When Luke Skywalker blasts his first imperial TIE fighter to smithereens in “Star Wars,” he cheers. To which Han Solo sarcastically remarks, “Great, kid. Don’t get cocky.” That may be advice that a lot of people might do well to take to heart.
For example, having a record for drunk driving is not something to be proud of. It is something to be avoided and anyone who may be facing charges in New York of driving while intoxicated should be working with a skilled attorney to obtain the best outcome possible in court.
And yet, for some reason, there are celebrities who seem to hold the attitude that such allegations are not just something to take in stride, but something to be embraced and celebrated. You can see it displayed regularly.
Earlier this month, Khloe Kardashian posted DUI mug shots of herself and the boyfriend of one of her sisters on Instagram and joked about how he was her “partner in crime.” ‘
A couple of weeks earlier, actor Jason Priestley declared on television, “What self-respecting Los Angeleno doesn’t have a DUI under their belt?”
Not surprisingly, such demonstrations don’t settle well with those who have dedicated their lives to trying to reduce drunk driving. Mothers Against Drunk Driving President Jan Withers calls such celebrity displays disconcerting. And business law attorney Larry Bodine suggests that when celebrities joke about their criminal activity, it sends the message to pop culture followers that such behavior is normal.
Some of the blame for such cockiness might rest with the court system, though. Police officials in Los Angeles insist celebrities don’t get special treatment from officers. But pundits observe that the same doesn’t seem to hold when it comes to sentencing. Kardashian may serve as a case in point. She reportedly served just three hours of a 30-day sentence for her 2008 DUI conviction.
It should be noted that the story in which that detail of Kardashian’s case appears doesn’t say what the circumstances may have been that resulted in her suffering such a light penalty. It could be that she had the benefit of an attorney who simply and successfully protected her rights.
Source: Fox News, “Experts: Celebrities who glorify drunk driving make streets more dangerous,” Hollie McKay, June 5, 2014
