by Just days after photos of a gaunt, emaciated Macaulay Culkin hit the web, sparking widespread speculation of illness or drug use, Whitney Houston‘s lifeless body was found in a Hollywood hotel bathtub.
I see both incidents as a chance to look a little closer at how we see celebrities in trouble.
Culkin, child star of the Home Alone series and later a face of more subversive films such as Saved and Party Monster, was photographed last week on the streets of New York. Online surfers described his appearance as “looking homeless,” “on death’s door,” and “the appearance of someone in the throes of crystal meth addiction.”
People also began flooding websites like ET and OMG with concern over his well being and comments demanding the people in Culkin’s life intervene and help someone “so obviously in trouble.”
Culkin’s publicist released a statement saying the actor was “in perfect health.”
Two days later, troubled singer Whitney Houston‘s lifeless body was found at the Beverly Hilton hotel in California following a night of partying in Hollywood. Houston’s reps as well as the police are stressing that it could be weeks before a definite cause of death can be determined.
As news of her death spread across the world, websites were besieged with comments, asking why her “people” did not stop her from descending back into drug use, despite the fact that has yet to be proven.
People have fond memories of both Houston and Culkin, and I get that. So many filmgoers from my generation equate the Home Alone movies with their childhood, and Houston’s incredible singing touched the emotions of countless fans. But I do not get the need to point the finger at others for their actions. The way I see it, we are all adults, and we all have the freedom to make choices throughout the day. Sometimes we make good choices, and sometimes we make bad ones. All of us.
These are celebrities, but they are still human beings. No one put a gun to Houston’s head and forced her to use drugs. She made choices every day that affected her life, not to mention the lives of her daughter and family. IF her death winds up to be attributed to drug use, then I think continuing to portray her as a helpless kid who fell victim to the “bad people” surrounding her is a bit naive. It is also presumptuous, as none of us were there for her day-to-day activities.
Do I think the people in Houston’s and Culkin’s lives have a responsibility to voice concern over issues? Absolutely, just as I feel it is my duty as a friend to ask someone in my life to get help if they need it. But I also do not blame my personal choices on others.
Just because someone is a celebrity, I don’t feel the rules should change.
I think is is very sad but we expect so much from them and the more we expect the more they push themselves and then they begin to need something to help them keep up the pace and they turn to drugs. I think we can blame ourselves for many of these stars demise because we expect too much from them.
As you and I said when Amy Winehouse died, I think “ordinary” people spend way too much time focusing on celebrities; talking about these people; and thinking they have some connection to them. Spend the time on people in your own life!
Very well said. =)
We all make mistakes & must learn from them. We cannot control what others do but if they are a family member or a friend – We can not encourage them to do it by helping them buy or giving them money to get the drugs. We see more and more celebrities turning to drugs and it’s so sad. They have so much going for them… why throw it all away? We lose people we love everyday… it’s apart of life – We all are going to die sometime – it’s fact. Live life to the fullest each day – because we never know when death will come knocking on our door!