The entertainment industry is a major force in the world economy, with billions of dollars at stake. As such, it is critical that we understand how health impacts this sector. This blog post will explore 5 ways in which the health of consumers affects the entertainment industry and vice versa.
#1: Entertainers and injuries
A natural place to start with this discussion is the impact of injuries on the entertainment industry. While we generally expect entertainers to be healthy and able-bodied, there are many examples of performers who have suffered serious lasting injuries during their career that affect their ability to perform. Here are some examples:
• John Wayne, one of the screen’s most iconic cowboys, lost his ability to walk after years of riding horses on movie sets.
• Jerry Lewis was unable to perform for several weeks in 2010 because he had back surgery related to a fall from a podium on stage.
• Bob Dylan slipped and broke his shoulder while walking.
• Stephen Hawking was involved in a serious car accident that’s left him paralyzed.
These injuries signify a major burden for these individuals, as well as their respective industries. While some of them were able to recover and continue on with the entertainment industry, this is not always possible or desirable. Furthermore, these injuries show how health can affect an entertainment company’s bottom line through decreased productivity.
#2: Health trends and the entertainment industry
Another area in which health impacts the entertainment industry is in its effect on consumer tastes. For instance, if people develop more health conditions or become more aware of their own health status, they may be more prone to watch movies about healthy living or TV shows with characters who promote healthy habits. There’s an entire subcategory of reality television focusing on health, including shows like “The Biggest Loser” and “American Gladiators.”
Just as consumer tastes can affect the entertainment industry, so too can trend in the entertainment industry cause changes in consumer health. This is one of the reasons why obesity has increased in recent years, as both children and adults are spending an increasing amount of their free time in sedentary activities like video gaming or watching movies instead of exercising.
#3: Entertainment impacting health
While entertainment trends may shape consumer health, the reverse is also true; that is to say, health trends may shape entertainment. This is particularly true in the case of so-called “reality” shows, which are often criticized for promoting unhealthy activities. For example, MTV’s show “Jersey Shore” routinely depicted cast members getting drunk and participating in other reckless behavior—behavior that has been blamed for excessive alcohol consumption among young people.
#4: Prevention campaigns in entertainment
A third way in which health impacts the entertainment industry is through prevention campaigns. One of the most obvious examples of this is celebrity endorsements, where entertainers are used to promote healthy lifestyles or disease awareness. For instance, Jim Parsons from “The Big Bang Theory” partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help promote awareness of breast cancer, while John Cena from WWE partnered with the Susan G. Komen foundation in 2012 to encourage male screenings for that same disease.
Another example of health impacting entertainment is using shows and movies to educate people about health conditions and healthy living. There are some great examples of this on TV today, including shows like “Nurse Jackie” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” which use entertainment as a tool for educating viewers about health issues. A more dramatic example is the film “50/50,” where Seth Rogen’s character contracts cancer, creating an opportunity to educate the public on that disease. On this note, it should be noted that cancer is a health condition that has been particularly well-represented in entertainment. In fact, there are more TV shows and movies with cancer as the focus than any other disease, though this may be because cancer can be treated more successfully than many other conditions.
#5: Entertainment industry regulations and standards
Finally, we’ll look at how regulations and industry standards impact health in the entertainment industry. There are many examples of where healthy living is encouraged within TV shows and movies on this front. Some include mandatory exercise periods for actors, dietary standards for food prepared on set, and even time limits on long shoots so cast members do not get overly fatigued or injured by participating too long.