TresSugar

Dr. Drew's Failed Intervention With Lindsay Lohan

TresSugar — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:00:46 PDT

The elaborately orchestrated seating arrangements did not go as planned at the MTV Movie Awards Sunday when Lindsay Lohan discovered she was seated next to Dr. Drew and switched seats. Seems like a shameless attempt for a awkward photo op by MTV, but it sounds like Dr. Drew wanted to sit next to her.

After a media tiff in April when Dr. Drew speculated what he'd do if he were Lindsay's father (have her arrested) and Lindsay's rebuttal ("he's not a real doctor, he's a celebrity doctor"), Dr. Drew told The Dishrag he wanted to make sure everything is OK between them. He looked for her Saturday at an LA radio station's event, saying, "I was going to reach out to her and say hi and apologize if indeed I caused her any distress; that was never my intention." She never showed.

What is his intention, then? Interventions may not require the patient's full cooperation like therapy, but I'm pretty sure they do require being hired.

Intervention: The Reality Show vs. the Reality

TresSugar — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:00:00 PDT

I've come clean before about my addiction to the TV show Intervention. Though I've mostly weaned myself from regular Monday viewings, I caught last night's episode about a dad addicted to crack, and the old familiar format made me wonder: is a real-life intervention anything like the show Intervention?

Based on my extensive viewings, I identified five common factors on every episode of Intervention, then did a little research to see if this stuff actually happens in real life, not just reality TV. Turns out, the TV version isn't all that far-fetched, so

It's a family affair. Though there are different types of interventions, the family intervention is the most common. It typically involves several of an addict's family members and close friends in a carefully planned event led by a counselor or intervention specialist.
It's a surprise. Though many interventions employ surprise, not all are sneak attacks. Sometimes, rather than holding one big event, the process will be more gradual, stretched out over several days.
Everyone reads letters. Having friends and family share personal stories, memories, and proof of how the addiction is negatively impacting their lives is indeed a common thread through interventions.
The addicts admit they are addicts. On Intervention, the subjects have agreed to appear in a documentary about addiction and let cameras follow them for several days. But in real life, many addicts won't admit they have a problem, and with the lack of documentary proof, denial can be the biggest obstacle.
The addict has to leave right away. In most cases, the people staging an intervention have arranged treatment for the subject, though not all interventions are so structured.

Have you ever been involved in an intervention? If so, what was it like?

Addicted to A&E's Intervention? You're Not Alone

TresSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:00:09 PDT

Exploitation. Voyeurism. Tears. There are all sorts of reasons to tune into A&E's Intervention. Maybe it's because it capitalizes on people at their lowest of lows that we cannot help but feel a twinge of guilt for tuning in again . . . and again. Its viewers are certainly a loyal bunch - some people (mostly them) would go as far as to say addicted.

Now Funny or Die has given the obsessive need to watch Intervention a name, a face, a parody. It's not the funniest thing I've seen, though I do love when his sister says, "It's the driving that worries me," as we see Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen, the addicted, driving while watching. And it does star Elisabeth Moss, Fred's fiancee, better known as Peggy Olson on Mad Men!

Intervention Intervention with Fred Armisen from Fred Armisen

TV Interventions: Eye-Opening Truth or Blinding Exploitation?

TresSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:00:00 PDT

Celebrity DJ Adam Goldstein (aka DJ AM) has teamed up with MTV to launch a new show tentatively titled Gone Too Far. The reality show will capture tough-love interventions for young people addicted to drugs.

You might be wondering what DJing has to do with kicking addictions. He may spin songs for party animals, but DJ AM is not one himself. He admits to a tumultuous upbringing and a struggle with hard drugs. After getting serious about recovery, with the help of friends, he has been sober for over a decade now.

DJ AM's new show sounds like A&E's Intervention, one of my favorites. While it's often hard to watch, I'm fascinated by the damage caused by addiction, and more importantly the subject's ability to confront it. I appreciate that the show almost always tells a full story - we see an addict before, during, and after the intervention.

How do you feel about these types of shows?

Source

Intervention Has Never Been So Fun

GiggleSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:06:20 PDT

I'm having a hard time breaking my addition to A&E's Intervention. (Though I guess it could be worse.) Perhaps a song is in order?

See more Kristin Chenoweth videos at Funny or Die

Does This Reality Go Too Far?

DearSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:00:00 PDT

My new favorite show, Intervention, is gaining popularity by the second. It's the show I can't wait to discuss with my friends the next day and even though the people depicted are troubled and in dire need of help, I'm fascinated each and every episode. Of course reality TV isn't anything new, but this documentary takes the reality to a whole other level. A recent article in The New York Times said it best: "Nothing on television matches its freaky calculus of exploitation and good will. Cameras follow the addicts as they shoot up, freebase, panhandle and score."

Though I feel a little voyeuristic watching these people inflicting such pain on themselves and their loved ones, knowing that the end of the hour will lead to a happy ending - out of 102 addicts profiled on the show, only two have declined treatment - makes me feel a whole lot less guilty. So if you're a fan like me, glued to the TV every Monday night, tell me, is Intervention taking reality TV too far or does it make you realize all that you have to appreciate in your own life?

Source

Song of the Day: Arcade Fire, "Intervention"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:49:03 PST

Rarely has a record unified indie-rockers like the Arcade Fire's Funeral did when it was released in 2004. For months, you couldn't walk into a hipster party without hearing the Montreal band's sweeping orchestral rock, and even detractors had to admit the music was pretty darn different. Needless to say, the band's follow-up album, called Neon Bible and due in March or April, is one of the most hotly anticipated albums of 2007.

So the Arcade Fire has done something cool. The band is letting us hear a new track, "Intervention," by phone; just call 1-866-NEON-BIBLE ext. 7777 to listen. Or, thanks to You Ain't No Picasso, you can also hear it below. My take: While it's not a huge departure, it reminds me how much the Arcade Fire rule and makes me very excited for the new album.

9 Ways to Prevent Allergies - Without Medicine

Shape — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:39:14 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Nothing puts a crimp on a Spring run like sneezing, snot, and watery eyes. And since seasonal allergies can worsen over time, early intervention can be the difference between enjoying the outdoors and being stuck inside with a box of tissues. To help you avoid that unfortunate fate, we pulled together this list of the best natural ways to keep your allergy symptoms under wraps.

What to TiVo: Monday

BuzzSugar — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Dancing With the Stars (new)
10:00 Castle (new)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests Seann William Scott and Christa Miller)

8:00 2 Broke Girls (repeat)
8:30 Two and a Half Men (repeat)
9:00 NCAA Basketball Championship
12:05 Late Show With David Letterman (repeat, with guest Dana Carvey)
1:07 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Julie Chen)

8:00 Bones (new)
9:00 House (new)

8:00 The Voice (new)
10:00 Smash (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Betty White and Pauly D)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jim Breuer)

8:00 Gossip Girl (new)
9:00 Hart of Dixie (repeat)

Bully's Director Tells Us Why the Movie Should Be on Every Parent's Must-See List

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:46:25 PDT

Bully just may be the most important movie of the year. The documentary weaves together the stories of five families dealing with the long-term effects of school bullying - two that have recently lost their children to suicide and three that are experiencing it day in and day out. While the film has received significant media attention for receiving an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America's ratings board due to the inclusion of six curse words (it is now being distributed without a rating through many theater chains beginning today), it is the honest, heartfelt look at how 13 million kids are treated each year that should make it required viewing for every parent and school-aged child.

I spoke with the film's director, Lee Hirsch, about the bullying epidemic, the ratings controversy, and why even parents of kindergartners need to see Bully.

LilSugar: You've really started a national dialogue with this film - was that your goal?
Lee Hirsch: In a way, it was my goal. We were busy thinking, what could our movement look like, how could we do this, how do we engage, and how do we amplify? I don’t think I ever imagined that we would have this level of support and that we would grow to be this high. It just feels like just a wonderful blessing to have so much support.

I knew that there were so many people that had this narrative, and I remember when I was first talking about this film, I would say, "God, everybody has a story when it comes to bullying." But I didn’t really feel the way that I do now. Now I really feel like there are hundreds of thousands of people speaking out, [and] you start to see the impact of all these generations of people who’ve had this experience, who never really had a place to process them. It’s really exciting.

LS: With the R rating, Bully’s getting more attention than anyone probably ever expected. Why did you decide not to bleep out the six curse words and get the PG-13 rating? Was it worth fighting to keep them in there if it means that the film might not be seen by everybody who needs to see it?
LH: I think it’s worth fighting, because what we are saying is that this is a movie about what happens. It's what really happens when it comes to bullying. In this bullying and situations of bullying, language is critical. Language matters - it's a weapon. It's such a ridiculous argument that the MPAA says that they will allow one F word, but what if you see the film four times? It makes no sense! On the flip side, we are saying we are talking about bullying, we are talking about violence, we are talking about people being numb to violence, and so the MPAA has put a rule on that, they have stamped movies that have sexified and glorified violence all the time with a PG-13 and PG ratings. So I think the stamp matters - it matters for the people that are bullied.

LS: You spent a year in three Iowa schools. How did you convince the boards of education to let you film in their schools?
LH: We had rigorous conversations with the schools; it took many conversations and days of flying out there. We presented them honestly what we were trying to do with this movie - what our hopes were. We wanted to show what it looks like from the perspective of being able to just really see what goes on at a school. They were very brave. The school district is taking a lot of heat from this film, and at the same time, most school districts would never agree to this - they wouldn’t open their doors, wouldn’t admit they have a problem.

Keep reading to see what surprised Lee the most during filming and what parents of younger children can do to stop the bullying epidemic.