Oddbean new post about login | logout One of the things I hate most about movies is the normalization of drinking alcohol. Young people want to have a good time, they go to a bar. Important meeting with a business partner? The host always picks a fancy glass jar and they drink. For me, I always imagine smelly drunks in an underground station, intelligence -15 points. If I want to have a good time, definitely not in a bar. And drinking is super low status signal for me. I accept that in some areas I'm super judgemental.
I don't know where you are in the world, but I'm in the UK and there used to be pubs everywhere, old thing, goes back a long way - anyway, now most of them are shut and the community suffers as a result. Drinking has long been normal. Not that I'm much of a drinker myself, but I can see the upsides and benefits of a good old fashioned bar.
Drinking is pretty normal outside of movies...don't watch too may movies though I have better things to do like drink
It's all about having good measure. Binge drinking is bad, but getting tipsy with friends is one of the joys of life.
Not sure "normalization of drinking" fits the argument. Majority people (targeted by the movie) are this way already. Maybe you'd like a normalization of not drinking alcohol to celebrate in popular culture? Like the cigarette smoking that vanished from almost all movies/shows? Sure, many movies could do without it and it wouldn't seem weird. But a certain portion would feel off or fall apart completely.
Question is, if it isn't more about mirroring of "normal" life into movies, than drinking normalisation in movies. And you can always go to pub, and do not drink (alcohol). And how do you know, that it's jar of beer. In US movies it's not clear, if it's apple juice or beer. :)
why would I go to a pub and meet all those smelly drunk people when I can read a book at home? :)
Some people like to be alone, some like company. It's hard to read books and socialize at the same time. actually impossible. Me personally, I like drunks over other drugs. With cocaine exception. They tend to be funny
Another point is that over half of the price of alcohol is tax so it's also about not contributing to making the state even more obese. A double win on the health front.
Movies? Ha, just look at how they handle guns in movies. There is a normalization of all kinds of dangerous and destructive behaviours in society. A lot of them are in movies and music. Alcohol is a poison. Consume your poison if you like. Just know what you are doing.
It is a biohacking for me 😀. But only where it is not inappropriate, like meetups. If you are really anxious person while socializing, you can take benzos or antidepressants, but they seem to be much more harmful than alcohol. I'm using it like Keith Richards said, "Never used more than necessary..." 😀.