Is Atticus Finch Secretly a Thug?

How about this picture? On digg.com I came across this painting by David MacDowell who called this painting "A Menace to Sobriety". It is a part of a larger series called "The sins of Atticus Finch." The artist has this to say about his show:

“As a kid, I always loved “To Kill A Mockingbird”, and wished Atticus Finch was my dad. To be guided by such ethical wisdom would have made me a better person, I imagine. But nobody’s perfect, and our imperfections dictate the core of this new series, working on both superficial and deeper levels. On the surface is a colorful, humorous romp where we poke fun at celebrity culture and media. Yet the undercurrent is all about how society is bent on correcting wrongs by repressing everyone. It’s always fun to explore how we’re repressed by our parents, “The Man” and the method’s used to repress ourselves.”

I find this painting extremely interesting in that it brings up the issue of how culture shapes our identities. Does our surrounding and media force us to repress our instinctual behavior which might involve drinking heavily, doing drugs, toting guns and showing a general lack of respect for society? Do celebrities such as Tupac and Biggie help us release some of this frustration at our inability to act out in rebellion and so we vicariously do it through their lyrics. This painting pretty much sums all that up in one picture. Atticus Finch, a moral beacon, is shown tatted up with a gun in his waistband, smoking a joint and sticking up his middle finger. In the artist point of view had the media and culture not forced Atticus Finch to repress his inner desires that's how he would have acted. I like the subtle addition of tupac and biggie because they represent icons of a sub culture that is rebellious. In a way this makes a larger statement about celebrity culture and how it helps us escape our lives within the system because their lifestyles are so different and seem so free spirited. They aren't forced into working 9-5 jobs to support families and make ends meet. Instead they party, make millions of dollars, do and say whatever they feel and in the end make themselves happy. Maybe this is secretly everyone's greatest wish?