I watched the first couple minutes of the Grammys. And then I turned it off and did something productive. I didn't want to hear all the tributes to Whitney Houston, a self-confessed druggie who had died the day before.
The show was full of tributes to her and her music, I understand. And she was indeed a powerful singer. When I was young, my mom had bought one of her early tapes. Since I didn't have many tapes to listen to, I pretty much wore it out. I'm secure enough in my masculinity to say that.
After her passing, and that of Michael Jackson not so long ago, the question struck me - why are we yet again going to sanctify a druggie?
I'm not the only person who feels this way. On Sun News Network's Facebook page I saw a photo of a line of U.S. flag-draped coffins. Under it, the caption read, "Whitney Who? When celebs get more credit than real heroes."
Apparently it's going viral.
Why does our culture celebrate such people? We build them up for their talent, which then leads to drug use as an accepted and almost natural part of celebrity lifestyle. Then we wink and nod, accepting that's just celebrity life. Keith Richards did drugs? So? Marilyn Monroe? Really? Johnny Cash? No way. Just keep the hits a-comin'.
When the downfall leaves them a shadow of their former selves, addled with addiction, and they go through rehab numerous times, we just tut tut as we watch it on Entertainment Tonight. That's news, didn't you know?
When they get turfed from one of the highest rated shows on television as a result of their increasingly wild behaviour and decide to go on a "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour, we buy tickets.
These are our society's heroes. We dedicate entire television networks to follow their every movement. Millions of trees give up their lives to print tabloid magazines and newspapers about them.
But they were such an inspiration, you may say. They provided such joy for their fans. Surely many will weep crocodile tears, and there will be a run on stuffed bears and flowers at some makeshift outdoor memorial.
Oh, to be a flower shop owner near where such a "tragedy" takes place.
When your interview with Oprah focuses on your drug problems, that's saying something. CBS reported that in 2009 Houston told Oprah, "I had so much money by that point I was like, pshht. I wasn't thinking ...
"I didn't think. I wasn't thinking. Remember we were flying all over the country in jets. Going to Paris for a day or two, yachts, going cruising in the Mediterranean."
By her later movies, she was doing drugs daily, she admitted.
It's amazing how two elements in society seem to have such easy access to drugs - prison inmates and celebrities. The great equalizer between the highest and lowest echelons of our society is drugs.
But the great difference is if you're a druggie who dies on the inner city streets, society thinks you were worthless to begin with, but if you're a druggie and famous, the world stops at your passing.
For those who can make great achievements without drugs (very few in the entertainment world, apparently), they should be celebrated. But if you spent much of the last 20 years popping pills, smoking dope or sticking a needle in your arm, my heart doesn't bleed for you.
- Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at [email protected].
