Monday, June 23, 2008
Lessons from Celebrity Meltdowns - Beware the Price They Pay For Success
Whether it's Jessica Simpson or Lindsay Lohan, we can't seem to get enough Ritalin their misdeeds. People just love watching these once pristine teen idols fall from grace. When they do, who is to blame? It is their fans and the media that relentlessly pursue them? It is their families that might be more interested in exploiting their talents than taking care of their children? Thingmaker don't have the answer to those questions, but I believe that there might be another cause involved that can serve as a warning to all of us.
If you have ever worked in the entertainment industry in any way, shape or form, you know that popularity can have a very short shelf life. Today's superstar can quickly turn into tomorrow's has-been. During the time before and during the childhoods of Jessica and Lindsay, much was made of the plight of child stars that hit volunteers of america car donation big, than dropped off the radar map. Those stories sent a message to stage mothers and child performers that were clearly received. If a refinance lowest rates of opportunity opened, it could close at any time.
My children have always been fans of Melissa Joan Hart. They loved watching Clarissa Explains It All on Nickelodeon and stayed with her when she became Sabrina the Teenage Witch in that series. Apart from a few swimsuit and racy Maxim photos, Melissa managed to stay out of trouble and avoid becoming the bad girl that so many other female celebrities became. More importantly, she had the support of her family which laid down some ground rules and kept her from too much mischief.
In 1999, Melissa Joan Hart got her first major motion picture starring role in Drive My Crazy. Like most of her other work, it was geared to teens. Given the audience, who better to sing the theme song than Jessica Simpson? During the filming of a music audio for the title song, Melissa worked with Jessica and made an appearance in the audio. Melissa is about five years older than Jessica and would have been about twenty-two years old at that time compared to Jessica who was probably about seventeen.
I recall watching a special about the making of the Drive Me Crazy music audio. During the filming, Melissa commented that she was surprised how long Jessica had been working on the set that day. She wasn't crediting the singer for a good work ethic, but seemed legitimately concerned about her wellbeing. Having worked in the entertainment industry from the age of four, Melissa was already a seasoned professional. In various interviews, she often spoke about how her family kept her ego in check and made her tow the line when it came to family responsibilities and chores.
By contrast, I recall watching a special about Jessica Simpson. People from her record label spoke about how hard she worked and how much effort she put into her career as a teenager. It all seemed like a non-stop, hard ride with short breaks allowed for family events and some time with mates. Even when those times were permitted, it seemed like a camera was present or that her privacy was interrupted for publicity.
Most people that overwork and deny themselves the time needed to unwind end up feeling that they have too much free time on their hands. That's because work becomes the mainstay of their existence. Work in the entertainment business is particularly demanding. With schedules and budgets always a concern and big bucks at stake for all involved, a twelve or fourteen hour day is not at all unusual. All the while the performer fears the chance that when an opportunity presents itself, they may miss it.
In the end, over-working creates a vicious cycle that begins to have a serious effect on the physical and mental wellbeing of just about anyone. Given all that Jessica and Lindsay have been through, one has to wonder if it was worth it to become notorious in the first Generic Viagra Perhaps the price has already been too high? This should be a serious warning to anyone that values career over all else. For more, visit http://appallingbehavior
Author: Bill Knell
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