1968-1974 Alcoholics Anonymous comic strips — A complete set for your entertainment pleasure.
via Rowsdowr Blog
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I don’t see anything entertaining! Actually I think there should be more of these – in TV cartoons, videogames, etc. It’s a real problem, alcoholics have trouble admitting to themselves they have a problem, and a lot of support is needed. Again, a disease of our society.
I agree that this was vaguely depressing and not at all entertaining — was expecting something that was a cross between a Chick tract and reefer madness.
On the other hand, I also would not want to see this kind of thing everywhere.
As serious a problem as alcoholism is, for something like this to become too pervasive would be wholly counterproductive, because it only models negative behavior. This is a big enough problem without making it worse.
Boring post…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It’s certainly dated, but the problem is just as real today. Is it just me, or does it resemble the Archie Comics of the late 50’s and 60’s. I swear a few of those women look like adult versions of Betty and Veronica.
You wouldn’t see this everywhere. This comic is the work of a sober cartoonist, and would be available (along with other reading materials) in an AA meeting place. Alcoholics Anonymous charges no money, imposes no rules, and, worldwide, helps millions stay sober and lead productive lives. Carol’s story is more typical than you might think, neither too dramatic nor understated. If you think you might have a problem with drinking, you can find them in your local phone book.
It’s amazing to see how things that were ‘serious’ in the 60’s is now looked at as camp and funny.
David:
And as Elvis Costello once rightly noted, the thirteenth step leads down.
That said, while I don’t see this everywhere, I did see it here.
With all due respect to the sobriety and temperance of fellow readers, I’ve got to imagine the odds that anyone here hasn’t heard of AA is only slightly higher than the possibility no one’s told them about Jesus.
People’s lives…
The hippie kid went off to Oregon and joined an ashram, then blew a grand on becoming a Werner Erhard follower, got tired of that, married the wrong woman and got divorced, moved to New Mexico and spent six months at a community college and dropped out, and nowadays can be found working for some vegan guy who makes a line of soy brownies sweetened with Splenda.
I think I’ll go get a beer and watch some Simpsons reruns.
Different Types of Drunks:
1. The Jolly Boring Drunk
Well known to party-goers and barflies the world over. Tries at first to be your long lost compadre, but soon ends up being endured with detached (or teeth-gritting) disappointment. As the evening wears on, it sometimes metamorphoses into another type:
2. The Sad, Weeping Drunk
Here comes a vast tidal wave of woe that’s about to engulf us all. Money, the government, the wrong choice of mate, etc… perhaps all of the above (and more!) in a vengeful Sword of Damocles alliance. All it can do is to grab hold of the nearest tree, so to speak, which ends up being in the shape of a bottle. You just hope it doesn’t turn into:
3. The Angry, Mean Drunk
Ah yes… now we know what’s really on in its mind. To hell with the niceties. Ri-ight. Kind of like being around a piece of highly radioactive material that may or may not become critical at any moment, but hard to tell for sure. If it does get out of hand, call 911 immediately, and then get the hell out of the way.
4. The Blaring Party Animal
Somewhat like Jolly #1 above, but a little more problematic… you might want to keep out of this one’s way, too. Beware of eye contact, or else you’ll get a “Hey-y-y” and a finger pointing at you and coming in your direction, followed by a lurching body that will almost surely spill or break something. Might as well go take a swim in the lake until it dies down. The presence of children not recommended.
Well, I was going to write a post trashing AA as a cult, but this guy does a much better job than I can so I’ll just get out of the way and quote him:
An individual cannot deviate from AA dogma. A person conveying any differing opinion to those in The Big Book is castigated as being “in denial” by other members. Even relative social drinkers must confess aloud that they are alcoholics. The naïve and unaware initiates in AA are subjected to what I would call “Boot Camp Indoctrination.” In the armed services, recruits arriving for basic training in their respective branches of the military are subjected to mental and physical torment to break down individuality to the lowest level, then re-tooled into a new military standard. The 12 Step program requires a person to hit rock bottom before they can truly see the light about their “disease.” One must forfeit any esteem of one’s being — “let go, let God.” No other treatment for their drinking problem is condoned. Alcoholics Anonymous is the only path to recovery, no glimmer of heresy is allowed. Just like religious fundamentalists, only their way can lead the AA member to the Promised Land of sobriety.
Nearly every person in the 12 Step program has a “sponsor.” Their job is to keep the AA membership in line, bully and coerce the members. The AA participant must not associate with drinkers, and/or those who are critical of AA. Former members are often treated as apostates and shunned.
AA’s glittering reputation of helping problem drinkers is without any foundation. The failure rate of the organization is severely high — fewer than 5% of AA initiates remain in the program after thirty days.
One may ask, then: What keeps AA and related 12 Step programs functioning? Why, your good ol’ state and local governments, that’s what!
Those unfortunate people charged/convicted of driving motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol are often required by their respective court systems to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as a condition of avoiding jail sentences. Failure to comply is often met with severe action. Prison inmates are denied parole because of refusal to attend mandated 12 Step programs. Alternative means such as Rational Recovery are not allowed. Even Medicaid benefits for substance abusers are reserved entirely for those in AA and NA. Our servicepeople in the military with drinking and drug problems are required to dance to the 12 Step Waltz or face an other-than-honorable discharge. Parents may have their children taken from them because they missed a court mandated AA or NA meeting.
http://www.bee.net/cardigan/attic/guest09.htm
It’s open source healthcare. Just when you think the story is over it just continues… maybe its open source religion? Choose your own “higher power.” Most Alcoholics aren’t to keen on any of that JeEesus stuff. It helps to realize that a non judgmental group is open and willing to accept you no matter how you view yourself. Yeah.. the cartoon is simplistic and campy, but it still drives the message home.
Curtis –
Sorry, but AA can be extremely judgemental if you dare deviate from their dogma.
Frank –
I guess I was lucky, and found a group that wasn’t as judgemental as you have apparently encountered. I admit I have joined AA meetings where people were as you say. But to slam the whole organization when it does “work if you work it” is a bit unfair.
And I confess, it has been quite some time since I actually “worked” the program. But again, if you use it as open source healthcare, you take the parts of the code you can use and throw away the rest it works. It all goes back to the individual. Whether you admit you are powerless or whether you choose to take control…. AA is a program that has helped people start their journey.
Apparently this Rational Recovery is actually an open sourced project based on a 12 step program. Even if it is “deprogrammingAA”
And the conspiratorial statement: “One does not have to be an attorney to realize that the spurious alliance of our government with AA is a gross violation of the Constitution.” Is one more of those knee jerk reactions that is so evident from fanatical athiests. If it works for you then use it if it doesn’t well it doesn’t. I find such a banal attack on those who believe in “Superstitious” cures so counterproductive. Educate don’t alienate. After all this Constitution that both sides of the argument use is simply designed to protect our rights to the pursuit of happiness.
Curtis Has it about right. A good AA group is very non-judgemental and supportive, a poor group is just the opposite. People make the group. Some people are helpful, and some are jerks. Some believe one must follow strictly the “AA path”, others are more lenient. It’s silly to expect perfection in an AA group, much as it is stupid to expect all members of one’s local church/temple/Mosque to be upstanding, moral, and accepting of others. If AA works (after one gives it his/her honest best) and it works, great. If it does not, then seek out something else. Taking action to solve one’s drinking problem is the most important step of all.
One of the biggest problems my group has isn’t convincing folks that they have a problem. It’s convincing them to address the biggest one first and then deal with the other stuff. Nobody seems to want to do that. Everyone wants a reason or an excuse. They want to worry about the big bruise on their arm when there leg is cut off and they are bleeding out.