What little girl doesn’t dream of becoming an actress or singer when she grows up? I even think that all little boys want to be in a famous rock band or on a professional sports team at one point or another. Now, why do we want to be famous? Probably because it’s practically impossible to become a princess (or prince), so a famous entertainer is the next best thing. Kids love to draw attention to themselves, so how about being the center of attention for your JOB? Cool, right?
Except it’s not. Because it’s not just a job, 9-5, be in the spotlight when you want to be. Once you’re famous, then the public wants to know everything about you, all of the time. The spotlight is never turned off. That’s a lot of pressure. I know that our “stars” are regular human beings, but sometimes we seem to forget that. Imagine if every time that you made a poor wardrobe decision, tripped while getting out of the car, or had developments in your love life, the result would be that your face got plastered on all of the tabloids that you see when doing your grocery shopping? I’d bet that the pressure of always being in the spotlight would get to you after a while.
So, what am I talking about all of this for? Well, lately I’ve had several conversations with other participants in this seminar about how sad it is that many of the talented young entertainers that we’ve been studying died early because of drug abuse. To bring this to the present day, on July 23rd, 2011, British R&B/soul/jazz singer Amy Winehouse joined the 27 Club. What is the 27 Club, you ask? It’s a list of famous musicians who all died at the age of 27. There are more at the age of 27, for some reason, than any other age – a statistical spike. Other than Amy Winehouse, the most notable among the 27 Club are: Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain. Guess what all of these people have in common? Drug addiction. Any guess what was a contributing factor in every single one of their deaths (although Amy’s is still presumed)? Alcohol and drugs, whether hard or prescription. Obviously, we have a problem. Though I am no fan of British comedian Russell Brand – who also struggles with drug addiction, among other things – he recently made me think when he spoke out concerning his friend Amy’s death: “We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy’s incredible talent. Or Kurt’s or Jimi’s or Janis’s, some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill. We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care. We need to look at the way our government [speaking of Great Britain, but it still applies] funds rehabilitation.”
Drug addiction is serious. Many entertainers do need help. We have certainly already had enough talented individuals leave us far too soon; we really don’t need more joining their ranks. But why? Well, it was because they overdosed on drugs. But why? This is where my first two paragraphs come in to play. Of course one’s decision to do drugs is a personal decision, made by the one alone. However, I’ve been wondering why people make the decision to do drugs in the first place, and I think that it is for an escape. In Gwen Stefani’s song “The Sweet Escape,” she wished that “If I could escape and recreate a place that's my own world,” then she could be happy. Drugs are something to take in order to make you escape the real world and feel happy… but only for a short while. Why would our “stars” want to escape their glamorous lifestyles, though? Don’t we all wish that we were like them? Well, actually, we don’t.
I know that I started off by saying that every little girl (and boy?) dreams of being famous. That is true. But it’s only because little children cannot comprehend the repercussions of the “glamorous” lifestyle. It’s not all fun. The work if hard, with long hours and crazy schedules, and the paparazzi is always weighing-in on every aspect of your private life. You’re working so hard that you’re exhausted, yet you’re being following by hungry animals just waiting for you to fall/fail. I might be a tad overdramatic here, but I believe that I can sympathize with the tragic end of the many musicians we’ve been studying by understanding that their lives weren’t as great as we might like to believe. Add to the stresses I’ve already mentioned with the racial prejudices that existed in our nation at the time, and it seems like a recipe for wanting an “escape.” The problem is that drugs really aren’t the sweet escape. They cause serious damage in every aspect of one’s life. They can cause the end of one’s life. The highs may be high, but the lows become lower. It’s a lot to deal with, and without having any privacy and (seemingly) relatively few people to help or to understand, then drugs can seem to be an acceptable answer. It’s sad that so many talented individuals endure so much to explore those talents that they end up ruining their lives. I hope that, as Russell Brand said, we can change our perceptions of drug use so that we can help others to know that true happiness can’t be purchased or induced chemically – it has to come from within.
-- Danielle Asay
