The world of celebrity isn’t exactly a nurturing or supportive atmosphere for young, rising stars, so it should seem hardly surprising when people who have grown up under scrutiny turn out to be that crazy person who you avoid on the tube. This week Lindsay Lohan began her court ordered rehab program, complete with temper tantrums because she wasn’t allowed to bring cigarettes/she didn’t like the look of the place/she generally didn’t get her own way and was actually having to face the consequences of her actions for once. Not that it will make a lot of difference to her character. This girl has broken law a number of times and at every court appearance the judge is apparently determined to take a harsh approach, only to reduce any punishment to a minimum – and even then Lohan seems to think it is too much. Yesterday it appeared that she was shopping at an electronics store while her (now fired) lawyer assured the courts that she was safely ensconced in a treatment facility. She then finally checked herself into the Betty Ford clinic (where “she knew people”, which is always a sign of a life well lived) just before a deadline that may have resulted in jail time. We can but hope that some time away from the world and her batshit crazy parents will help her to realise the extent to which that she is destroying her life.
Another starlet in dire need of psychiatric attention is Amanda Bynes, who has shed her sweet Disney persona for that of a genuinely unstable and worrying human being. She is frequently photographed around New York in a variety of strange outfits and situations, stories about her behaviour abound. Today a video was released of her in the gym on a cross trainer looking….interesting. In contrast to Lindsay, Bynes seems to be evoking genuine concern from her family, the public and fellow celebrities alike. Lohan has had her chances, Bynes seems to be oblivious to her vulnerable situation in a way that is reminiscent of Britney Spears’ infamous meltdown. The only question is when there will be a significant event that will lead to Bynes getting the treatment that she so obviously needs, before something infinitely more tragic can occur.
7 Kinds of Mind 