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Oprah exploits an addict – Lindsay Lohan?

Oprah exploits an addict - Lindsay Lohan
Oprah exploits an addict - Lindsay Lohan
Oprah exploits an addict – Lindsay Lohan

Can Lindsay Lohan save herself from herself?

Can she overcome her addictions?

Will a TV reality show on OWN be her savior?

Already Oprah has been slammed as exploiting Lindsay Lohan’s troubled life purely for money via ratings.

After all the arrests, court appearances, trips to jail and rehab stays, Lindsay Lohan is now a reality TV show.

“Lindsay,” is a docu-series described by CNN as a show “that came across in its first episode as part ‘E! True Hollywood Story’ and part ‘Intervention,’ with a dash of ‘Hoarders.’ (Lohan, apparently, gets rid of nothing.)”   https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/10/showbiz/tv/lindsay-lohan-own-reality-show/

A reporter turns to Human Behavior Expert, Patrick Wanis PhD for his insights.

Q. Should Lindsay’s drama be dragged into the limelight in this manner? Doesn’t this break the rules and foundation of privacy and anonymity of Alcoholics Anonymous?

WANIS: The only pertinent question with regards to this show is” Whom does it help?” Does it help Lindsay. No. Does it help other addicts? No.

Yes, Lindsay and many others including her mother and father will gain financially because of the exposure, but it doesn’t truly help Lindsay’s real problems of addiction and a lack of meaning or purpose in life.

AA is designed to be completely private; only watching the entire show will determine what is being revealed about AA and any of its participants.

The endless ‘Cirque de Lindsay’ show will satisfy people’s curiosity in the same way that the ancient Romans relished and delighted in watching gladiators battle to the death, but the circus show won’t heal Lindsay or spread any sort of positive message, insight or revelation.

Q. Would you go as far as to say Oprah is exploiting Lindsay Lohan for ratings?

WANIS: Of course, Oprah’s intention is to profit off Lindsay’s circus show; if Oprah really wanted to help Lindsay, she wouldn’t need to employ cameras and pretend that she is shocked that Lindsay’s life is out of control – as if Oprah had never had any idea that Lindsay’s life was so out-of-control.

Q. Do you foresee a bad ending in all of this in terms of Lindsay Lohan’s recovery?

WANIS: Glamorizing, popularizing and creating a spectacle of one’s addiction for the masses never helps recovery; it simply continues to enable and fuel the subconscious motivations for attention, pity, victimization, self-sabotage and ultimately the escape from the root cause of the issue. It’s just another distraction and means for Lindsay to escape dealing with the real root cause of her issues and addiction. Even if Lindsay has some success for now or for the cameras, the real question remains, “Will this help her long-term or is it just another example of being exploited at the expense of her recovery?”

Q. On the flipside, Oprah seems to displaying something of a tough love attitude. Could this actually be good for Lindsay? Is it possible that having cameras follow her around might actually make her accountable?

WANIS: Oprah’s tough love approach won’t work with Lindsay because that approach only works when the person needing the wisdom is open to help, actually looks up to you and cares about your opinion of them or, you have the gift or reaching and connecting to someone’s psyche and vulnerability. Oprah doesn’t have that gift or talent. It also begs the question, “If Oprah cares and cared so much about Lindsay Lohan’s recovery and well-being, why did she wait until Lindsay agreed to do and be paid for a reality show to help her or express this tough-love attitude?”

Patrick Wanis PhD
Human Behavior Expert

Read article by Patrick Wanis “Top Ten Celebrity Meltdowns of 2013”  https://patrickwanis.com/blog/top-10-celebrity-meltdowns-2013/ 

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