in 2006, Paris’s gal pal Nicole Richie was stopped after motorists saw her driving the wrong way on a Burbank freeway. Once CHP caught up with Richie, her car was stopped in the carpool lane and she was on her cell phone. She admitted to police that she had taken Vicodin and smoked pot and was subsequently booked. Last but not least, the one and only Khloe Kardashian. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Kardashians. I may even have seasons 1 and 2 of Keeping up with the Kardashians on DVD…but that’s beside the point. Back in 2007, Khloe was stopped on her way home after having several drinks with her sisters. Even though the DUI itself was reenacted on an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, America was exposed to the reality of Khloe being released from jail and having a discussion with her mother about it on the car ride home. In some way, I feel that perhaps Paris and Nicole may not have been such repeat offenders had their mothers sat them down and explained the severity of their actions as Khloe’s did. Also, Khloe stated in an interview with Tyra Banks that she has to “go to the hospital and see injured people who were either a drunk driver themselves, or were hurt by someone.” Why is it that she seems to be the only one who did some soul searching?

Stars, they’re just like us….but with money. Celebrities can afford the best lawyer, the biggest house, and the fastest car on the block. If you can afford all that, then the least you can do is buy a driver. And what’s the best part, you ask? They don’t have to be the best; they just have to be sober.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/14712866/ns/today-entertainment/t/paris-hilton-says-dui-arrest-was-nothing/

http://www.tmz.com/2006/12/11/nicole-richie-popped-for-dui/

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20226263,00.html

Smith, K., Twum, D., & Gielen, A. (2009). Media coverage of celebrity DUIs: Teachable moments or problematic social modeling?. Alcohol And Alcoholism, 44(3), 256-260. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agp006

Parents Behaving Badly

             For years, I have wondered what the big deal was with Lindsay Lohan. Things like, “why is her mom always going out to clubs with her?” and “what’s with her disappearing freckles?” But now more than ever, when people hear the name Lindsay Lohan, there are only two words that come to mind…mug shot! I know that it’s probably not fair to fault one or even both of her parents for her life choices. But after looking at the shining examples they both have set over the years, I find myself asking if it’s them who are really to blame for Lindsay’s downfall.

            TruTv.com has compiled a list of Michael Lohan's (Lindsay’s father) criminal, not to mention immature, behavior over the past twenty years. In 1990, Michael was sentenced to three years for insider trading. Fast-forward to 2003 when he punched a sanitation worker in the face. Three years later in 2007, Michael served over two years in a New York correctional facility for driving under the influence after causing a potentially fatal car crash. The website goes on to say that in May of 2009, Papa Lohan was “charged with misdemeanor aggravated harassment after he allegedly made a phone call threatening to kill his 24 year old girlfriend Erin Muller…”

            Now, I move on to the notorious Dina Lohan. You may have seen her gettin’ down with Lindsay at hot L.A. nightclubs, or putting her “mom-ager” skills to work on the E! show, Living Lohan. Either way, it is undeniable that a mother should not be out partying at bars with their daughter, especially when Dina has two other children, both younger than Lindsay. Not only does this set a bad example for all three children about what it means to be responsible, but as her manager, she should not be mixing business with pleasure. Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. You invite a group of friends over and your parents inevitably butt in while attempting to fit in. Either way, there is an invisible line drawn between appropriate parent-child interaction. Dina has definitely crossed that line.

            I’m sure it is difficult to grow up with parents as obnoxious as Michael or Dina Lohan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending Lindsay. I think she’s ridiculous. But is it really that hard to understand why Lindsay behaves the way that she does? Look at the example that was set for her. A recent article discussed the issue of vicarious responsibility and whether parents should be held responsible for delinquent behavior in their juvenile children. Granted, Lindsay is not a juvenile, though she behaves like one. "Research has consistently demonstrated that children who participate in illegal activities often have poor relationships with their parents or come from homes where parents are not actively involved in the children's lives" (Brank, Greene, & Hochevar, 2011). The article goes on to say that if someone is in a position of power over another, in this case Michael and Dina Lohan, those people may be "causally implicated in any harm created by that individual."
           In an interview with Matt Lauer, Dina was quoted saying, “When [Lindsay] went out to Los Angeles when she was 19, I had to let her live and fall and fail and survive. Without failure, there’s no success.” Clearly, Dina’s plan backfired. Let the mug shots speak for themselves…

http://www.trutv.com/dumb_as_a_blog/gallery/dumbest-parents-of-celebrities.html?curPhoto=3

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/photogallery/problem-parents.html?curPhoto=1


Brank, E. M., Greene, E., & Hochevar, K. (2011). Holding parents responsible: Is vicarious responsibility the public's answer to juvenile crime?. Psychology, Public Policy, And Law, 17(4), 507-529. doi:10.1037/a0024566