So here we have this talented woman, whose music I do dig some, (she has a very tight band, even if her voice is not the best in the world) and what does she do? Piss it all away and become nothing more than a crackhead. Robin Williams has said numerous times in the past that cocaine is God's way of telling you you're making too much money.
Now it seems as if her lungs have started showing the beginning signs of some sort of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) condition. There is a debate as to whether or not it is emphysema, but smoking crack aside, she also smokes cigarettes like a chimney. Either way, unless she stops now, the only thing she will be facing next is either a lung transplant, or permanently tied to an oxygen tank.
If absolute power corrupts absolutely, what does absolute egoism do? I don't begrudge anyone making it as a singer, actor, etc. To be able to make a good living at an artistic endeavor is something that only a very few get to achieve, especially at the worldwide level that Amy Winehouse has been able to achieve. She is throwing it all into the shitter though, and at the end of the day, is no better than any of the crack addicts that I would pick up day in and day out in Brooklyn. She just has easier access to it.
The only person that can help her is herself. Maybe she hasn't hit bottom yet, but I suspect she doesn't have that much farther to fall.
12 comments:
We only make changes when we hit our own personally perceived crisis point. :o(
Gemma - No doubt. She is either going to recognize it, or she isn't.
Love the "cocaine is God's way of telling you you're making too much money" quote.
Right at this very moment my previous diving instructor (an "upstanding, well-off citizen") is busy destroying his nasal cavity with C. As a HIV+ gay man (with his triple HIV cocktail medication fully paid for by all under Belgian universal heathcare), he's totally disregarding the safety of others by not disclosing his condition.
He's a very talented man, who somehow got lost on that road towards the ultimate kick.
You won't see his face on E! TV, but much like him, I've seen way too many people get lost on this not-so-yellow-brick road, ending up in the gutter.
"absolute egoism" covers it eloquently.
Such a shame, with all that talent..
A great post title. I agree that it is such a waste of talent - and she is one very talented young woman.
I like the way you think, and write. Mind if I wander through the rest of your blog?
violetsky - thanks for stopping by and the compliment. By all means, please browse.
Peter - Yeah, I read about that on your blog. That is really horrible. Believe it or not, if that were to happen here, he could be charged with a felony for not telling anyone about his HIV status. It is akin to assault.
So sad. I saw a comment in a celebrity rag mag on a news stand recently with a quote from her mother who said something along the lines of 'she's not a freak show for the media, she's my daughter' and that really brings it home. Everyone who destroys themselves with drugs, alcohol, or whatever they choose to use, also destroys their loved ones in the process. I hope she hits bottom and starts to rise again before it's too late.
"Everyone who destroys themselves with drugs, alcohol, or whatever they choose to use, also destroys their loved ones in the process."
Jay - This is exactly the problem. It is the destruction of those around the addict which is what makes this so horrific. It is one thing if the person is doing it to themselves; it is even worse as they take everyone on their journey with them.
I remember this one case so clearly: A 19 year-old went on a 3 day crack binge. When we were called to his house, it all caught up to him and blew out a major blood vessel in his head. He essentially had a major stroke, and there we were, working feverishly to keep him breathing.
All this time, his horrified parents were looking on in complete disbelief. Their son had just smoked his way into a persistent vegetative state. To top it off, he was an only child.
I have never forgotten that call. It is part of why I have a low tolerance for those who want to pity the addict. The addict doesn't need pity. The addict needs help, but only they can act on it.
I had a long conversation with a prisoner yesterday. Well he was doing all the talking so maybe it wasn't a conversation exactly. He was telling me about his three kids who're just back with his ex-partner after yet another period in foster care. These kids have had a terrible childhood because their parents were addicts. My heart bleeds for them. I also wonder if they'll follow the same path one day.
Annie - I do know that addicts can change. I have two cousins that were addicted to cocaine, amongst other things, and they got themselves straightened out. (Fortunately, they never went to jail, though one of them came damn close to it.) My one cousin joined an organization called Narc-anon, similar to AA but for narcotic abusers. Her sponsor there became her husband, and now 15 years down the road, they are still very much drug-free and have two great kids.
It can be done, but it takes the addict to realize it within themselves. And you ask a very, very valid question regarding the kids of that prisoner/addict. Addiction is genetic in nature in terms of personality. I had several friends in the past whose parents were alcoholics, and whose siblings became alcoholic themselves, but they didn't. They recognized the possibility in themselves, and worked on it personally to stay clear of falling down that rabbit hole.
Unfortunately some people can not handle fame and fortune, there star rises and all the baggage and addictions they carried on their shoulders pre-fame still exist, manifested times 100 once the stipends start rolling in. Amy is amazing and it saddens me that she is willing to throw away what could have been an amazing career (her talent simply oozes from her pores) for drugs. Here is hoping she gets her shit together, but unfortunately, I have a feeling we have all seen what we are going to see of her for a long time, if not forever.
Their star too. Freaking typos. The nerve.
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