Amy Winehouse's death and the evils of success?
@BalthasarTheRat (656)
United States
July 24, 2011 9:09am CST
If her self destructive drug problems weren't known among her managers/inner circle and "true" friends from the very beginning, it would be impossible for them to be in denial after she was pretty much booed off stage in Greece a few weeks ago.
And despite what should have been a strong group of support and responsibility, she is now gone from this mortal coil in what seems to have been a preventable tragedy.
It is not hard to place responsibility. Her handlers, from managers to record label, should have protected her from even herself. Doing so, however, would have meant too much downtime (and perhaps an end to her career altogether) that would have ruined their ability to make money off of her.
It is becoming an all too familiar story. A big star becomes so important to all the people that live off his or her talent that it is couterproductive for those closest to him or her to rein in the star's bad behavior.
You would think that Amy's death would be a wake-up call to others of those stars who are in a similar position, or at least their entourages. But we know different, don't we? Right now, somewhere, Charlie Sheen and Lindsey Lohan are probably hearing the news and thinking that will never happen to THEM.
As fans we would seem to be powerless, but we actually have nearly as much blood on our hands as the insiders. We know when our favorite stars are in trouble, but we keep supporting them. People will invariably pop up on YouTube begging for the media to leave so and so alone, and worse, we keep buying their products, going to their concerts and watching their shows.
As fans, if we really cared, we would ban together when this happens to someone we purport to care about and avoid spending any money on that star until they received help. One good fan site could probably rally enough people to financially impact the star's insider network and force them to take action. Certainly, the public's ability to ignore bad behavior just to see their favorites perform HAS to be taken into account.
I personally begged for Amy's support team to get her out of the limelight and into help (again in her case), but it needs to be a concerted effort from a fan base to have a big enough impact. I am now just as responsible in her case since I did not try to rally her fans behind this cause, but YOU don't have to make the same mistakes.
Spread the word that we, as fans, have an important part to play in our "idols" lives. We provide the financing that makes their careers possible and with that kind of leverage we can make a difference. Don't wait until it is too late. Sure withholding our financial support is a form of tough love, but it's all we've got.
For whom do you fear? For whom do you pray?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@starsailover (7829)
• Mexico
25 Jul 11
Hi Balthasar the rat: I think you are absolutely right
Amy was a victim of the system at some point who just sees her as a money program. She has so many talent but she probably don't have someone around her that really want toprotect her from herself. It's really sad. We won't have Amy anymore, being a fan. I agree with you, we also are responsible for supporting the corporative record companies that exploit the talent of a person that needs help. We should be more active.
ALVARO
Amy was a victim of the system at some point who just sees her as a money program. She has so many talent but she probably don't have someone around her that really want toprotect her from herself. It's really sad. We won't have Amy anymore, being a fan. I agree with you, we also are responsible for supporting the corporative record companies that exploit the talent of a person that needs help. We should be more active.
ALVARO @sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
25 Jul 11
This was stated very well. I do agree with you too a certain extent. Fans are partically responsible for helping support theirs habits by purchasing their product and going to concerts. Their circle of supports could have also helped. However, in the end the only person who can truly help them is them. Addicts will find a way to get what they want regardless. Look how many times they go to rehab and then check theirselves out because they can't handle it. If they really wanted help, they would stay for the whole program and then make strides towards bettering their futures. They wouldn't rush right out to find their next fix. Best Wishes!



