Why Are We All Obsessed With Ben Affleck’s Sobriety?
Every time I see a photo of or speech by Ben Affleck, I think, “Am I supposed to believe that guy is sober?”
Brad Pitt looks sober after admitting sobriety. Robert Downey Junior looks sober after years of struggles. Ben Affleck does not look sober. Why do I care? Is it because he is larger than life? Or is it because he is like the rest of us?
He’s big stuff. He’s a movie star, writer, and producer who is married to JLo — any one of his vacations would be the vacation of a lifetime for most of us. Why does his sobriety get under my skin?
Human frailty is compelling. We’re all messed up. Some of us are less of a shit show than others, but everyone has room to grow. Saints and sinners. Whenever I think I’ve got this life thing licked, my demons remind me I am a work in progress. I’m not near evolved.
Ben Affleck is no saint. Or maybe he is. Who knows? I never met him. Jennifer Garner said, “When Ben puts his light on you, you feel like the most important person in the world. But when he takes the light away, it’s a very cold place to be.”
Nobody is perfect. Especially Ben Affleck. But also, especially all of us. That’s a hard thing to remember when you’re the…
