Drug Addiction and the Media

On July 23rd, 2011, Amy Winehouse passed away in her apartment in London, England. The singer, who is infamous for saying “No, no, no” to rehab sadly succumbed to her addictions over the summer, leaving millions of fans grief stricken and in a state of disbelief. Winehouse, who was once a punch line for thousands of jokes has now become the poster child for alcoholism and substance abuse, showing users what their fate could become. When she was alive, the media took her drug addiction as a sort of joke. To the world, Amy Winehouse was an entertaining, drunk, British girl with a 1960’s style and a body full of tattoos. Only after she died could she be taken seriously. Amy Winehouse’s death shows the world that the American public’s fascination with trouble can turn fatalistic.

Amy Winehouse’s short life poses a problem. The media and the American public seem to have a fascination with troubled celebrities. It is stereotypical to believe that the American public idolizes perfect, beautiful celebrities, though in recent times it seems to not be the case. Celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson had the most public battles in 2011, and were also the most talked about people of 2011. Public figures with personal problems now fight their battles for the world to see. This is an injustice to themselves and to society. According to the Pew Research Center, 54 percent of Americans say the celebrity news is over-covered, yet the American public keeps buying into the chaos.

This obsession with troubled celebrities can be linked back to the 1950’s and the world’s most tortured star, Marilyn Monroe. Monroe fought numerous public battles in her short life, such as her addiction to sleeping pills. Monroe also feared submitting to paranoid-schoprenia, a disease her mother and grandmother also suffered from. The newspapers labeled Monroe as a Hollywood misfit, a non-conformist who would never be able to match the perfection of cookie-cutter stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Doris Day. Though she was a rouge celebrity, Monroe appeared as a staple in the media for almost 10 years of her career, until her death in 1962. Looking back, it is clear that if Monroe were able to escape the seething spotlight of fame, she would have been able to be rid herself of addiction. Monroe’s worst fears stemmed from her life in the spotlight. It is obvious Marilyn Monroe could have still been alive, even today, if the media had not overly published her issues and addictions.

Another star infamous for their issues is Lindsay Lohan. Lohan, a modern, less talented version of Marilyn Monroe, has been seen in the news for the past years. She has done hard drugs, crashed cars and stolen jewelry. All of these incidents have been highly published in the media. Lohan, who became famous at an early age, by starring in such films as The Parent Trap, is no stranger to the Hollywood lifestyle. As time passed, she began to get into increasingly serious trouble. She stirred multiple media frenzies, dealing with court dates and jail times. Lindsay Lohan’s childhood in the spotlight clearly effected her adulthood. Though she was an innocent child , though is now a troubled adult.

Through celebrities such as Amy Winehouse, Marilyn Monroe, and Lindsay Lohan, it is clear that it is not healthy for Hollywood celebrities to live out their troubled lives in front of the public eye. Although Marilyn Monroe or Amy Winehouse cannot be brought back , their memories will live on forever, with hope that celebrities that come after them can learn from their mistakes.