What is it with jocks and entertainers that self-destruct?

Are you sure that these jocks would have been better off if they had not been jocks? All the non-jocks that cannot handle liquor, drugs, or money don't get a seconds worth of coverage, and there is no shortage of those either. The only real difference for the non-jock disgrace is sports attention cannot be called a factor, since there was none.

 

I was shocked and devastated by the arrest of Justin Bieber last night.

Oh, sorry, no, I wasn't.

But I think both of you have a point. Fl, yes, I agree that wankers are wankers.

But Chuck, yes. If you look at someone like Justin Bieber, or Michael Jackson, or Smiley Virus - and to a lesser extent football jocks or whatever, they've never been told "no". They haven't been socialised in the way that the rest of us have, and that means that, to a great extent, they haven't ever had to keep control of their own urges. Yes, it's clear that there is a type of person who has urges that we don't have (making Fl's point), but there are a lot of people who, for example, might want to tell a vulnerable teenage girl that she's fat (Justin), but know that it is the wrong thing to do, and don't do it. When you're always being told you're wonderful, you don't know what you shouldn't be doing.

This doesn't apply to everyone, of course. There are sports stars and entertainers who are nice. But I think it partly explains any disproportionate horribleness.

 

Anymore I'm not sure whats worse the crime that the entertainer(lets be honest that all sports figures are) has committed, or all the press, and public recognition they get, and the fact that so many people are so "tuned into" them......

I know the press' mentality, "if it bleeds, it leads", and there are plenty of twisted folks who live vicariously through the lives of the entertainers.

I just don't get it....

Today im sure hundreds of people got arrested for drunk driving....why is Bieber so special? Who the F&$@ cares..
Today I';m sure hundreds of police officers, firefighters and doctors saved countless lives....no one says squat about them, but god forbid one of them gets rough with a convict, or fails to stop a fire, or leaves an instrument inside a patient. Their lives are ruined.

I think much of society has a skewed sense of values, and the press feeds it to get ratings and $$$...

 

They shoot lame horses, don't they?

 

A news report this evening raised the possibility that if he can't begin staying out of trouble, his visa could get revoked and he'd be deported back to Canada.

We can hope ...

 

You toss young, immature folks (especially those that come from modest backgrounds) a s#*tpot of money, and don't be surprised when they screw up. Toss in the sense of entitlement that goes along with being a "star" and it is a recipe for melt down. Some handle it better than others, some can't handle it at all.

Icarus

 

... and with every member of their ever present entourage never being able to say "no" to anything the star wants or wants to do- it's taken for approval which leads to even greater misdeeds...

 

With too much money, too much ego, and not enough responsibility, strange behaviour seems inevitable.

 

For a second I thought you were talking about many industry CEOs....

 

Easy come, easy go.

 

The Tragedy of Philip Seymour Hoffman: How We Can Prevent Overdose Deaths |&nbspMeghan Ralston

Tragedy???? really.... a tragedy by line would read- "Actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman was tragically killed today when part of set came crashing down mortally wounding him. He was pronounce dead at the scene by first responders."

When a drunk driver kills a nun, thats tragic. When a drunk driver wraps his car around tree and removes himself from the gene pool hurting no one else...eh not a big deal.

A drug overdose is not a tragedy, well it may be tragic for the dealer... Someone who does drugs, has to know that drugs are dangerous and has accepted the risks that go along with illicit behavior.

live fast....die hard...

 

Within the literary field a tragedy is a story or play in which the protagonist suffers a great fall due to their own flaw. It's usually hubris, but addiction will work. As an actor, applying tragedy to Hoffman's death can be fitting.

The tragedy of the article is that it the steps to make death from overdose less likely aren't hard. Addiction is more than a bad habit, and no one deserves to die for it.

 

Never heard of him.

And if it had been me who overdosed on heroin, do you think I'd get any sympathy? Not a hope.

I agree with others. It's sad a person went on self destruct enough to kill themselves, but equally he knew what he was doing. I feel for his family.

And if I had £millions I'd think of a hell of a lot more constructive things to spend it on than drugs! What is it will these entertainers who make money and then don't know what to do with it other than blow it on drugs? If there are any actors or entertainers on here wondering what to do with all their excess money, I'd say pop down your local soup kitchen and spend $200,000 a year THERE instead.

Maybe that happens already with some, but more need to take note.

 

greek tragedy... ok I get the symbolicness of using the word tragic...

no one deserves to die from addictions? I agree

Some guy who BASE jumps or skydives in many cases has become addicted to adrenaline rush of cheating death... one day the chute fails, or pulls the cord too late... he dies. How about Steve irwin, was he addicted to playing around with wild animals...one can say so...he's dead... Nicotine addiction...smokers... they die every day. they are knowingly poisoning their bodies... should they expect to live a long happy illness free life? Eventually the odds will catch up with you...

There are not many people who "deserve" to die. wife beaters, kiddy touching priests, terrorists are a few that come to mind which are deserving of a dirt nap...

hoffman took drugs (50 bags of heroin and 20 needles in his apartment)... it wasn't his first brush with drugs. He knew what he was doing was a dangerous habit...

Did he deserve to die? no. But, should anyone be surprised that a heron addict overdosed and died? No not really...

He was a great actor...can't argue with that...

 

Remember how that "lush windbag" radio talk show host talked about what should be done with drug addicts until he, himself, became one?

 

Another celeb tweeted a remark regarded Hoffman's OD on herion that included ".....stupid...senseless..." and people slammed him for the remark. Soo... the haters are defending Hoffman's self administered death by heroin!? THAT is stupid!

 

Everyone loves a junkie celeb.
Everyone hates a junkie.

They're both the same.

 

Not surprised, but it would be good if something came from it. Your link was calling for reform to increase an ODee's chance of survival, and improving treatment.

It might not say much about us as a species, but we generally don't care about something in a mass until it involves someone famous or something cute. Parkinson's research got a boost when M.J. Fox went public with his disease. Perhaps addiction will receive the same with Hoffman's passing.

 

Nice idea and I'd hope so.

But MJ Fox was the first celeb to have Parkinsons. Hoffman isn't the first celeb to die of an OD and I regret he won't be the last.