The Lousy United States Drinking Age Of 21

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE EIGHTH EDITION OF "THE BEAU ZONE" ON THE HARD ROCK HEROES WEBSITE FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER 2006.

Wow - Five months you people had to wait before seeing a new Beau Zone. That's because I was taking a course in Microsoft Word from January to March. But we're back now! Let's start with this recent stupid crackdown in some United States nightclubs on people, including celebrities, between the ages of 18 and 21 drinking in the clubs. Really, let's talk about the more stupid U.S. drinking age of 21. Like, what's up with that? Here in the province of Manitoba in Canada the drinking age is 18. Which only makes perfect sense, because the legal age of adulthood is 18. In fact, it is in the U.S., too, so with what adulthood and "coming of age" is supposed to represent, let me get this straight: You're a legal, responsible adult at 18.....but you can't drink until you're 21? What's up with that? Why isn't there more outcry about this in the United States? Is it because of all the heavier trafffic and more dangerous freeways generally found in the greater population density of the U.S., and the resulting increased abundance of concern over drinking and driving that comes with it? You know, the same logic car-rental companies use to deny a rental to anyone under 25. What it's actually doing is keeping people in adolescence longer, which can be a good thing in the clubs, malls, and hip clothing and record stores, but can also be a bad thing if you're looking for a good doctor or skilled tradespeople. Ashlee Simpson drunk at a McDonald's in Toronto, ON here in Canada caused people to say, "She's just being 21." I sneer at that. 21 - yeah, right. She's just being 18 here in Manitoba. In fact, some people who aren't naturally party people will experiment with drinking alcohol at 18 when they become an adult here in Manitoba, they'll do their rites of passage like puking at parties, etc., and they'll have it all out of their system by the ripe old age of 21, THREE YEARS LATER. Then they can get to the business at hand of getting their degree. And their approach to booze and partying becomes more mature. The girls may still want to wear hip jeans or dress like sluts, and get drunk on the weekend from time to time, but it's at a more adult level. Americans, through their backward drinking age of 21, are more like grade 12 teenagers when they turn 21 and can then legally drink. Of course, as I turn this discussion upside down now, this argument doesn't apply to those people that are destined to stay terminal adolescents for the rest of their lives. Those who always party at a level somewhere between the two levels I describe above. Like me and Hollywood celebrities! Hey, if anyone can get this message to celebrities between 18 and 21 that like to party like Linday Lohan or Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen - Hey, girls, guess what, the drinking age here in Manitoba, Canada is 18!! Here, YOU'RE LEGAL!!! Maybe you can find a movie to star in that shoots here in Winnipeg, MB. Then at night you can hit the clubs and party the night away! Fuck the Red Bull - you can drink Smirnoff Ice or Bacardi or beer or whatever BOOZE your hearts desire! Most of the bigger and more sophisticated clubs have specially-built outdoor smoking compounds, too, as unfortunately, we now have a lousy stinking smoking ban in bars here, too. (Maybe someday I'll write about that here on The Beau Zone.) Getting back to the drinking age, I believe in every province in Canada it's either 18 or 19. In Ontario it's 19. Party on, girls! And don't forget to bring your hottest micro-minis and stilettos!