There has been a tragic similarity among celebrities that have passed away within the past several years. Their deaths have been connected to living their life in the fast lane, and running smack into drug addiction. Unfortunately, I have begun to stereotype against celebrities. As soon as I hear of one passing away I wonder if they too were involved in a drug or alcohol overdose.
Some celebrities that have had their deaths tied to drug overdoses in the media are Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, and most recently, Adam Goldstein (DJ AM), (Ingrassia, et al., 2009). I am wondering if these people had these addictions prior to becoming celebrities, or if the attention and lifestyle have pushed them down the path of destruction.
Maybe the use of drugs is so prevalent in our society that these celebrity deaths are synonymous with the amount of "average-Joes" that fall victim to the same tragic ending. According to People magazine, they reported that Michael Jackson became hooked on painkillers after he became burned during a mishap in a commercial he was filming. In the story regarding Adam Goldstein, People also states that he suffered a relapse of drug addiction after suffering burns due to a recent plane crash he survived, (Ingrassia, et. al, 2009). I guess these issues could affect the average person, but unfortunately, most people do not have the money and power these celebrities do, which could make a drug addiction habit even more accessible. I think that stereotyping will continue against celebrities and their deaths, because it has become so common.
References
Ingrassia, L.; Dagastino, M.; Dowd, K., E.; Caplan, D.; McNeil, L.; Baker, K.C., et. al.
(2009, September 14). Adam 'DJ AM' Goldstein. People, p 89-92.
