BRD202 Drugs in Society

Background information

The portrayal of drug use in the entertainment industry can be seen since the birth of the movies and other entertainment mediums. The usage of drugs has seen to shape the entertainment industry in various forms and manners. It has been seen that over the years, the culture, laws as well as the community has played a massive role in shaping the way drugs are portrayed in the movies, sitcoms and various other modes of entertainment (Maher & Dertadian, 2018).

It has been seen that drugs and movies have intertwined and the portrayal of drugs in the movies are seen since the birth of the movies. In the year, 1894, a movie named “Chinese Opium Den” was released which is considered to be among the first movies which were made (IMDb., 2021). It is during this time or era when the usage of drugs in the society was very random and it was not strictly monitored or regulated to by the government. For example, one of the movies which was released “Mystery of the Leaping Fish” showed a detective who used cocaine and fought against the Chinese smugglers who dealt with opium (Imdb.com., 2021).

These factors were seen to be normalized in the movies and thus was portrayed randomly without the raise of any kind of concerns from the public. However, an American-Republican named William Harrison Hays was against the depiction of drugs like this in movies as he thought that this would influence the viewers and have a bad impact on the people in the society (Biesen, 2018). Thus, he proposed to forbid the depiction of any illicit drugs in the movies. It is because of this factor it was later seen that the usage of drugs in movies or cinema were represented negatively. For example, movies like “Narcotic” and “Reefer Madness” portrayed how the consumption of drugs can have negative impacts on the people and how it destroys the life of the people.

During this time, the politicians as well as the filmmakers started viewed cinema or movies as the medium with the help of which they could help in shaping and controlling the public (McCandless & Elias, 2021). However by the year, 1960, the usage of drugs in the society had increased at a massive rate which also coincided with the increase in the drug usage onscreen (Nutt & Carhart-Harris, 2021). Later, it was discovered that many people were mostly influenced by the movies and the way they had portrayed the usage of drugs which had attracted many people. However, it is the administration war on the drugs that had led to a huge decline in terms of the cinematic portrays of the use of drugs and narcotics in the movie. For example, “Scarface” is a movie that at first had glorified the drug usage in the movie however later they showed how the usage of drugs had a drastic downfall of the character and his lifestyle in the end.

The drug usage in the society and the various environment is seen to have shaped popular entertainment all across the globe. This is seen to have become a matter of concern as this has a huge impact on the people viewing it and can lead to hampering the society and create bigger social issues like alcohol, drug and substance abuse in the society.

Main discussion

The portrayal of drugs in movies

The history of the impact of the usage of drugs and the way it has shaped popular entertainment is seen to have changed over the years. It can be seen that in the initial stages, the usage of drugs in the movies were random as for the society, it was not yet a matter of concern and nobody had questioned this aspect and it was mostly viewed as an entertainment purpose.

However, with time, the community and the government started raising concerns stating that this has huge impacts on the society mostly in a negative manner. It is the usage of drugs in the real life which was seen to have a huge role to play in the portrayals of the usage of drugs in the movies. It can be seen that the modern era of movies have portrayed drugs in various new ways especially by glorifying the ones who take or use drugs in the movie (Valenti et al, 2018). It has been seen that the frequency of the usage of drugs in the movies have also increased at an exponential rate and the consequences of it are not shown properly in the movies. It is since the 1990s that there are many movies that show the portrayal of drugs in the movies and it has been seen that there are various popular drugs which are of choice that are showcased in the popular entertainment and they are shown also in recent times.

One of the most popular drugs which are seen to be portrayed tin the movies are cocaine. It has been seen that the use of cocaine are shown since the silent era and this drug was widely used during that time as well (Anna, 2019). The usage of cocaine also peaked in during the 1980s. The other type of drug which has been shown in movies are opium and heroin (Scheibe, 2017). This was also shown since the initial days when the movies had started however, during the 1980s the usage of this drug in the society had decreased immensely but the increase in terms of the appearance of the movies had increased at a massive rate.

Since the 1960s and even now, the usage of marijuana in the movies have increased and is still shown in many of the popular movies and sitcoms. It has been seen that in movies and sitcoms in recent times, these types of drugs are shown as a recreational drug and glorifies it rather than showing the direct impact it has on the character (Jackson,  Janssen & Gabrielli, 2018). There are many movies that show the usage of drugs and alcohol without any need for them to exist in the movie. It does not reflect on the life of the character and the various impacts it can have on the mental as well as the physical health of the character. It has been seen that this is one of the growing concerns in recent times with the high rate in the increase of the drug use especially among the youth in the society which often lead to more detrimental effects which later have an impact on both the viewer as well as the society.

The impact on viewers and the society

The drug use is seen to have shaped the popular entertainment in ways from forbidding the usage of drugs to glorifying the use of drugs and many more. The popular entertainment is said to be one of the mediums which helps in entertaining people and the viewers and also a way for their recreational purpose. However, it has been seen that the drug usage that is shown in the popular entertainment has a huge role to play in the lives of many viewers especially on the impressionable minds and as well on the society.

According to research, it has been seen that films and sitcoms have influenced many people to try a drug so that they can experience it (El-Khoury et al, 2019). The portrayal of drugs in popular culture does not often held themselves accountable for the consequences that take place in the society. It has been seen that drug use in the movie often encourages many people to try drugs which often leads to the addiction of the drugs in the later stage. It is important for the entertainment industry to be responsible in terms of the portrayal of drugs in the movies. It has been seen that the movie, “Transpotting” during that time had played an active and a huge role in helping in slowing down the rise or the progression in the rate of drug addicts in the society because of the disgusting imagery that they showed on screen.

However, it has been seen that majority of the movies and sitcoms show glorify the usage of drugs in a certain manner. Shows like “The Simpsons” often show the usage of drugs however, the portrayal of it is random and it does not provide any information about the detrimental impacts of the usage of drugs on the health of people (Motyka & Al-Imam, 2021). It has been seen that people are highly influenced by movies. Research suggests that children that often see a movie which is R-rated  are likely to try the usage of marijuana and the other drugs which are shown in the movies. It has been seen that this is one of the major reasons why there are many children and young adults who start consuming drugs and often get addicted to it (Chauke & Malatji, 2018).

Other than influencing people or the viewers, it can be seen that the drug portrayal in the movies have a huge impact on the society as well. The high demand of drugs like marijuana among people often lead to the rise in crime rates (Williams, 2020). Many people started smuggling drugs for recreational purpose that has led to the increase in the drug usage and people suffering from issues that are related to the use of these drugs.

LSD and Meth are popular drugs which are portrayed in the movies and sitcoms and this is primarily to show the lab scenes in the films which often give an aesthetic look and view. However, it has been seen that these have a huge impact on the mind of people. It has been reported that after the hit show, “Breaking Bad” there are many people who had tried to manufacture meth in the laboratories (Forbes., 2019). Incidents like these indicate the fact that how the portrayal of drugs in the popular entertainment rather than educating people about the drug abuse encourages and fascinates them with the usage of drugs which are often associated with the lives of the protagonists in the movie or sitcoms.

Initiatives to control the impact

The impact of the way drugs have shaped the popular entertainment and also the portrayal of the usage of drugs in movies and sitcoms are seen to have negative impacts on the people especially the youths as well as the society. It has been seen that this is becoming a matter of concern as media and the popular entertainment is considered to be highly influential mediums which are seen to have a huge impact on the minds of people and the society.

It has been seen that the government has come up with initiatives in order to control this impact so that the people in the society are not influenced by the actions that are portrayed in the movies. It has been seen that the strict laws and regulations which have been posed by the government makes the sitcoms and movies give disclaimers about the portrayal of drugs so that people are aware and have proper knowledge about the harmful effects of drugs. This often makes the people have an idea about the harmful effects and watch the movie or the sitcom as a source of entertainment rather than showing or glorifying the usage of drugs. ‘

It has been seen that censorship has become strong and movies and sitcoms which have high use of drugs, violence and crime are often rated A or R so that it is watched or viewed by people who are above a certain age so that the young people do not have access to these movies which can have a huge impact on their minds (Kazemi et al, 2017). This is extremely important and the young minds are extremely impressionable and they can easily be influenced by popular entertainment which often show the usage of drugs as something which is cool and in trend (Oyama & Ogbu, 2017).

The government of countries all across the globe have strict regulations and laws against the selling of illicit drugs and have banned the usage of drugs like Meth, Cocaine and many more so that these drugs are not accessible to the people (Al-Tayyib et al, 2017). However, it has been seen that young children often have access to these movies due to the internet and people do not have proper knowledge about the harmful effects and the impacts on the drugs which are often shown as entertainment purpose in the movies. Thus, it can be seen that drugs have shaped the popular entertainment and have also contributed to the rise in the drug addiction rates in the society in some ways which has been having negative impacts on the society.

Conclusion

The use of drugs is seen to have shaped the popular entertainment since time immemorial. It has been seen that earlier the usage of drugs in the movies were random primarily because of the lack of regulation and government control on this matter. However, with time, the administration of the countries started focusing on the impact of the movies that portrayed drugs and glorified it or showcased them without the connection of the narrative to the movie. It can be seen that the portrayal of drugs in the movies has led to many people getting addicted to drugs and also try drugs. It has been seen that this has led to the creation of the demand of illicit drugs in the society for which illegal drugs are being used and even sold by many people. This also reflects on the rise in the crime rates which another issue which has been impacting the society. The portrayal of drugs in the movies and popular entertainment is something which is seen to have had a negative impact on the society despite of the several restrictions and laws that have been introduced. It is important to conduct research about what are the thoughts that often come to the minds of the people when they watch this type of entertainment and how these have an impact on their urge to try new drugs so that further interventions are introduced and other laws and guidelines are introduced which can help in ensuring that these are viewed only for entertainment purposes and not something else. It is also important to focus on spreading awareness about the consumption and the impact of these harmful drugs so that people can differentiate between the good and the bad so that they are not influenced by popular entertainment in a negative manner.

References

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Anna, L. Ã. (2019). Woke About Coke? Investigating College Students' Expectancies of Experimenting with Cocaine, in the Midst of the Fentanyl Epidemic. Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology, and Society, 13(1).

Biesen, S. C. (2018). Film Censorship. Columbia University Press.

Chauke, T. A., & Malatji, K. S. (2018). Youth experiences of deviant behaviour as portrayed in some television programmes: a case of the youth of 21st century. Gender and Behaviour, 16(3), 12178-12189.

El-Khoury, J., Bilani, N., Abu-Mohammad, A., Ghazzaoui, R., Kassir, G., Rachid, E., & El Hayek, S. (2019). Drugs and alcohol themes in recent feature films: A content analysis. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 28(1), 8-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/1067828X.2018.1561575

Forbes. (2019). The Science Of Breaking Bad: Can You Learn How To Make Crystal Meth From a TV Show?. Forbes. Retrieved 24 September 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2019/09/14/the-science-of-breaking-bad-can-you-learn-how-to-make-crystal-meth-from-a-tv-show/?sh=4a5d77077aa1.

IMDb. (2021). Chinese Opium Den (Short 1894) - IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 24 September 2021, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000006/.

Imdb.com. (2021). The Mystery of the Leaping Fish. Imdb.com. Retrieved 24 September 2021, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0007108/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1.

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Oyama, O. A., & Ogbu, S. (2017). Television and Content Censorship: The Impact of Violent Content on the Developmental Stages in the Personality of the Nigerian Child. Advanced Journal of Social Science, 1(1), 30-39. https://journals.aijr.in/index.php/ajss/article/download/280/95

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Valenti, F. M., Bogdanovich, P., Brown, L., & Trotta, L. (2018). The Props: Portrayals of Substance Use: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore. In More Than a Movie (pp. 141-160). Routledge.

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