Amy Schumer covers the May issue of InStyle Magazine to promote Snatched. I do not know what to think about this cover? Part of me thinks it’s nice to see a bigger girl play such a traditional “hot girl in a swimsuit” role for the cover of a Beauty Issue. Another part of me is like, “Oh, I get it… she’s no longer interested in doing commentary about these kinds of magazine covers.” It’s a lot like the Lena Dunham-on-Vogue problem: if your brand is anti-status-quo for fashion/beauty, is it “off-brand” to pose like this for a magazine? Anyway, Schumer was interviewed by Jessica Seinfeld for InStyle, and the quotes are about what you would expect. Some highlights:
On drinking: “In the past couple years there have been times when I haven’t drunk for months. What I find is I look so much better, feel amazing…and am so bored. Life isn’t that fun. So I can feel really good for a while, but then it’s one of the things that I look forward to, so until I am told ‘You cannot do this anymore,’ I’ll probably continue to do it.”
She doesn’t wear makeup for her boyfriend: “I’m like a year and a half into my relationship, so I don’t really wear makeup at home. That’s over for him. But, if we’ve kind of been fighting or something, you wanna look a little better so you have a little bit of the upper hand. I’ll use a sunblock with tinted moisturizer, and then mascara, and blush of some kind, so I’m like ‘I’m not wearing makeup. What?'”
On her relationship with fashion: “We’re friends who have an appreciation for each other but don’t ever hang out—and we don’t even pretend to make plans anymore.”
On aging: “What’s good about not being a model is that it’s not the thing I trade on. Once I start looking older, that won’t affect me. I have never gotten anything done because I’m, like, so gorgeous. I’m good-looking enough that I can work in the business. I get enough attention from men that I feel good. I see pictures of myself now, and I look younger than I think of myself. It hasn’t scared me yet.”
On filler: “…I cannot imagine a moment when I will need filler for my face, as if it needs to be filled. Can we unfill this? Let’s get an emptier.”
On what drives her comedy: “As I think frustration is good. I just want to make people laugh, but I’m also in a place where I want to make change. A joke doesn’t have to be something that’s going to make people think, but if it can, that’s better.”
On the source of her confidence: “My parents made me think I was a genius supermodel, and it was kind of too late when I found out that they had been lying.”
“What I find is I look so much better, feel amazing…and am so bored. Life isn’t that fun…” That’s a bad message in general. I don’t think she’s an alcoholic or anything, but if you can’t have as much fun without drinking, the issue is you, not alcohol. As for what she says about beauty and not trading on how she looks… I agree with her, that’s not her brand. Which is why the InStyle cover is a bit weird, right?
Cover courtesy of Carter Smith for InStyle, additional pics by WENN.
If you can’t function without alcohol it’s time to explore why that is. Seriously that’s a terrible statement that would send off alarm sounds in any therapy office.
Anyways I actually like this cover she looks fine. Still can’t stand her though
It really is a terrible statement. But she’s just terrible in general, imo. And that cover is just dumb, I think only the coolest of actual models could pull it off. In the 80s. It also seems to be a direct contradiction of what she’s saying about trading on her looks.
To be fair, she didn’t say she can’t function without it. That is so much more extreme than what she said. She said she is able to go for months at a time without drinking.
I wonder if “life gets more boring” is code for “I get less funny”. Because it sounds like she doesn’t *need* it, but she hasn’t done the work (or gotten the help, perhaps) required to drop her inhibitions without it. Maybe alcohol makes her job easier.
ah come on. drinking equals fun for most people, as long as they can regulate. if you’re on a really healthy diet you will feel better but also, life IS boring without cheese and wine and red meat. food, alcohol, smoking, if it gives you pleasure, why judge? i say cheers, amy. i’m glad she’s out there doing her thing.
‘… if you’re on a really healthy diet you will feel better but also, life IS boring without cheese and wine and red meat”
Yep, this is my experience s well.
Yes, really, it’s almost always fun when you’re drunk.
I have to agree with you, Anna. But then again, I love my beer so…..
I also agree with her that when I go for a stretch without drinking I look and feel much better. But then I miss how good beer tastes and I realize that it’s worth the sacrifice.
I don’t think it’s a terrible statement to admit life for her isn’t fun without drinking. The context is taken out, so does she mean that staying home versus going to social situations is “boring” for her personally? We all have a different focus- I’m a mom and going out to get social at night is an Illiad/ Oddyssy thing, and just too outrageous for my lifestyle. I get the age and stage orientation where going out and drinking is more fulfilling than feeling “healthy” and staying at home. Also beauty and fashion are a Ven diagram of overlapping issues, so why is it a problem for her to do a shot captioned, “beauty”; it’s not captured “fashion”.
Love the cover!
When i was 22 i felt like that. Then i grew up and realized it was my attitude that made things not fun, so i began changing my outlook on life. Life’s been really good since!
Yeah I don’t drink and I don’t want to! I’m not a recovering alcoholic or anything and I drank a normal (large) amount in college. But now- I just don’t care for it- feeling heavy, bloated, headaches etc. I really do like the experience without it.
Her bf is yum, js. But as far as the alcohol….I’m simply boring me sans a drink but put alcohol in me I’m outgoing, talkative-cathy. It varies but it’s all about control imo
I hear you. I maintain that I was “more fun” when I was drinking, as I tend to have a hard time cutting loose and alcohol does make it easier. But I’m not bored not drinking. Just quieter. And probably less obnoxious, lol.
Yeah… it’s the fact that she says she’s bored without it that sounds bad, that the booze high just can’t compete with anything else that’s problematic. I knew a lot of people like that when I lived abroad, and honestly I wonder what they’ll be like at 40…most of them are already too close to/have already passed 30, so there’s no hope for that.
We have a friend who recently went from smoking A LOT of pot to cutting way back to just the occasional vape once or twice a week. His logic was “well, I couldn’t smoke when I was working, and nothing was enjoyable when I wasn’t high, so I figured it’d be best”. Which – he’s one of the only people I’ve ever seen it be a problem with. It’s not a typical addiction or anything, but it became such a crutch in his life that he just was never happy or not anxious unless he was high.
Now, he keeps bragging about how much he’s cut back – but is now drinking more than he ever used to. I kind of want to shake him and just be like “REPLACING IT WITH ANOTHER THING ISN’T SOMEHOW MORE HEALTHY!”.
But he’s also refused to go on anti-anxiety medicine because he had tried one before and didn’t like the side effects, and his shitty girlfriend went on and on about how she hated how he acted when he was on them, and basically always talked shit about them. Which – whatever. If YOU don’t want to use a prescription when you’re depressed/super anxious – that’s on you. But don’t shit talk it for someone else when they’re clearly struggling with life. This shitty girlfriend is now back in school thinking her dumb ass is going to be a doctor – not only that, she thinks she’s going to be either a psychiatrist or psychologist, which is laughable considering what a garbage person she is to people who are struggling.
This is just my personal opinion, but I feel like he was better off smoking all the time than drinking all the time. ITA with you when you say replacing it with another thing isn’t healthy, and in this particular case it’s waaaay less healthy. Alcohol is much more damaging and much more likely to kill you than pot is. And, again just my opinion, if he would rather smoke pot for his anxiety than take perscription drugs, I can totally understand that. Pot is also less damaging and less likely to kill you than certain perscription drugs. It just sounds like he needs to get to a place where he has a more healthy relationship with smoking instead of using it as a crutch. Best of luck to your friend!!
I agree, Shambles. I think even if he had just cooled it a little bit with the frequency, or tried a different type, he’d he felt a lot better. He could probably get a script for some medical marijuana as well, our town seems to be moving in a more progressive direction with that. I’m considering it my next step if my pain levels don’t improve, and my Dr. is really promoting it lately, and did a piece in the local paper stating the benefits.
But when it comes down to it – depending on alcohol is sooooo unhealthy. It’s a lot worse of an effect on your health than vaping pot. When it comes to the prescription route – I’ve been on multiple ones for depression when I was around 19-22. But I now take them to help manage pain from fibromyalgia. I’ve tried about four different ones, with varying levels of side effects. Some made me feel absolutely horrible, but the current ones gave me such minimal side effects that I genuinely barely noticed them – and I think in his case it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to have asked for a different kind in a low dose. His dog recently died, and because the girlfriend randomly packed up and went back to school he’s been living alone and is kind of miserable, honestly. We’ve been having him over, and he’s been exercising more, but his girlfriend really isn’t so much interested in him feeling better as much as she is by being inconvenienced by his problems. Which is a huge shame, and we’re all secretly hoping they break up, but wouldn’t dare bring it up to him.
Oooohhh those types of relationships suck. Where you can tell the other person isn’t in it for real love— the kind where you want to see your partner happy and flourishing– but the selfish kind of love. The “I’ll only love you if you _____ ” love. I hope he wises up and creates a happier life for himself!
Here’s hoping. He’s been a lifelong friend of my husbands, and we worry about the guy. But he seems to be feeling a good deal better with the addition of exercise and eating better, so it’s at least a decent start. The girlfriend (for better or worse) will be home later this month for the summer at least, so he’ll have a lot more company at the very least.
Good luck, Erinn. You might want to try out a high CBD strain. I hope it helps. Fibro sucks.
Also you are very kind to look after your friend. Maybe he’s the male version of dickmatized?
Yes, Erinn, best of luck to your friend. I have a friend who drinks way too much. She gets to the point of being incoherent and/or passing out pretty much every time she drinks. She admits she is self medicating for her anxiety but won’t take the step of seeking treatment. It’s really sad that she sees seeking help for mental health issues as somehow too difficult, because the path she’s on now just isn’t sustainable. I’ve been taking meds and doing therapy on and off for depression and anxiety for years now and it sure beats getting hammered to deal with it…which doesn’t really deal with it.
It’s such a shame to see. I mean, I like to have the occasional drink, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been actually drunk since leaving college. I’ve cut alcohol out for the most part largely due to trying to be as healthy as possible, considering I deal with chronic pain. It was a sensible, and pretty easy cut. I’ll still have a glass of wine with dinner or have a cocktail with my friends if we go out – but it’s one drink – not a bunch. I think the most I’ve had to drink in one situation in the last year was 3 beers, and that was a rare occasion, not the norm. But alcohol has never been something I ‘NEEDED’, so cutting back wasn’t ever really an issue. But I can totally understand how people get into the mindset of ‘yeah, it’s helping’ when it really isn’t.
For me, cutting back on the caffeine was the hardest. I’ve reduced it to a small amount in the morning, and not every morning. If I want it, I will make sure I have it by 1pm, and if it’s later than that, too bad. I’ve been sleeping so much better, as well. I had given it up cold-turkey a few times over the years, and I was miserable to be around haha – so severely limiting was a much better move this time.
I think exercise works great for anxiety. That would be preferable to marijuana or alcohol. Regular workouts burn off a lot of the excessive nervous energy. Not saying that if you exercise all anxiety vanishes, but it makes a huge difference. I exercise pretty regularly, and I’ve never used meds to treat anxiety, and I can be a pretty anxious person at times–to the point where I’ve had trouble sleeping, had stomach upset or even lost weight rapidly (five pounds in 24 hours)–if the situation was bad enough.
Also, I wonder if we as a society are afraid to feel anything uncomfortable anymore. Anxiety can be a perfectly natural, healthy response to certain things. It’s okay to feel anxious, knowing that the feeling will pass in time. Anxiety has played a role in the creation of great works of art, literature and music. But if someone spends every day for months on end with high anxiety clearly they need more intervention than exercise.
WTW, Exercise is a huge part of my routine in managing my mental health. In fact the older I get the more important my workouts are to my well being. My son, too, depends on his workout to help manage his very severe anxiety.
Brief episodes of anxiety are one thing, but debilitating anxiety that manifests itself in OCD and other crippling ways is not something that can be treated with exercise and therapy alone. The meds aren’t masking anything, they are enabling us to function in ways that people whose brains naturally produce those chemicals are able to function.
I’m not saying she doesn’t have anxiety, but in some cases their anxiety is because they NEED to drink. Like their body no longer functions properly without it, so it’s actually the alcohol CAUSING the anxiety. I’ve worked with (addiction counselor here) a lot of people who though they were having increased anxiety or panic attacks in the midst of their addiction when in actuality their body was starting to withdrawal because they hadn’t drank yet. Of course there are people who had significant anxiety issues prior to the heavy drinking and found it helped relieve their symptoms, but in the long run alcohol just makes it worse and cancels out any medications they’re on to help them.
I ….kinda am like your friend, smoking pot wise. For the last six months, I light up every night. I never, ever confessed this to anyone except my husband, but I constantly go back and forth between “ok, get it straight and stop” and “no harm done, you do you”. The fact is, I’m really high-strung and stress-induced anxiety paralizes me (and eventualy leads to depression, which last time took 3 years, 2 therapists and 4 medicines to get rid of) and between having a toddler, being PhD student, being unemployed no matter hundreds Of applications, discovering my dad is alcoholic (!!!!we never knew! And he has fallen of the wagon and started again, it took us 2 years to relize what’s going on bc he hated alcohol passionately all our life!!!!), my country on the verge of bankruptcy…and trying to survive month by month while simultaneously giving my boy everything he needs to be happy and healthy fills me with dread. The only time I have for myself and can relax is when I light up.
But…it shouldn’t be that every day I look forward to that three hours at night, I know; and considering that I obviously have addiction prone family members, now I wonder…
OtOH, I don’t drink, I don’t do other drugs, I’m not extravagantely spending and I am known as a workaholic and perfectionist when it comes to my obligation.
I am right there with you geekychick. I go back and forth between guilt and “who cares, it’s nbd”. I think in due course your child will be too old and you won’t want to do it in the house (unless, don’t tell me you are out driving? I don’t think it’s unsafe, per se, but if you got pulled over it would be bad) (ooh, unless you live in colorado or that other state where it is legal? If so, you lucky duck!). I always thought I would stop when I had a baby, but my hubby and I never ended up having a baby, so my once a night has turned into three or four times a day. It’s just expensive and it will eventually make you antisocial because smoking friends are more fun. (And I say, well, some people drink a bottle of wine every other day! but that’s legal, so it’s not the same. It need not a secret) And it makes you eat more. Maybe get some xanax? (Which I also have and which does help but makes me soooo drowsy compared to a bowl). I’m not ready to quit yet, but consider me your cautionary tale…. although I know people that smoke that still are pretty active. It all depends on who and how you are
Found My Crew.. This is me.. I’m in a super stressful job, crazy boss ( the kind that yells vile things then turns around gives jewelry and a raise, so…) , A lot of other balls in the air ( including My family in Venezuela-getting them out-or supplying some goods) , a Super pushy Family( my mom Throws Guilt trips and fits if I’m not at her beck and call weekends) , barely any time with the bf or sex drive (for him- not I im climbing walls here) IUD issues ( Nearly constantly Cramping, the cramps you feel on your back and thighs??) I’m managing myself with COPIOUS amounts of weed and Exercise… SOMETIMES I cut back for like a week but I’m SUCH a Massive D*ckhead when I have Zero Outlet that I’m like Look, Let me zen out to some Music/weed/Cartoon Network and such like I Kinda Don’t care but I’m also more vigilant of how much my every other week stash costs me.. I’m not so ambivalent about it cause Ive not increased my take and I really have like zero responsibilities in terms of kids etc
I totally understand this. My go-to has always been red wine and I generally have 2-3 glasses most nights. My husband is a smoker, however, and I’ve had some of his occasionally. Is it a problem? I really don’t know. I think as long as it is enhancing your life and and hindering it, you’re (we’re) probably okay, but I’d love to not have to rely on anything. Incidentally, running is the only other thing that has ever helped my anxiety (aside from meds), and it helps a LOT, but I injured myself a few months ago and am having problems getting back to it. I feel like a such a slug replacing exercise with booze, but whatcha gonna do?
Erinn, not sure if my reply will end up in the right place or not, but with regard to your thoughts about smoking as part of your pain management plan, it’s definitely worth a try, especially if your doc is supportive of it. I’ve got a bunch of issues that created chronic pain for me; two failed spinal fusions, spontaneous femur fracture (THAT was fun!), couple knee surgeries, undiagnosed autoimmune disorder, blah, blah, blah. Like you, I take an antidepressant to help with the pain, as well as opioid meds, and nothing helps as much as smoking pot. I don’t do it every day but when I do, the difference is very noticeable. Luckily I’m in a state where it’s legal, both medically and recreationally. There are a lot of different varieties out there and many ways to partake; edibles, oils, etc. A product with a high CBD count is what I recommend if you’re just looking for pain management without the loaded feels you get from a product with more THC. There’s soooo much research supporting its use for medicinal purposes and I truly hope the jerk-offs in DC leave it alone and continue to let states decide for themselves.
Amy is quite sarcastic a lot of the time so I take her comments with a pinch of salt. She is a comedienne at the end of the day and I don’t think she says everything to be taken so literally. I do agree with her about the not trading on your looks = not freaking out about ageing so much. I can’t imagine how models or people who are fawned over for their looks all their life feel when it starts to fade. I consider myself attractive but I’m not a supermodel and for me my focus has always been travel and my brain.
“I get enough attention from men that I feel good.”
That is terrible.
Even from her, I’m annoyed despite the emperor never having any clothes to begin with.
I don’t think she means that as you can’t feel good about yourself without attention from men, but we all like to know we still get that lil somethin’ somethin’ from the opposite sex (men too).
I thought that was a really honest comment! I
Think most of us want to think we are at least somewhat attractive to others? She’s just acknowledging it. And while I’m not a daily drinker, I do like to cut loose and drink wine every few weeks. And I agree with her in that respect. I’d be bored with total sobriety too.
I’m the say way when it comes to
Alcohol…but I’ve also been accused of being an alcoholic so whatevs.
I enjoy the taste and effects as opposed to being sober (socially). I’ve gone without it and just prefer life with it. No judgement here.
I read that comment about alcohol and fun as a good one-liner. But then I’m a European, and we don’t tend to have the same culture of moral policing that surrounds alcohol as exist in the US.
I don’t think it’s immoral, just kind of sad.
Although the Brits decided to leave the EU, we’re still part of Europe and this woman sounds like a lot of my older kid’s friends who are not even 18 yet. I sometimes wish that there would be more awareness (and not moral policing) around alcohol and pot here. It’s getting our of hand. And having grown up in Portugal, and seen so many kids have accidents (and deadly ones at that) because of binge drinking there, I wish we didn’t have this silly ‘it’s our culture’ kind of thing attached to alcohol. It’s an excuse for many alcoholics that I now first-hand, or for much insane behaviour I have seen – in professional gatherings, dinners, etc – not even talking about recreational drinking.
Nothing against having some fun once in a while but in Europe, as you say, it sometimes gets ‘culturally’ out of hand.
people need a release. there is a need for inebriation, if you will, that is innate to humans. every culture has their drug of choice. and yeah, there are problems but most people do drink responsible because of the so called drinking culture. you go out, it’s social, you have different kinds of wine or whiskey, you enjoy yourself. i really do not see whats so terrible about that. everyone has a right to get high once in a while. when i hear binge drinking i think of spring break and 21 year olds that can’t handle their liquor because they never had alcohol in moderation with a meal for example.
@anna My reply was more about the idea that we in Europe develop a cultural relation with booze as if it’s a more ‘adult’ relation with it when for me it’s more of an alibi.
I ended my comment saying that there is nothing wrong with getting high once in a while or tipsy when with friends or with colleagues – but sometimes what happens is that men are gropey for instance. Maybe we all have our drug of choice but if it is to have offensive or abusive behaviour and use it as an excuse than we need to question our culture.
Also, I do find it problematic when you drug yourself to an extent where you zone out which Amy does as per another interview.
nope, sorry can’t follow you there. nothing wrong with zoning out. and i would never blame drugs or alcohol for bad behaviour like groping. in my experience these people behave just as badly sober, they are just more discreet about it. i bartended for a looong time, so i have some experience with this. ok i’m totally biased. i’m all for excess in a controlled environment amongst responsible adults.
Look if Amy doesn’t want to be associated with the fashion world or the beauty world (I have no idea if that’s a thing lol) then that’s great! But then why is she posing on the cover of fashion magazines? Last year it was Vogue. This year it’s InStyle. Didn’t she talk a bunch of crap about the Met Gala which are the fashion Oscars. I don’t know. It just seems odd to me that someone who is so against the fashion world essentially keeps coming back to it when she needs to promote something.
Does she have a choice? Also I would say that she’s in a bathing suit on the cover of a magazine and she isn’t modelly looking by any stretch, so that at least is a good thing. I don’t think appearing on a fashion mag, nearly the only types of mags that promote women’s projects and a good way to reach her base, is the equivalent of wanting to be a Blake Lively or a Suki Waterhouse. It’s kind of a false equivalency.
i love her but this sounds like too many problems for her to unpack without professional help.
she is basically saying her boyfriend is her roommate she has sex with, outside of that they don’t enjoy each other’s company?
self esteem based on the perceptions of others? she nailed the final nail in on that coffin.
alcohol makes her feel like crap but she can’t not be bored without it? yikes.
The “friend she doesn’t hang out with” is fashion, not her boyfriend. She’s still trying to portray herself as a fashion outsider while doing magazine covers.
Yeah, that’s part of the reason I can’t get into her comedy (besides the oh so minor technicalities* of racism and such). With much of her act, she seems like she’s mocking herself before anyone can mock her first, and then she goes home after that to cry herself to sleep (albeit in a large pile of money, but still). Like I get the stereotype of comedians being insecure, but this just feels uncomfortable to watch.
* I’m being sarcastic that it’s a minor technicality, if it’s not clear already
Saying life isn’t as fun as fun without alcohol is kind of a red flag tbh
Bingo!
+1 absolutely.
I think the cover looks great, super flattering. About the alcohol -eh I still feel that way about my college days, I don’t think there’s anything wrong letting loose as long as you can control it and it doesn’t negatively impact other aspects of your life. Her comment is a lot better than Marandas last week LOL. I also feel the same way about her parents and confidence, but isn’t that what parents are supposed to do build their kids up?!
This was hard to read. She’s the mid 30’s version of my early 20’s issues. Also, are boobs the code for ‘beauty’ now or? I feel like they could have done a classier shoot, in some high style, drinking gin out of a tea cup or something. Because tea is so boring.
Putting on a little mascara during a fight so you have the upper hand? I find her commentary so infantile. Is this her first serious relationship?
Infantile is the perfect word for that. And guess what? If you’re an obnoxious little brat who thinks you have the “upper hand” because of some blush then you are probably not keeping any healthy relationship for long anyway.
..and apparently dating real assholes.
Yeah, that one really killed it for me, too. She wants “the upper hand” in regards to her boyfriend? Good luck, lady. When a relationship is about winning, both lose.
She’s a comedian.
Yeah, but you’ll live a lot longer. With all the toxins in the air, food, water, big Pharma, the liver can’t handle it all. Something’s gotta go.
This woman seems to have so many problems it’s not even funny.
1) not interested in looks but mentions it all the time
2) cannot have fun without drinking – RED flag. I say this respectfully as much as I can but that is a big issue for so many reasons. Someone said in an interview that fun is an overstated word that people use all the time and should be replaced by meaningful. I mean, that’s what my little kids look for in life, ‘FUN’. Then you grow up and learn how to fill that in so many meaningful ways, with contemplative and active joys. I guess joy is never found inside a bottle. Nothing against drinking, but a lot against finding anything in there.
3) her loving parents made her feel loved and unique and then she ‘discovered’ it was a lie and translates it into ‘I’m not a model’…
I JUST watched half of her netflix special (that’s why I’m so grumpy) and she just tells episodes of her life – there is not comedy and it certainly is not funny. I am not a prude but I want some twist to my crude stories.
End of rant.
I’ve never had alcohol in my whole life. Is that why I get bored? No. I don’t wear makeup at home either. Now I know how to make things better with him if we ever argue. Just put on makeup!
I think alcohol drenches adult social interactions in our culture. (Holidays, group dinners, book clubs, girls nights, spectator sporting events, the list goes on)
I just read Amy’s book and I enjoyed it. I still like her despite the backlash.
Good for you CB, thank you for sharing the resources too.
*My mistake- I was thinking of the other post about the “girls” actress in the 2nd part of my comment.
Spoken like a true alcoholic, Amy. Once she lets the boredom or need to drink again pass she will find she might be boring but life certainly is not.
Drunk or sober she is a total bore.
We also have to differentiate the alcohol consumption.
Wine with a meal, cocktails going out to loosen up or binge drinking and falling of the bar stool every time you go out – that is two different approaches.
I personally find the latter worrisome.
This is bothering me today because I’m just realizing that my mother is an alcoholic. It comes in so many shapes and sizes. Amy doesn’t consider life fun without alcohol… sounds like a problem.
My mom has just been diagnosed with a medical condition and she isn’t supposed to have alcohol. It’s one of the few things she’s supposed to drop in order to live healthy and well. She won’t. She won’t stop drinking her 2-3 beers every single night. I’ve never been overly concerned before but now I realize it’s a full blown addiction if she won’t even consider stopping for her health. Her reasoning is she “enjoys” it (um… do you enjoy having colon issues also?) and she doesn’t get drunk so it’s not a problem. I’m really upset and it’s hitting me hard that she’s not going to stop or get help, and will shorten her life and live a less healthy life just for a beer buzz every night. Alcoholism doesn’t always look like someone falling down drunk on hard liquor every night.
I feel for you and your mom, Patricia. I think denial is a huge part of any addiction. Alcoholism, especially, is stealth because drinking is so accepted in society and so can easily sneak up on a person.
I’m so sorry. I know what you mean. My father takes meds and has multiple health conditions and isn’t supposed to drink. He’s been an alcoholic for 50 years and sees no reason to stop. He drinks about 10 beers every night and I worry about his health all the time. He’s a functioning alcoholic but is very irresponsible when it comes to his health. I wonder if he even has a liver. My mom has had 2 heart attacks and lung cancer. She quit drinking but won’t stop smoking.
I’m so upset they won’t stop, but my mom, like yours says they “enjoy ” it. I really don’t see anything that could be enjoyable about it, but I’ve never had these addictions. Upsetting that parents don’t listen
I don’t drink alcohol, ever. I guess I must be a total bore, then.
Me too!
Me neither. People around me must be bored to tears.
Count me in, too. I literally maybe once every few years.
I’ve never had a drink either ! Oh well.
I smoke medical marijuana but don’t like the way ANY alcohol tastes. Don’t have a problem with other people drinking it. Though when people find out I don’t drink it, they think it’s like some personal bias AGAINST drinking. Nope, just can’t stomach it. I guess I’m not much fun either, haha! Though people always wanted me to go out with them to be the DD, sigh.
I literally ripped out the cover and the article when I received my issue in the mail. Loathe this woman.
Eh, I generally can’t stand her and I think so much of what she says is problematic, to say the least. Still, I wouldn’t judge her an alcoholic by this one comment, which I presume is meant to be self-effacing, as in I’m so boring, or other people are. Or whatever. (Like I said, I don’t find her very funny.)
I think, at a bare minimum, you have to actually know and interact with someone before you can declare them addicts and that we are, as a society, far too quick to condemn someone based on extremely limited evidence … like a single line from an interview. And this is coming from the child of an alcoholic. So, sure, Schumer could have a problem, but I wouldn’t be confident of it due to this comment.
For those that disagree, feel free to sign me up for Betty Ford because I’ve joked, more than once, with people, that wine is what keeps my husband and I married. Har, har. I’m not saying it’s a good joke, just that it doesn’t mean either that I’m addicted to alcohol OR that such a comment is literally true.
I agree with you completely that one cannot judge a single line or even a lifestyle as a sign of addiction, although there are some common themes that invite people to make assumptions right or wrong. It is really up to the individual to come to their own conclusions. I don’t think suspecting addiction is a “condemnation” however. Addiction and/or self-medicating is not a moral crime imo but an illness in the end that deserves medical attention and compassion.
It’s called ‘anhedonia,’ which means ‘the inability to experience pleasure.’ Many sufferers find themselves struggling most in the mornings and mid-afternoon, and look forward to evening ‘activities’ as it serves as a chance to escape from daily reality.
For myself, I find rejecting the ‘dessert first’ attitude and embracing the dawn hours completely changes my perspective on the day. The more I do early in the day, the more pleasantly tired I feel in the evening, and eventually the desire for ‘escape’ fades away. A long walk at dawn, a cup of tea at 5:30 AM when the whole world is still waking up… all those things ripple through the rest of the hours. Of course, my schedule allows that, but I had to make some deep changes (that looked like sacrifices at the time) to build a more fulfilling life.
Good luck to her. I don’t enjoy her comedy, but the lifestyle of the rich and famous is notoriously toxic towards quiet purpose or good habits.
@ Annie: Wow…I think you just described me when describing “anhedonia”. I have never heard of that. It’s so true! Mornings & early afternoons are the hardest part of the day for me. I live for the evening time. Not that I’m doing anything particularly fun or anything in the evening. It’s just I function so much better that time of the day. I always thought it was just me, but you’ve given me something to think about. I will look into this “anhedonia”.
Thank you so much for your input. It was so insightful & your comment really gave me some type of description for my own feelings. Thank you!!
@jugil1: there are few better feelings than knowing your own struggles can help someone else. Very grateful you can take something from it; hopefully it’ll spare you at least some of the long, arduous road of connecting the dots.
Some people translate it as simple ‘depression,’ but as someone with a passion for definitions, I benefited from less of a biochemistry perspective (which has its definite place) then a sort of overarching, integrated approach. I was a night owl too… I could either be awake till 4 am with friends, talking and drinking all night, or I could be home exercising, reading, watching movies till 2. But no matter how much sleep I got, the daylight hours were a drag. And then I rushed to compensate for all those bored hours by creating emotional highs in the evening.
Changing my routine was only one part of it, but it was enormous. If you’re looking for some more information on it, the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami talks a lot about a similar process in his memoir “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.” He doesn’t mention anhedonia, I believe, but he talks about really starting over in life when he was 30, and switching from a bar-owning night owl to a 4 am runner and writer. It helped with my own transition.
Best of luck to you!!!
Like Lena Dunham, I find Amy Schumer so fake and obsessed with her “brand” that I’ve come to question everything she says. What she says about drinking is terrible but is it true? Or is it just in line with the image she likes to project of this brash woman who can drink like a truck driver and dismiss all the “proper lady” stuff?
+++1
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but I agree with her. I gave up drinking recently for a medical reason and it just isn’t as fun! I don’t need to be blacked out but sitting and having a nice glass of wine or mimosas at brunch is one of my favorite things. Sure, I can get a seltzer but it isn’t the same.
Pretty sure she needs to be wasted or blacked out.
I actually agree with you. I think it’s because it came from her that people are saying you’re an alcoholic if you enjoy a few drinks 🙄. For the record, I DO NOT like her.
That smug….She is even more annoying than Chelsea Handler and more pretentious than Lena Dunham. I blame white people for their horrible taste in “comedy”.
Oh please stop. Plenty of people don’t like her for many reasons. Could you imagine if someone said “I blame black people for ___” don’t make it like that.
I am white and I loathe her.
She is most definitely an alcoholic, if her standup bits on drinking are to be taken at face value.
Wow Ladies, what an interesting and heartfelt discussion. I too smoke, mary jane vape pens. My Father passed away suddenly a couple of months ago, I walked out of a crappy job that wasnt working out. I carry the heartbreak of a failed relationship. Im in a verbally and mentally abusive relationship. Im broke because of my dependence/usage of thc vape cartridges. My jerk fiance is mad at me because of it. Im in a good antidepressant and sedatives too. I never thought id be such a mess. I used to be attractive and confident. Now i feel utterly bewildered and betrayed by life, on guard, defensive about what else this shit world can throw on me. Sometimes thats how it feels. Other times im so grateful and humbled by my 3 yr old and the good things. When i vape the hard edges go fuzzy. The chest tightening fear pain and anger smooth out. My happiness increases. Ive felt and lived this way for a long time. Without thc my depression and anxiety are truly crippling. I have a prescription for it. Im trying to cut back but even that effort feels like one more stone heaped on the basket in carrying. So great i get to care for a toddler,bust my ass at work until 11pm, come home to be growled at that im an incompetent idiot and an f ing b, etc ad nauseum..
medical marijuana is a legitimate medicine. I use it for Major Depressive Disorder. If I didn’t have it, I would be in the ground.
Dont you ever feel ashamed. You are strong,
I can tell it by what you wrote.
Wow… I am sorry to hear your frustration! If you’re looking for unsolicited advice, dump the “Jerk fiance” who’s just adding to your anxiety and depression, believe me! Also, try to go to a better method than a vape pen… if you’re carrying a subscription, a lot of clubs can show you other methods than smoking from a pipe. Oils, candies, etc., can be had with the same effect. And, try some other meds. not all are the same and will affect people differently. There is no one-stop, cure all for that and you’re worth getting exactly what you need. and so does your kid. I wish you the best!! Stay strong because there are people who love and need you!!
I’ve cut back the alcohol for weight reasons and although I’m not a big drinker 4 or 5 glasses of wine a week if that, I miss it terribly! when I cut something out I tend to obsess over it now I’m thinking I’ll allow myself two or three glasses a week and I’m much happier with that plan.
I’m sure Goldie was thinking “size 4 my ass!”………….
I find that kind of sad that she cant find enjoyment outside of getting drunk.
And I understand that beauty isnt her brand. But shes still an actress in Hollwyood and shes gonna reach an age where offers are gonna start drying up. We’ll see how long she stays in that “no filler” route.
I’m so tired of people making such a negative deal about Amy and this cover. The author of this article of course is on the “Amy’s not good looking she has no right to wear a bathing suit blah blah blah.” Bandwagon. Where do all you people live who are criticizing her looks/body? Where I live most woman have that body or bigger ect. , I actually see Amy’s body as beautiful and well paportioned! News flash!! Everyone’s body is different and everyone who wants to wear a bathing suit will wear one, don’t let it piss you off because it dosnt effect YOUR LIFE IN ANY WAY remember that. Cheers to everyone taking what this woman says and analyzing it too!!
I dont think thats Kaiser was suggesting at all. Just that this Hollywood we’re talking about here. They tend to favor the skinnier there and you rarely see a more larger person (and I say larger in comparison) on the cover that isnt covered head to toe in something.
I don’t see *anyone* here making negative comments about Amy’s size. I don’t think you read through the comments, but just made that automatic assumption. Also almost no one is analyzing her words; almost no one is saying she is certainly an alcoholic, either. If anything, this whole thread has been conducive to interesting, sometimes moving stories about people’s personal experiences w alcohol and drugs–relatively little written about Amy herself. I’ve enjoyed many of these comments a lot, Maybe you shouldn’t be so self righteously judgmental before reading what people actually WROTE?
I’ve always been a regular social drinker but the past 2 years I’ve drastically cut down my ”going out/going to the bar” time and I actually do feel a lot better. It totally depends on your lifestyle, but I’ve wanted a quieter and more centered life the past few years, so not drinking in that context has been quite easy and natural I guess. So much is context – if you work in an industry or have friends that regularly drink – it is likely you will do the same. I actually don’t miss it, or the busy social schedule, at all! I feel better & my weight & wallet are also better off. But I’m 37 and was totally ready for the lifestyle change so it didn’t really take any willpower. If I was still socialising and working in the same circles, it would have been harder and I’d probably still drink fairly regularly. I know I’m lucky I’ve never had dependence on it, my main ”addiction” in life has always been food; I wish my junk food habits were as easy to let go of as alcohol was, but sadly that’s a whole other story!
Everybody’s addicted to something.
True.