Blog by Sean Gehon, Thursday, January 18, 2007

Rehabilitation isn’t something to make light of, nor is it something I think someone should have to go through publicly. Unfortunately for some celebrities out there, the lure of drugs and alcohol can often be too much of a temptation to resist. I’ve never tried a drug, nor have I ever been tempted, so to see people who are ‘living their dreams’ wind up in rehab is heartbreaking. For people like Lindsay Lohan, having your world come crashing around you in front of the entire world must certainly be easier mocked than experienced.

Lindsay Lohan has built her career as an actress, a debatable singer, and a tabloid queen. People around the world have spent a lot of time watching Lindsay bounce from club to club, enjoying countless stories of feuds with Paris Hilton, or being intoxicated out of her mind. Repeatedly, Miss. Lohan has said she’s in Alcoholics Anonymous (definitely defeating the ‘anonymous’ part), and is doing her best to clean up her act. Today, when I came into the office, I learned that at the tender age of twenty, Lindsay Lohan has checked herself into a rehabilitation facility.

I find it sad that someone who is only twenty years old, and not even of legal age to be drinking, has found herself overcome with, drugs and/or alcohol. What drives someone with such a bright future, full of limitless possibilities to decide to waste that potential on a night of partying - or several nights in Lindsay’s case. What happened to the fun loving actress who starred in Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, and the Parent Trap? Does anyone else remember how cute and bubbly she used to be? It seems now she’s turned into a tabloid tart!

It’s Lindsay’s young fans that worry me the most. Young people look up to Lindsay and other actresses who were, and are, marketed towards them (take That’s So Raven actress Anneliese van der Pol who was just arrested for drunk driving). Do they not remember a time when they had a hero, or they looked up to someone, and more importantly, when they were impressionable? I’ve never been tempted to drive drunk, or do a drug… perhaps because I LISTENED to those anti-drug speeches as a child.

You’d think watching celebrities like Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe dying of overdoses would teach celebrities, and the world in general, a lesson. With such legends dying from these things, you’d think that people would look at that and reevaluate their lives. Maybe I’m too much of an idealist that has far too much faith in the world, but I want to believe that we can make this a better and safer world. It’s celebrities like Lindsay that have the chance to effect young people for the better, and yet choose to behave in a negative way, lie about it, and give the impression that this is okay.

The most unfortunate thing about this situation is I won’t be shocked if Lindsay is out of rehab tomorrow. This girl has built her career around winding up in the tabloids.  What better opportunity than ‘I don’t need rehab’, which may send an even worse message. There’s always a chance to seek help - you just have to be willing to take it. I wish Lindsay the best, and hope that someone, if not many people, learn from her mistakes and do their part to make this a healthier, and safer world… a boy can dream right?

Sean (I own both of Lindsay Lohan’s albums… don’t judge me.)

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