We tend to talk about alcoholics like they’re just sad sacks at the end of the bar, cautionary tales in court-ordered group therapy, or plotlines in movies that end in DUIs or overdoses. But the truth is a hell of a lot more complicated — and more interesting. Alcoholics aren’t just heartbreaking and frustrating. They’re often brilliant. Visionary. World-changing.
Yes, addiction can wreck lives. But it doesn’t always erase potential or talent. It can certainly give pause to wonder what an alcoholic in recovery could achieve.
Fat shaming is out. We don’t say “retard” anymore — and we shouldn’t. But somehow we still toss around “drunk” or “junkie” like it’s acceptable. We still reduce people to their worst moments. We ignore the complexities of the human experience. This kind of erasure isn’t so different from how we’ve historically ignored the contributions of women, or African Americans, or anyone pushed to the margins.
Where would we be without alcoholics? No, really — think about that.
So if you’re an alcoholic feeling like a loser, the family black sheep, the fuck-up they don’t talk about at holidays? You’re in good company.
If we want to build a more compassionate, honest culture around addiction, we have to stop seeing alcoholics only through the lens of tragedy and failure. They are — we are — whole people. Capable of greatness and screw-ups, sometimes in the same hour.
So, if you’re watching TV right now? Thank an alcoholic.
Philo Farnsworth: The Drunk Who Invented TV
Before TikTok influencers, HBO dramas, or “Friends” reruns numbing the existential dread at 2 a.m., there was a kid in Idaho — 14 years old — sketching the first concept of what would become television on a plowed field. That kid was Philo Farnsworth, and yeah, he was an alcoholic. A genius one.
Farnsworth didn’t just invent TV. He imagined it before most people even had indoor plumbing. He figured out how to transmit moving pictures electronically. The guy dreamed of sharing knowledge and images around the world — and then actually made it happen. He also spent much of his adult life fighting off depression, disappointment, and, yes, a drinking problem.
But here’s the thing: if you’ve ever watched anything on a screen — from breaking news to “The Real Housewives,” you’re witnessing the legacy of a man who wrestled with addiction.
His drinking didn’t cancel out his brilliance. And his invention didn’t cure his suffering. He was both: an innovator and a struggling human being.
It’s time we hold space for that truth. Because when we only define people by their addiction, we erase the rest of the story.