Friday, December 2, 2011

Newsweek = News Weak

The cover story for the week of December 5th is an article on sex addiction under the banner of "Wellness Crisis!" This is about as unlikely a subject as I could imagine to be either a crisis or to have an addiction served up under the "wellness" banner.

Professionals who treat it claim that between 3 and 5 per cent of the US population or possibly as many as 9 million people are affected by it. The US population is 308 million, so I hardly see that this is a crisis. In fact what I do see is an ad for the movie "Shame" starring Michael Fassbender, directed by Steve McQueen. The movie just happens to get a half-page photo and a half page of hype -- boxed within the article and as a part of it.

"This year the epidemic has spread to movies and TV." C'mon, movies like "Shame" and TV series like "Bad Sex" created this "epidemic."

Just so you can get in on the action, the article helpfully points out that addicts are GPS apps for hook-ups (gay variety) in 192 countries. So - it's okay to travel! Someone will be there for you!

"Valerie" who starred in the article "ended up homeless on food stamps," but a mere two pages later she's signed up for four (four) months of rehab. I've read that the average rehab cost is $30,000/month so I'm wondering where did "Valerie" dig up $1.2 million for it?

Maybe she cut a deal and is washing dishes and doing a little light housework in return for treatment. That would be about as believable as anything else in this poor excuse for advertising -- TV, movies, specific experts and rehabs.

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