The Forbidden Allure of Alcohol

By Sam Watermeier

“In this country, when you say ‘don’t’ to a kid, it really means ‘do.’” So said Lionel Richie in a comment that’s just as relevant today as when he said it in an episode of “Politically Incorrect” fifteen years ago.

Richie was speaking about the forbidden allure of alcohol, the way the mystery surrounding it only draws kids closer to it.

In America, drinking is a rite of passage. It’s encouraged as a way of transitioning into adulthood. Hell, here at Ball State, one of my professors even suggested sipping a little Scotch to calm our nerves while writing our term papers.

Throughout my three years in college, I’ve noticed a largely playful attitude about drinking; parents and professors often smirk when the subject is broached.

Drinking is fun and socially accepted, but it’s also unhealthy and dangerous. However, unlike tobacco, alcohol hasn't lost its allure. Characters in TV shows and movies are still seen knocking back drinks, but it’s rare to see them lighting up. There is even talk of taking smoking out of PG-13 movies to prevent teenage tobacco use.

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up — a day synonymous with drinking. (It's practically as much of a requirement as wearing green.) This is further evidence that our culture tightly embraces the notion that being sober excludes someone from fun. No one seems to realize that drunkenness is really an artificial kind of fun. Alcohol is a social performance enhancer, often referred to as "liquid courage." (It helped Denzel Washington miraculously crash-land a plane in "Flight!")

The seductive quality of alcohol perpetuated by the media is seemingly impossible to subvert. Even in a film like "Flight," which exposes the dangers of alcohol, the consumer at the center of it exudes a sexy-cool allure. (Just look at that handsome devil.)

As long as the media associates alcohol with this image, its dangers will never be fully acknowledged.

We don't have to make the same associations as the media though. Be conscious of the dangers of drinking. And please drink responsibly.