Celebrity Rehab Reunion - Some Thoughts

Tonight was the six-month reunion of the cast from Celebrity Rehab with Drew Pinski.

All of the cast was there except Daniel Baldwin and Jessica Sierra and all except Seth Binzer (who apparently sings for some band somewhere - never heard of him, the band, nor anything else) are doing quite well. While some of them have had setbacks, all are struggling along.

However, Mary Ellen Cook, aka, Mary Carey, is still stripping - ahem, "feature dancing" - and is going to be the host of Swingfest 2008. Because there won't be drugs or alcohol there. Further, she had her 36-D implants removed to be auctioned off to benefit breast cancer. And had them replaced with 36-DDDs.

I am quite certain Mary Ellen Cook is not reading this - and regardless of the fact that at least 95% of the people she knows and meets are online almost as much as I, I'm pretty sure they aren't reading - but if by any chance word gets to her, I for one sincerely hope she gets her life together and I don't think continuing to flirt with the adult industry is the way to do that. I know many porno-people - well, knew them - and 99.8% of them are truly the very scum of the earth; no one in porn wants to see you recover, Mary. You know them - think about it!

Next-up, Dr. Drew came rushing to Daniel Baldwin's defense and while this show literally earned him my respect (sorry, but sex "doctors" are just so passe - even though I have always thought him sincere) - I'm so sure he was just hoping it would, but still - I have to take-issue with him here.

First of all: no, Dr. Drew - addiction may be a "brain" disease in the sense that it is a lifestyle choice and learned behavior - but I know you were trying to be clever with that and skirt the debate - but Daniel Baldwin is a lowlife. He most certainly did sell those people a bill of goods, as Jeff Conaway put it, and I think it's irresponsible of you to keep making excuses for him! Now, I fully understand that you are the professional and I am just some armchair Mary Carey - er, boob (I'm not knocking her - 36-DDDs!!! - what the hell do you think of!?) - but I have actually lived a life quite similar to some of the people you treat and have known almost as many of them as you have, and it absolutely infuriates me when doctors, relatives, and loved ones make excuses for junkies.

"Addicts," or junkies, are junkies. If they really want to quit being junkies, they get off the junk - plain and simple, period. It isn't easy, there are missteps and there are relapses, but that is how it is done and there is no other way. Drugs don't steal people's belongings, drugs cannot lie, drugs do not mug old women - junkies do.

And if you think I'm being harsh, look at it this way: if the guy who robbed your house and held your grandmother at gunpoint told you that he was abused when he was a child, you would have sympathy for him and try to be understanding; if he stood up in court and said, "It wasn't me that did those things to you - it was the child abuse that did them," you'd probably kill the guy, wouldn't you? That's all I'm saying.

Lastly, I had not heard about Jessica Sierra's latest drug-related legal woes. I hope she makes it through, but I wish they'd elaborated on the circumstances surrounding the incident. Dr. Drew specifically said that he and others at the center felt strongly she would relapse if she went back to Florida for a court appearance, which I took to mean that they tried to keep her where she was and the Florida court system "weren't havin' none a that bleedin'-heart BS."

If that is the case, then I'd like to point-out, again, that their whole anti-Joe Francis crusade was nothing more than political pandering; if that is the case, then it literally proves Francis' allegations of corruption. They just wanted the arrest and the political attention - not to mention fiscal gains - it brought them. After all, they got to be featured on Celebrity Rehab and seen as being as "hard on drugs" as they are on porn.

If that isn't the case, well... moving on. I am just so ashamed to be Southern.

I was also upset to note that the Celebrity Rehab website - which only recently got any content - has a bio for Daniel Baldwin, but no profile for Jessica Sierra! What gives?

Great show that managed to be entertaining and educational without manufacturing "reality." Congratulations to all involved and good luck!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008