Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew: A review

"The Characters," as they're referred to on the Celebrity Rehab section on the VH1 website:

Jaimee Foxworth, former child star

Seth "Shifty" Binzer, musician

Daniel Baldwin, brother of more famous and better actors

Brigitte Nielson, has-been actress and reality show whore

Chyna, actress and retired professional wrestler

Mary Carey, porn actress and aspiring politician

Jeff Conaway, actor

Jessica Sierra, former American Idol contestant (not listed on site for some reason)

The Good Doctor

Dr. Drew Pinsky, who, in addition to hosting "Loveline," also happens to be (also according to the VH1 site), the Medical Director of the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at Southern California's Las Encinas Hospital.

The show

There's a gentle slant to what the website has to say about the series: "...viewers at home will witness the real true life struggles of these celebrity patients, who ultimately appear in their sincerest human form as regular people in need of a helping hand and earnestly striving for recovery, health and future happiness." VH1 wants us to believe this is an "inspirational journey." I'm guessing they don't want any viewers thinking too hard about the fact that they are watching a bunch of people going through recovery as entertainment.

Of course I'm skeptical. I'm inclined to believe that at least some of these people need to be treated for their addiction to fame, rather than whatever might be their drug of choice. Of course, that's prejudice on my part. I watch the show in the hope that I will find redeeming qualities not just in these "characters," but in the concept of the show itself. There's an interview with Dr. Drew here that is a good enough piece of advertising to at least get me thinking. As Dr. Drew puts it:

God bless VH1 for approaching it the way they did. (Laughing) I don't think any other network could have tolerated it. They didn't understand it going in. How do you explain to someone what this is? How do you say, "This is how treatment goes"? You can't sum it up in a sentence. All I could say was, "A lot will happen. I can't say what. Please don't reality-show it." Three days in, [VH1 exec] Jeff Olde came to me and said, "We get it. We see what's going on here. If there's anything we can do to support you, let us know. We'll see you in three weeks." I don't think any other network or any other executive on the planet would have done that. That really allowed the show to be what it is. It really allowed us to keep these people safe and actually treat them.

So I watch, not so much with an open mind, but at least equally prepared to see some honesty, some true "reality," as I am to see a bunch of washed-up, addicted entertainers being exploited in the name of entertainment.

Everybody shows up drunk and high. I suppose that's to be expected. You might as well knock back a few last drinks or hits off the crack pipe before giving it up forever. It's human nature. And as they arrive, we're treated to a little history of their drug and booze life. And also a little chat with Dr. Drew, where he's brutally honest with each of them. Mary Carey gets her dildos, vibrators, and porn taken away, along with her pills and booze. Jeff Conaway is practically retarded, he's so messed up on pills. It's impossible to understand anything he's saying. Chyna doesn't even know why she's there. Probably thinking it would be just another reality show. Daniel Baldwin has been in rehab 9 times. He claims he's been sober for a while.

Towards the end of this first day, Jeff Conaway starts hallucinating and crying and mumbling. It is incredibly sad to look at someone disintegrating like this. Here's the thing though. I've seen people in that state, addicted at that level, and completely helpless. There's a huge part of me that looks at this man withdrawing and crumbling on television and believes 100% that he is being exploited. On the other hand (there's always another hand), however, he is certainly not acting. He is not pretending. He's so gripped by medication, booze and cocaine that free will is no longer a part of the equation. And while maybe it would be good for people to see, to witness the possible outcome of popping too many pills, drinking too much, whatever, I also think that it's possible that most people watching this will simply view it as yet another reality show, as a piece of entertainment, and not comprehend the true reality of it.

Is this show worth watching? I suppose. Will I be watching with interest in its stated purpose, or because I want to see Mary Carey get caught having sex with Seth Binzer, or Jeff Conaway's girlfriend sneak him in some pills, and the drama that will ensue?

I don't really know. Evaluating my own reasons for watching the show as the season continues is probably just as good a reason to watch as any other.

Will this show change the quality level of reality shows? Only time will tell.

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