I was watching Good Morning America earlier this week and heard that Jack Osbourne, son of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, announced that he has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. It made me think of a few things….
Number one…Jack Osbourne is a celebrity from the younger generation..(younger than mine). The point being that Multiple Sclerosis may get some attention from the younger generation because of his diagnosis and celebrity status. As a result, younger people might learn more about Multiple Sclerosis and maybe even other disabilities too…
Number Two…Now that Jack Osbourne is being associated with MS, the disability may get pushed into the spotlight and maybe some good can be done in the form of more research or donations to fund studies leading to better treatments, or even a cure for those who live with the disability. Maybe even something similar to the things like what Michael J. Fox has been trying to do for Parkinson’s Disease since his diagnosis, can result from this news.
How do you think popular culture is affected when celebrities are diagnosed with different disabilities or illnesses? (By the way, I am in no way stating that a disability is an illness because to me, that is the farthest thing from the truth)Â Does it positively affect people’s perception of that disability or illness after the news of the diagnosis becomes public?
Thanks for reading.
cr