Who the Hell is Seth Binzer?

For two years now, I have watched VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. I reviewed the show last year, in its debut season, and Seth Binzer was one of the patients featured. I didn't know who Seth Binzer was then and I do not know who the hell Seth Binzer is now. So, seeing as how I've been watching this show for two years and he's been on it both seasons, I decided to find out. Luckily, I have a device which allows me to find out all sorts of obscure information.

I knew from the first season that Seth Binzer was some kind of entertainer/performer with some band. I had never heard of either. As it turns out, his dad is actually the "celebrity." Rollin Binzer produced a 1973 documentary/concert film for the Rolling Stones. And... that's it. Hence the quotes.

Binzer is the "frontman" for some band called Crazy Town, which apparently had a hit song entitled Butterfly some years back. I am not familiar with either, though it has appeared in a handful of movies and Binzer is credited as the writer. He also appeared in a couple films.

But Seth Binzer's claim to fame is, ultimately, a professional addict. A Celebrity Rehab patient for two seasons now, he apparently entered the follow-up treatment program, Sober Living, which was being filmed. During filming, he ditched the production crew and went on a binge, but returned. All to the lukewarm coverage of the tabloid press (mostly online). He is now apparently working on yet another reality show chronicling his struggle with addiction called Sober House (with Brigitte Nielsen).

While Celebrity Rehab is a worthy reality show with good intent, Seth Binzer is a fuck-up and purposeful trainwreck, and it has helped him find his own, twisted purpose: Binzer's goal is to become another Kurt Cobain - only this time, the cameras will be rolling!

On the one hand, I hate to be negative; on the other, I'm not going to put a smiley face on the abusive exploitation of a disturbed individual's downward spiral. Seth Binzer is not fit to make decisions concerning his life - I fear for the hamsters he brought into the Celebrity Rehab house! - so no one's going to defend filming his drug-addled inanity (no, that's not a misspelling) to me just because he signed some insipid contract.

Seth Binzer doesn't want to be sober, and while that's sad and stuff, who really cares? Seriously!? I don't begrudge the guy a sober life - I hope he makes it (he won't, because he doesn't want to!) - but neither do I begrudge him wanting to be an unrepentant crackhead. What does bother me is how low this industry is sinking by glamorizing crackheads.

Say what you want, but Seth Binzer is a professional crackhead; he is famous for being a crackhead. And if he ever gets sober, the whole thing's over.

And we all know what happens to washed-up celebrities...

© C Harris Lynn, 2008