The Price of Fame
I like Amy Winehouse's music, but I can't say I approve of her drink and
drug lifestyle. I've been reading about her latest run in with the law -
for drug offences and assault - and can't help but wonder why so many
talented stars frequently display such out of control behaviour. Here is a
young woman with tremendous ability and the world at her feet who feels
the need to abuse her mind and body - it's a tragic case of self-loathing
where there should only be pride and self-worth. It's an age-old story.
From Judy Garland to Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando to Britney Spears -
enormous success and adulation can turn what should be a personal heaven
into a private hell. These stars get an enormous amount of adulation, and
get given anything they want, so it's hardly surprising that so many of
them lose their grip on reality. The latest scandal saw Winehouse filmed
smoking crack-cocaine and snorting ecstasy and cocaine. The question is,
why would she allow herself to be filmed doing these things? In the light
of Kate Moss and countless others being caught out on camera, it seems
surprising that someone would shine a light on their illegal activites.
Then again, maybe that's what it's all about for these people - once
they've experienced a certain level of attention and interest in their
lives, they become addicted to the very notion of fame. And when the
public seem far from dismayed at their behaviour, they give more of the
same. Entertainers by nature give their public what they want - even if
it's a drug-addled tragi-comedy being played out in the media. For Amy
Winehouse and others, this is a heavy price to pay for all the rewards
their success has brought. The only real hope for the future is that the
public at large become less interested in the soap opera of celebrity and
more interested in the actual skills and talents of the stars they seek to
make, break, canonize and shoot down.