I watched ABC's Primetime: Family Secrets on Tuesday night. Correspondent Cynthia McFadden went behind the scenes with actor and famous Baldwin brother Daniel as he trudged his way through a Malibu drug rehab experience. It wasn't his first help-seeking trip -- at one point in his life, he went to rehab six times in four years.

It's a disease, this whole addiction thing, say experts who believe addicts harbor a genetic predisposition for their bad habits. Baldwin agrees. And he calls this ninth stint in rehab his chemotherapy. He needs it, he says, to beat his disease.

McFadden asked Baldwin if his comparison of addiction to cancer wasn't a bit off target. Isn't choice part of the addiction equation, she inquired. "No," he responded. His disease will be with him for the rest of his life, he explained. It's no different really than if he was battling cancer.

I'm not sure about this. I see the genetic argument. I understand addictive personalities. I know it must be hard to kick addiction. But I don't know if I'd put it in the same category as cancer -- because addicts can elect to get help and it can work. Even though nearly 80 percent of those who complete rehab programs go back to using, it's possible to come out clean. Research shows it takes 90 days for the brain to rid itself of this "disease." Research shows there may never be a true cure for cancer.

So I'm just not sure about Baldwin's "chemotherapy." What about you?

Grey's Anatomy has teamed up with Warriors in Pink in a sweepstakes called Gear Up with Grey's Anatomy. The Warriors in Pink Prize Package winner will receive a 2007 Ford Fusion, a trip to the Grey's Anatomy set, and a Warrior in Pink apparel package including gear autographed by the cast of Grey's Anatomy. No purchase is necessary to win and the deadline to enter the sweepstakes is 11:59 PM (EST) on December 31, 2006. For more details, and to enter the sweepstakes, visit Warriors in Pink Gear Up with Grey's Anatomy Sweepstakes.

In addition, Warriors in Pink has launched a magnificent virtual quilt online. Breast cancer survivors and co-survivors are invited to contribute to the quilt with a personal message of encouragement, inspiration, love, support and celebration by designing a symbolic patch that will then be added to the Virtual Quilt online. According to the keepers of the Warriors in Pink Virtual Quilt, "There is strength in numbers, and decorated with the Warriors in Pink symbols, each patch is a personal message for friends and loved ones. Experience the vastness and behold the Warriors in Pink beautiful and valiant fight against breast cancer."

The Virtual Quilt is also available as a screensaver. To date, there are 2740 patches. To visit, the Virtual Quilt requires Flash Player 8 or higher.

Katie Couric spent her summer traveling the country visiting with future CBS news fans and raising money for cancer awareness. Couric, whose husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998 at the age of 42, has become a prominent spokesperson for colon cancer awareness. She underwent a colonoscopy on-air in March 2000 and inspired many others to get checked. In October 2005, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Couric broadcast her own mammogram on the Today Show in hopes of motivating women everywhere to get schedule their own mammograms. Her influence on both cancer fronts -- known as the Couric Effect -- demonstrates the fact that one powerful person can draw much attention to important causes. And perhaps her influence -- soon to arrive on television screens everywhere -- will continue as she takes the driver's seat on the CBS Evening News beginning September 5 at 6:30 PM.

On her second day of work in her new job, Couric will interview President Bush at the White House as part of a primetime special. Other story plans include digging deeper into the stories of the day and answering questions viewers might have on all topics. Hopefully, cancer issues will continue to take priority in Couric's life so that we all may benefit from her advocacy.

Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? It's an age-old chicken and the egg question of which came first and which then followed. When it comes to primetime television, with images beamed into the living rooms and bedrooms of nearly every household in this country  -- it might be more the subject of distortion for the sake of sensationalism than imitation.

Today, the Academy of Television Arts&Science announced this year's 58th annual Primetime Emmy Awards nominees for drama series that include two weekly medical shows, House and Grey's Anatomy. Scrubs is nominated in the comedy series category.

Which got me to thinking about the impact, if there is one, on the viewer's idea about the medical community.

While there might be a drug-addicted doctor out there with such a genius IQ that he is supported by a medical team that makes allowances for the anti-social behavior his addiction creates, I am certain in real life the medical community does a better job of self-policing itself than they do in regard to House.

When it comes to watching the social drama of sex, introspective angst and egos run rampant on Grey's Anatomy, I suppose when you put any group of people together it's only a matter of time before some of them become entrenched in a mobius strip of narcissism, but still I don't believe this is a realistic representation in the life of an intern.  

At least Scrubs is just silly and does not attempt to seriously portray itself as anything other than a light-hearted spoof. But when it comes to shows written with an intent for dramatic real life settings, I wonder if the images we are exposed to on a regular basis can have an influence on perception and can alter attitude -- especially if you are not critically analyzing what you are watching -- and for the sake of entertainment, who does that?  Do you think these medical shows, on a subconscious level, affect the viewer's perception of the medical community?