Even jaded old me was a little surprised to wake up this morning to the news that Lindsay Lohan had been arrested AGAIN after a wild night filled (allegedly) with drugs, alcohol and DRAMA!
There are three culprits on whom most of us like to squarely lay the blame for these Celebs Behaving Badly.
1. The star him/herself. Oh, the pressures of "fame and fortune!"
2. Their parents. Maybe the star didn't get enough love and guidance as a child.
3. Their handlers. Are all the publicists, managers, agents and
entourage merely enablers and sycophants?
While I'm sure it's a combination of all three, I personally believe that anyone of legal adult age has to take personal responsibility.whether he or she is a celebrity or not. But since it is a quirky world in which the famous dwell, I sought some advice & insight from some local professionals.
Dr. James Walton (www.ichangers.com) doesn't buy the "celebrity" alibi as an excuse for reckless behaviour.
"Fame and fortune have their own unique stressors," he notes, "but so does being a dishwasher. [Celebrities] base
their identity on a false image of themselves and become dependent on the attention and approval of others. Negative attention can be as satisfying as positive."
Hollywood publicist Stacey Kumagai (www.braingasm.com) believes that their formative years play a big part in how a star copes with Tinseltown.
"It starts with home, parenting and the fine line between parent and stage parent. Business is business. Family is family. But when family gets too heavily involved in the business side of things, things do go awry. But some have finessed the boundaries well. And many young stars have remained in the spotlight handling their fame thus far with class, dignity, grace and style." She cites the likes of Mandy Moore, Keri Russell, Jodie Foster and Ron Howard as celebs "who transitioned wonderfully and successfully from child star, to teen star to adult superstar success story."
As Dr. Walton points out, "Treatment for an addiction must involve the intention of the individual to heal the mind in order to heal the body. The old joke, 'How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb? One, but the bulb has to really WANT to change' is relevant in cases like [Lindsay's]. Stacey adds she should "lead by example, showing productivity in healing and becoming healthy."
It's always been a case of individual personality and work ethic, to me.
Some cope, some don't. Shirley Temple was a child star who became a U.N. Ambassador. Judy Garland was a child star who overdosed in a bathroom.
So while we watch the Tinseltown trainwrecks that are Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, I suppose we can take some comfort in the fact that there are also young stars who keep their wits about them. Daniel Radcliffe, Shia LeBeouf, Hilary Duff, Amanda Bynes...
Your thoughts???
AB in London
I'm sure "white Oprah" is wringing her hands hoping those Lindsay paychecks don't stop...while daddy is using anything he can to weasel his way back into her bank acco [profane]--OH sorry, her life...this mess ain't over...
And really, there's a lot
I would just have my driver transport my ladies and I everywhere, just like Hef......(sigh) ...lol