Gone Too Far…My Thoughts on MTV Airing DJ AM’s Series
When I first heard that MTV was going to air DJ AM’s series ‘ Gone too far’ about helping people fight drug addiction I was a bit disgusted. I felt that airing the series was not necessary based on the fact that he died from a drug overdose. I felt it was a ratings ploy and in bad taste considering his death and how he died.
How can this be a positive thing? Gone too far? hmmm.
I didn’t know DJ AM’s drug history. Actually, I really didn’t know much about him except for the fact that he dated Nicole Richie and that he had gastric bypass surgery because he was way overweight.
Also, that he survived the plane crash with Travis Barker and endured painful graft surgery as a result. I’ve never heard him DJ and don’t even know the type of music he plays.
I did go to Atlantic City over the summer and on the drive to the strip there were billboards after billboards with his face and name plastered advertising some club.
I could google the club but, ehh. I remember his name and face on the billboards because there were so many but, I couldn’t even tell you the club they were advertising.
Since my initial reaction, I’ve had a change of mind.
That change of mind has come from actually reading about him and his interviews and things he’s said about his life. This was someone who was very open with his past, with his demons and who he really was as a person.
The one thing I gathered from his interviews was that he continually identified himself as an addict. Even after being sober for 9 years he categorized himself as a drug addict. In his interviews he would clearly say that despite not touching drugs for so long he knew it only took one thing and that’s why he saw himself as a drug addict.
Drug addicts, especially celebrities and those in the spotlight, tend to focus on the fact that they’ve been clean and they’re no longer a drug addict. Yet, they fall back into the addiction. He said it was a daily struggle.
What I respect about DJ AM is that he’s never denied the fact that he was addict. After 9 years of sobriety he still identified himself as a struggling addict.
Because of that, I think it’s necessary for the MTV audience to see this show. Yeah, I did an about face.
I think it’s important for kids to see that he overcame the drugs and reached success but one unexpected fall back sent him back in that spiral.
He had everything he could ever want. Shoot, he had everything anyone could ever want and I’m sure he didn’t want/expect his life to end but, all it takes is that one reckless time and the end result was he died.
Why do I think that’s an important message?
I think that it’s an important message because there’s this whole fairytale belief that the habit is kicked and you’re done with it forever when it’s not that cookie cutter cute. I think it’s an important message to kids who’ve considered drugs. I think it’s an important message to kids who are delving on the surface with drugs. I think it’s an important message to kids who are far gone and think they’re invincible.
At the end of the day his mother had to bury her child and he’ll never see the fruits of his labor and will never wear the kicks he had in his closet, all because of drugs.
I just hope MTV ends the series or starts the series by pointing out the detrimental consequences of drugs. Gone too soon.
RIP DJ AM.
PS..I’m going to watch it but it’s going to feel weird watching someone who passed recently and way before his time…brain disconnect.
Tags: celebrity, DJ, DJ AM, drug overdose, drugs, gastric bypass, Gone Too Far, mtv, music, nicole richie, oxycontin. oxycotin, show, travis barker
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