An Unacceptable Someone

David Hasselhoff. Seriously unacceptable. Why is he famous? It used to only mildly irritate me that people all over the world loved him. I could sort of understand-- I mean, on a rainy Saturday afternoon sometimes a Baywatch rerun is all that's available for entertainment, so fine, the adoration of the masses is not completely beyond comprehension.

My active hatred for him is more recent. Ann Curry (an extremely acceptable someone in my book) interviewed him a few days ago and his dismissive treatment of the subject of alcoholism and AA was infuriating. When Ann asked how he was dealing with his disease and the fallout from the gross drunken hamburger video from a few weeks ago, he announced that "when you have a problem you just deal with it." Ann pressed on and asked how recovery was going. The Hoff then proceeded to proclaim himself "recovered." Now, I am not in AA but I have read Al-Anon books and I am from planet earth so I know very well that there is no such thing as a "recovered alcoholic." Only recovering. I think it is both sad and shameful that he has such a grave misunderstanding of his own disease and that he would go on national television and talk about it like he had recovered from the flu.

Then, Ann asked if he was working the AA program. The Hoff again showed what a moron he is and said "See, it's anonymous. That's the thing about it. I can't talk about it." Un. fucking. believable. Now, of course, talking about other people at the AA meetings and their problems and struggles is against the protocol. But AA is not like a silent birth a la Scientology! Of course people can talk about the 12 steps and their own recovery. Unless, of course, they are just making stuff up because they have never actually gone to an AA meeting or made any meaningful steps toward their own recovery, but rather, just want to sound good on morning TV.

I don't hate the Hoff because he is an alcoholic. I know in a very real way that addiction is devastating, both for the addict and for the family. I feel sad for his ex and his kids. But I find it irresponsible and more importantly, disrespectful to addicts who are involved in NA and AA and are truly recovering that the Hoff would pontificate so incorrectly about such a serious subject.

And, that, among other reasons, is why I will not watch America's Got Talent this summer.