Last week we reviewed the lead character on House MD’s Vicodin addiction and this week Paula Davies Scimeca, author of Unbecoming a Nurse, had insight on Showtime’s popular show Nurse Jackie. It was Paula who made me aware of the show.
Nurse Jackie is “an excellent, competent and caring nurse” who has a penchant for sniffing crushed Percocet and having an affair with the pharmacist. During the playing of sound bites from a You Tube piece called “Nurse Jackie, Behind the Scenes”, an instrumental person who is part of the show made the statement, “I would rather have Nurse Jackie take care of me even when she is high”.
Where does a short blog start on this one? I have never heard of anyone who is addicted to drugs and continues to function well in both their job and personal life. The portrayal of an individual who is responsible for life threatening situations and Showtime displaying the person as a role model for successful drug use does not sit well with this writer. The misunderstanding of the seriously wrong message sent to the viewer was missed by Entertainment Weekly, New York magazine and The Examiner. Only the “conservative Christian” based organization Parents Television Council found fault with the program according to the same reference. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_Jackie
I am wondering if not accepting the behavior and actions of Nurse Jackie stereotypes all as being a conservative Christian? Interesting how the standards and values of yesterday are now implied to be only supported by the “nefarious” conservative Christians. The use and acceptance of drugs by our media outlets as the addictions, death and family turmoil increases is a sad commentary on our popular culture.
I must admit that I have the same character flaw as many of the conservative Christians since I find the premise of the Nurse Jackie character detrimental to both the portrayal of an addicted person and a nurse. As for the number one rating for nurses according to the yearly Gallop Poll, will Nurse Jackie help them keep that position?