Pop culture glorifies partying, but a wave of sober stars is pushing back on the status quo
In the fictional world, sober icons are few and far between, but shows depicting the reality of the negative consequences of risky drinking and drug use provide their own kinds of icons. In the most recent season of Showtime’s Shameless, audiences watched as the once self-assured Lip lost his college scholarship and job due to his struggles with alcoholism but then began attending Alcoholics Anonymous. The eighth season of the show, set to premiere in November, promises further exploration of Lip’s recovery. Netflix’s BoJack Horseman has always presented the eponymous main character’s drinking as a coping mechanism for his the lack of fulfillment he finds in his personal and professional lives. But the latest season takes that presentation even further, as BoJack actively begins to question his drinking habits once his mother and alleged daughter come to live with him. As he does when faced with any sort of pressure or show of love, Bojack repeatedly finds himself at his local bar for a quick drink that soon turns into an all-day binge, and then takes an honest look at his drinking habit
Sober public figures and icons send the message that living a happy, interesting, exciting life it is possible without alcohol and drugs. And their visibility offers hope along with other widely reported, promising statistics: Nationwide, neighborhood bars are closing, beer sales are down; marijuana use and binge drinking among teens, particularly for white boys in higher socioeconomic groups, is declining; and there are more and more recovery programs on college campuses. For some millennials, like myself, it may seem like that every year brings more and more sober peers. That impression is only supported by the many recent articles touting the so-called “trendiness” of sobriety.