Celebrity Death-Cult

Right now the news is filled with really important stories/items. The Immigration Reform bill, flooding in Texas, and as I write this a possible terror attack has been foiled in the UK (God bless those Brits, and God save the Queen). But what do I keep hearing about? Paris Hilton.

Ugh.

Like the Anna Nichole Smith thing, I've opted not to blog about Paris Hilton. I made the decision to not discuss what I consider to be a triviality. But they just keep shoving this shit down my throat. Anyway, I'm not going to bitch and moan about something (after all, complaining about it is one of the ways it stays in the news, right?). However, Ms. Hilton's legal/drug problems got me thinking. I was reminded of of Amy Winehouse (yes, I'm talking about her again). Bear with me for one moment...

About a month ago I wrote a review of her new album. In my review I commented on how strange it is that we seem to relish/revere her substance abuse (and other personal problems). You can read that review in it's entirety here: http://thoughtsofalimemonkey.blogspot.com/2007/05/back-to-black.html

I almost got off topic in my analysis of her album, but veered away from critiquing the woman and not the music. I wrote:

"It's funny. The things we think are funny celebrities do, that make us sad/hurt when our loved ones do them. That by itself is a topic worthy of further discussion, I'll save it for a later posting."

Well, this is that later posting folks.

Many people find Winehouse to be amusing. A nice little diversion from their everyday, hum-drum lives. Leah will sing along with "Rehab," in which Winehouse sings about being told she should go to rehab...but she refuses. In fact, the song sorta makes it a whole "girl power" kind of statement. See, Amy likes to drink. Amy likes to drink a lot. In fact, I've read that she often pukes on or just off stage at many of her gigs. But that's rock 'n roll, right? Right. People all over the world see her behavior and think (to some degree) that it's "cool." Okay, most people probably don't think her vomit is cool...but they see her as dangerous and edgy (basically "cool"). What is my point?

My point is, ask Leah if she thinks Amy Winehouse is a badass who does what she wants--and she'll probably agree (I think she would, at least. And if she wouldn't I know there are many who would). Part of the reason people think that is because she is a heavy drinker, and that fits her image (and our own image of what a musician should be/do). But ask Leah about my own struggle with alcohol and watch her attitude change. Suddenly, binge drinking isn't something funny a posh celebrity is doing...it's something a loved one is engaged in. Now the stakes have changed. See, I'm writing about Amy Winehouse...but I don't KNOW Amy Winehouse. Never met her, probably never will. Neither has Leah.

And that's the difference folks. People on TV or in movies are just that--on TV and in movies. Not real, flesh and blood like you and me. The distance means EVERYTHING when it comes to what we will tolerate/accept when it comes to their behavior (dangerous or otherwise).

I'll give you another example: Kevin Smith. Leah loves Kevin Smith, thinks he's hilarious. We both listen to his podcast, it's really funny. Basically he just shoots the shit...talking about random stuff going on in his life. Every so often you'll hear a flick of a lighter followed by the big lug taking a drag off a cigarette. Leah has pointed it out to me, she thought it was funny. She thought he was "badass" for just lighting up...not caring that he was recording and we could hear him smoking (and it is cigs he's smoking, Smith has been clean for many years now). What Leah doesn't think is funny is when I smoke. She is very worried about the health of my lungs because I have been an on-again off-again smoker for the past 4 years. What's the difference? She knows me. She has a real emotional stake in my well being. Smith is jester, a clown who she only sees and hears. For her, he is less real than I am.

Last month, I re-read British author Nick Hornby's brilliant little book, ABOUT A BOY. I wish I had my copy here with me in Kansas City (alas, most of my good things are in St. Louis). The novel is set in the '90s, and one of the main characters is a young boy named Marcus. Marcus has a very enlightened conversation with a schoolmate about Kurt Cobain. Again I wish I had it in front of me to quote, but basically Marcus tries to dispel his schoolmate's romantic notion of Cobain's suicide. He points out that Kurt has a child, a little girl...and how terrible his death is for her. What was Cobain thinking, taking himself away from someone who needed him so much. In the novel, Marcus's mother has recently tried to "off" herself. He knows the fear and the anguish suicide can have on the survivors (and his mother didn't even die). The boy's friend doesn't see it that way, and Marcus reasons it's because to her Kurt Cobain isn't a real life person. Hornby hits the nail right on the head. In our celebrity obsessed culture, we don't view celebs as real people. They're actors playing a role, even when they're not on screen.

It's a sad business.

The reality is: Amy Winehouse is someone's little girl. A little girl has grown up without a father, and most people think killing himslef was the most artistic thing Cobain ever did. Kevin Smith is probably giving himself Cancer. Paris Hilton is a fucked up individual--these people should be pitied. Someone should try to reach out and help them, not take their fucking picture.