“Money is at the root of the problems for too many young celebrities.”
“Most people say money is the root of troubles for most young celebrities, citing too much of it as the major reason for stars’ problems.”
So reported a USA Today/Gallup Poll of 1,007 adults, which reported 79% saying too much money was a big problem for stars whose lives are filled with drugs, clubs, DUIs and rehab. The “pressures of fame” was considered a concern by 68%, “negative influences of Hollywood” by 65% and “parents doing a poor job” of raising the young stars by 63%. Alcoholism didn’t make the list.
Karen Thomas, in the cover story for USA Today, wrote “Million-dollar paychecks and suites at tony hotels come with pressures–and the means to self-medicate.” Addiction counselor Clare Waismann explains that young Hollywoodites are increasingly combining alcohol and opioids such as OxyContin to “take the edge off.” Thomas and Waismann confuse cause and effect. Addicts can use to self-medicate and take the edge off; non-addicts cannot.
Money is not the root of the trouble. If trouble results from alcohol or other-drug use, the problem is alcoholism. Money is instead the biggest enabler, which makes it a problem for addicts, not non-addicts. The same can be said for the “pressures of fame,” which has nothing to do with triggering alcoholism. The “negative influences of Hollywood,” too, clearly plays a role in perpetuating active addiction, but don’t cause it. If they did, we’d read about other young actors in the tabloid news–including Hillary Duff (“Lizzy McGuire”), Mandy Moore (upcoming July film, “License to Wed”), Reese Witherspoon (June Cash in “Walk the Line”), Anne Hathaway (“Brokeback Mountain”), Raven Symone (“That’s So Raven”), Christine Aguilera (winner of “best new artist” at the 2000 Grammy Awards), Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore in “Gilmore Girls”) and Amber Tamblyn (“Joan of Arcadia”). But we don’t read much about them because they are not addicts, even if they have plenty of money.
It’s true that many of the parents did a poor job of raising the likes of Paris, Britney, Lindsay, Nicole Richie and Lane Garrison–after all, some of them are addicts. But addiction travels through genes, not upbringing.
Thomas, however, got it partly right–she points out that “those closest to the stars have an income that depends on the star working and maintaining a popular image.” She cites Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz in explaining that a circle of enablers have helped keep the star’s head above water, which “makes recognizing a problem elusive.”