Rodney King: "I Don't Want To Be Perceived As Running Down The Street From The Police"



(image via tv2)

The symbol of police brutality in the 90s is taking his rehab one step at a time. The amazingly awesome Farai Chideya of NPR's News and Notes conducted an intense interview with Rodney King and Dr. Drew Pinsky. During the course of the interview, King, who has led a troubled life since his on-camera beating from vicious Los Angeles cops, admitted, "I've been sober for 4 months now .. I've been in and out of rehab, and this time it feels good."

King, who was ultimately awarded $3.8 million in a civil case against the city of Los Angeles, is appearing in this season's "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." Our first reaction to this show was divided. We wrote: "Certainly Dr. Drew Pinsky takes his vocation -- to help others beat their addictions -- seriously. But VH1, whose vocation it is to make celebrities look stupid for the sheer ratings value of the schadenfreude, sort of undermines the good work done by the good doctor. But as far as VH1 fare goes, it doesn't quite make you want to take a shower immediately after watching."

In the interview with Chideya, Dr. Pinsky said of the show, "It's hard to watch ... but all addiction is hard to watch." One of the salacious aspects of the show -- other than its being on the oily VH1 and not, say, the sober Discovery Medical Channel -- is that it involves celebrities and thus invites schadenfreude, which is the last thing a compassionate human being wants to have for the tragic story of Rodney King's decline. Pinsky said that he did try this season to get regular people struggling with addiction to appear on the show alongside the celebrities this season. "They couldn't really put together an informed consent," said Dr. Pinsky. "Celebrities know how to be on camera." He relayed how porn star Mary Carey, struggling with addiction on the show, could navigate her appearances on camera and how much she wanted the world to see of her battle. "'I do everything on camera,'" she told Dr. Drew. Apparently regular people who have addictions were unable to similarly filter their behavior for the cameras.

"I feel if (the viewers) see other addicts they'll go 'let me get some help,'" said King, on what he wants his appearance on the show to accomplish. "I don't want to be perceived as running down the street from the police (anymore)," King told NPR's Chideya. "I guarantee people will be surprised, pleased and delighted with this man," said, in conclusion Pinsky of King.

Listen to the full interview here.