- 17 Feb 12, 16:44#290994I have very conflicted feelings on this type of issue. I think it's a real shame that Whitney Houston has died well before her time - she was a massive talent and I'd actually forgotten just how many great songs she had sung until the past few days when a load of them have been playing on the radio. I really feel for her daughter and other family members.
What I do kind of have a conflict with is the whole issue of 'they brought it on themselves' and 'they had a choice', because that's just too black and white for me. I think in general of course people make choices, and everyone at times makes bad choices. The music industry in particular has been shown over time to place massive and at times unrealistic demands on talent that are signed to record deals. The wrong people follow these singers and bands around and whilst it's easy for me or others to say that we would never go down that road - pressure from friends, peers, bandmates, as well as these extroverted personalities craving acceptance, approval etc. (it's inherent in most of these people hence their desire for fame) can all provide the combination that taking it once to 'fit in' then again because it didn't seem as dangerous as everyone says... then before they know it, they're addicted and dependent.
The thing is that somebody like Whitney houston, once she was older and wiser had all the money and support she could have needed or wanted to change, every possible facility at her disposal, and yet she continued to make those bad choices again and again and again.
I don't know - as said and as you can probably see from the above, I am very conflicted.
This is an issue that is very close to my own heart - my 22 year old cousin died in 1998 as a result of a heroin overdose. She was a lovely young woman, and not someone that you would instinctively look at and say 'look at that junkie'. She was beautiful, looked fit and healthy, intelligent and charming, had a job as a secretary / PA at a good company. She was one of my best friends. I don't want to go into the details as the whole episode still makes me very upset even now, 14 years later, all I will say is that to write problems off like this by saying 'they made the choice' or 'they could have stopped' etc. is in my opinion incredibly naive as to pretty much every issue surrounding drug addiction. It's an incredibly complex area.
Last edited by zurich_allan on 17 Feb 12, 17:02, edited 1 time in total.
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but I find him comical and thoroughly entertaining. I am inclined to agree with you on this thread, and your thoughts about amy winehouse. I was facepalming on my facebook page when she died, and same with whitney houston. I am sorry she died cuz a lot of people liked her music, but that sympathy can only go so far when it comes to drugs.