Recently, a pop star died. Amy Winehouse, who had become as famous for her drug use as her music, died in her home at the age of 27. Immediately afterwards, many people lamented the talent taken away so soon, and the way drugs robbed the world of a once promising artist.
That reaction was right, Winehouse was a skilled interpreter of songs and she should have had a long, productive career. Instead, we got two albums and a number of tabloid appearances chronicling her descent into drugs and addiction. While she had attempted a comeback, the tour was a false start as she wasn't even able to sing.
Now, what bothers me, apart from losing a talented young woman at 27, is how the sudden respectful tone has cropped up, sometimes from the same people who had made fun of her while she was alive. It was the same case a few years ago when Michael Jackson died, everyone suddenly respected him after years of poking fun and making jokes at his expense. It's the sudden turn of attitude that bothers me most of all, since it's seemingly only possible to respect people when they're dead.
It bothers me with Winehouse much more than Jackson because of the nature of her problems. The woman needed help, and she needed someone to get her into the rehab that she refused in her most famous song. In her case, the death seems pointless not merely because she was 27 when it happened - a mere year older than myself - but because if she had gotten help for her drug problem years before it could have been avoided.
Instead, what people saw during her life was a large number of people making fun of Winehouse and her various addictions. The same people who, today, are lamenting that we lost a talented young woman before she could really prove herself were mocking her missed commitments and disastrous public appearances. While I won't say it caused her eventual demise, it couldn't have helped.
The thing is, Winehouse very clearly couldn't handle the pressures and temptations that came with fame. That's evident in her behavior immediately after her second album caught on. Since that's the case, the excess of tabloid pressure on her exacerbated the problem. Being the subject of mockery every time there was a somewhat regrettable public appearance isn't going to help someone unable to face the world. It's certainly possible that Winehouse's fall would have happened anyway, but at least it wouldn't have been heavily documented for the world to see, with a background of laughter rather than concern.
It bugs me because for years it was clear this woman had serious problems which would lead to her death in a short period of time. Yet, this was taken as material for jokes above all, as though people didn't realize it was possible that she would die, and she would be an example of what can happen when addictions go on without treatment. The subsequent reaction seems to be from people who didn't realize that Winehouse was a person, not just a public figure.
There will likely be another Winehouse, the number of famous people who have died at 27 is long. Next time, however, I hope that the concern for their well being begins before it's too late and there's no longer any way to save them.
