Blog by Sean Gehon, Tuesday, August 28, 2007
As children we’re raised on fairy tales. It’s almost like we’re programmed to search through life looking for a handsome prince, a group of caring friends, a happily ever after. But as we grow older our visions of what it is to be happy begin to change. We don’t necessarily need a handsome prince to find our fairy tale ending. Then there are those, like Amy Winehouse, who find themselves trapped under a wicked spell by the evil queen, and need all the help they can get.
Amy Winehouse is one of the fastest rising stars in the music industry. If you haven’t heard her hit song Rehab, you’re probably living under a rock. Unfortunately, it isn’t Amy Winehouse’s music that keeps her name in the papers and on the blogs. Recently Amy has found herself under a lot of media attention following a couple short lived rehab stints and some public brawls with her equally troubled husband Blake. Today, Blake’s parents, Georgette and Giles Fielder-Civil, appeared on BBC radio, urging fans of Amy Winehouse to stop buying her music in an effort to send the troubled singer a message that her drug use isn’t okay, and that this behavior isn’t acceptable.
Is Amy Winehouse going to be sober long enough to fully comprehend that her sales have dropped? The singer is obviously troubled. No self respecting and sober woman could allow herself to leave her home looking like Frankenstein’s ex wife. More importantly, are fans of Amy Winehouse concerned enough to stop supporting her long enough to help her back on the road to recovery? It’s not like we’ve ever really known Amy Winehouse to be anything other than an out-of-control tabloid train wreck… who’s to say what’ll happen to her music, or her fashion sense, if she were to successfully overcome her addictions?
Personally, I’m not a fan of Amy Winehouse. I find her general demeanor sad and embarrassing, and extremely creepy. Frankly, on a purely superficial level I find it uncomfortable to look at her, as I’m often assuming she’s high on lord knows what. Unfortunately, Amy’s problems aren’t something to laugh at or even ridicule. It’s quickly becoming apparent that Amy is in desperate need of help and rehabilitation. The latest trend of celebrities going to rehab has quickly become tabloid fodder, a scream for attention, and a joke to their fans. I’m not entirely certain that rehab actually does anything to help anyone anymore, but if anyone needs to try… it’s probably Amy.
I choose to believe that Giles and Georgette’s hearts are in the right place. They’re not only concerned about their child (which is a welcome change considering the kind of celebrity parents we have over on this side of the pond) but they’re concerned about the woman he chooses to love. Perhaps there are better things that people around Amy could be doing, but at least this is a start, a stand against the poor decisions that Amy and her husband have made. There are many ways to show love and support even though it can be difficult for those who need that love and support to accept it in terms of dire need.
I can only hope that Amy and her husband Blake will make a full recovery. She may not be my cup of tea, and I’ll probably remain fairly neutral towards her as time goes on, but the fact remains that we’re both human beings placed on the same planet for hopefully many years to come… so why bother wishing ill upon someone? I don’t know if it’ll help, and I don’t know if she’s even capable of being saved at this point… but may be we shouldn’t spend our money on anymore Amy Winehouse products until she’s made a full recovery… at the very least, we’ll know that we tried.
Sean (I’m obsessed with this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Nsi05HkXw&mode=related&search )
