Friday, February 18, 2011

This isn't a train wreck, it's a SuperCollider........


Now I've never really been witness to an actual train wreck, except for what I've seen in the movies. It looks like a pretty violent and awesome spectacle. I guess if I did see one happening for real I would have a hard time turning away. But fortunately I don't have to wait for a real one, I can just watch the Hollywood portion of the nightly news.  There, I can watch two personalities acting out their very own version of an inevitable collision course with death.

Of course, I'm talking about Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen. These two self-loathing Malibu types are providing a real life drama far more interesting than any characters they have portrayed on the silver screen. It's really quite incredible how they are throwing away second, third and fourth chances to get their lives back.But it's fascinating viewing isn't it?

For Lohan, it appears to be a case of just not getting it. It's as if she really believes the rules are for everyone else but not for her. She barely gets out of court from one charge when she's hauled in on another. She shows remorse but it's the "sorry I got caught" type of remorse. Where are the family and friends who should be helping this woman with reality? Probably where most Hollywood type family and friends are; always by your side when the times are good and AWOL when it turns sour. But they'll be the first to say how they "tried".

With Sheen, it's just a flat out death wish. He knows what he is doing is destructive but he doesn't really care. Give him credit for one thing, he's a good goal setter. His goal is obviously to have as much fun with drugs and sex as he possibly can in what will be a short life. His current "rehab", a four week stint at home, is a joke. Just a few days ago, he was begging CBS (a first class enabler, by the way) to start up his hit TV show again. His reasoning: and I quote,  "It's like, I heal really quickly. But I unravel pretty quickly. So get me right now, guys," Now that's what I call a great rehab. Of course, the $1.5 million per episode can buy a lot of drugs and prostitutes too, so there's that.

I could wax eloquent on the perils too much money, too much early fame and on down the list. But the truth is many actors survive Hollywood without all the "woe is me" theatrics. In fact, they use their fortunate wealth and fame as a reason to help deserving causes around the world. No, this is just another example of the epidemic of losers who can't or won't take personal responsibility for what happens in their lives. It's just not their fault.

We'll see the headlines and we'll be shocked. We'll ask, how could this have happened right in front of us? But that will just be a way to assuage our guilt at not being able to turn away from these runaway locomotives.

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