Jan. 8, 2010 - Un'sweetin'ed by Jodie Sweetin

Memoirs seem to be the new fashion in reading. After a trip to the library, the other day, I came home with a few different choices. This particular memoir is by Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on the popular '80's sitcom, Full House. This is the type of wholesome, family show that, years later, my own children watched as they were growing up in the late '90's.

Many people would covet the life of a television star. The money, the attention, the clothes; working with and meeting other famous actors, traveling on location to Hawaii and Disney World - what's not to like? However, "all that glitters is not gold". Jodie reveals, that although there were good times, she missed having a normal childhood including school and proper friendships. The kids at school made fun of her and shunned her. Even the most embarassing moments of growing to adulthood had to be experienced in front of millions of television viewers. She struggled to find her place not only on the set but also at school, in front of her peers.

The fans were often outrageous, screaming at her and calling her names, trying to get autographs even under the stalls of washrooms. As the show became more and more popular, the crowds were often uncontrollable. Jodie had to have a bodyguard; she even recounts a time when the whole cast was shot at in a limousine. This is not an environment we would wish for ourselves or our children. For Jodi, it eventually led to poor self-esteem and addiction problems.

In her memoir, Jodie reveals her struggle with alcoholism and addiction. I liked the fact that in her introduction she mentioned that her story was not meant to stop people from drinking or doing drugs or to give them advice. "I know from experience that being told not to do something is not going to make a damn bit of good. It doesn't do any good when you're told by your family, let alone some actress." However, it is a story people can learn from, that will hopefully make an impact on the choices they may be faced with and the daily peer pressure and social pressures that they experience. Above all, her story helps us realize how fortunate we really are in our own lives and that money and possessions do not ensure happiness or success.