A mate of mine makes some points beyond merely the issue of Frey’s integrity. His book got major plaudits for alleging that he was able to come to a point of no return, make a decision, and stick to it all alone regarding his addiction – that he didn’t need rehab and a 12-step programme, that he was able to go it alone once he decided that was what he needed to do (Very Wayne/Fonda/Eastwood, no?) When he confesses to lying about that, he confesses to misleading thousands of fellow addicts regarding the facts of recovery. His lies have probably already cost tens if not hundreds of lives as addicts have rejected their support systems and tried to go it alone like Frey was supposed to have done. What. A. Jerk.
I missed the coverage the first time, which makes me very, very happy to find it here. God, the coverage of this pseudo-scandal is too good. I’m drinking it up. James: I think one of the coping mechanisms I developed was sort of this image of myself that was greater, probably, than—not probably—that was greater than what I actually was. In order to get through the experience of the addiction, I thought of myself as being tougher than I was and badder than I was—and it helped me cope. When I was writing the book … instead of being as introspective as I should have been, I clung to that image. Oprah: And did you cling to that image because that’s how you wanted to see yourself? Or did you cling to that image because that would make a better book? James: Probably both. Naw, let me answer. Frey wrote it from this POV because drug culture teaches us how to build ourselves bigger than we are, to brag about our transgressions and beat off with other addicts about how badass we are. Frey may have gotten over his addiction but he never got over being an addict. It’s still very much a part of his person, which means he isn’t far enough along from his addiction, or introspective enough, to be writing goddamned books about it. You know, I was a drug addict, but I quit doing drugs when I was sixteen. Being a white, privileged drug addict at sixteen (or, for example, the frat boy story of Frey’s) is far, far different than being a drug addict at 25, 35, 45, when everything is at risk and/or lost — in no way could I ever compare my experiences with those of the people I befriended through AA and NA. And honestly, without the embellishments, his story isn’t one that’s too interesting to tell anyone other than intimates, nor is mine. Thus no embellishments mean no books. Too bad we can’t revoke his millions of little dollars.
I still don’t see how he got on the plane if he was bloody. I saw someone get kicked off the subway and told to get medical help because he was trying to get home with some dripping bloody injury, and anyone can walk onto the subway. Also, I was getting the hairy eyeball on my recent flight while in the grip of the Alien Death Flu.
oh man, this was great to watch. i was home sick yesterday, but oprah’s airwaves were commandeered by bush about 15 minutes in. so i stayed up til 11 to watch the rebroadcast. i am a little crazy. i think tigtog’s point is a great one. i also think it’s so ridiculous that he didn’t just put “based on a true story” or “names and details have been changed” as a disclaimer, because that would have alleviated a fair amount of this. and THEN, don’t go around for two years blathering about how “it’s all true.” how dumb can you be?? pretty dumb, obviously.