Down the rabbit hole...

All sources of information, videos, pictures, and citations are documented in the following:

The Health Professionals Directory


Happy Valley News Hour


Online Dictionary


Karima Habibali, Transpersonal Psychotherapist, Turning Point Detox Centre, Hamilton, ON.


CBC Online


YouTube- Eric Lamaze


Marilyn Manson Lyrics- The Dope Show


Lastfm.com- Nine Inch Nails Photography- The Perfect Drug


WiseGEEK


PerezHilton.com


Crack is Whack


Vistabay.com


Star Power


Celebrity Influence on American Society


YouTube- Alice In Wonderland

The glamorous life?

The media gives society what it thirsts for: glamour, stars, controversy, glamour, entertainment, fashion, glamour. A critical literary piece, Celebrity Influence on American Society, which analyzes the influence of celebrities on society states, “Americans are obsessed with the lives of people who are glamorous, rich and pretty.”
If parents are so concerned about the influence that celebrities have on youths, then why are the lives and habits of the stars such a significant source of entertainment in our culture? It is overtly true that the accessibility of information due to technology quickly provides us with all the latest celebrity scandals- but how we choose to let these influences affect our lives is independent from how this information is presented to us. If we must feed our obsession, we must use discretion as to how we will perceive and act in response to the reports we are exposed to. If celebrities using drugs is a relevant and exciting form of entertainment, then what exactly is it that would imply that others should practice such habits, when the tragic downfalls of the stars are the focus of the headlines? Hmmm…

STARPOWER?

Before we consider whether or not celebrity influences have an impact on youth drug use, we must factor in how much influence celebrities actually have, and how important it is for celebrities to act as role models. An analytical piece on the role of celebrities as models for the rest of society entitled ‘Star power: do celebrities have a responsibility to be role models?,’ defines the importance of celebrity behaviour in relevance to influence on youths.
"The real issue isn't how celebrities behave--it's how we behave. We should not try to be like someone else or copy the actions or styles of others, especially if we know it's wrong. If you are always hiding in other people's shadows, then you will never really know who you are."
Being confident in yourself is relevant in making decisions about what will harm or benefit you. There is a difference between establishing your sense of fashion or musical taste in response to your favourite star, but judgement needs to be made to decipher what is appropriate and what is self destructive in terms of how far you are willing to go to represent your favourite celeb. Hmmm...

And the results are in...

A presentation of information and statistics of people who use drugs, and general information outlining the risks and health problems inflicted by drug abuse is relevant to understanding why people do drugs. An article entitled “Teen & Adult Drug Use Statistics that will blow your mind,” provides facts to consider when analyzing the influence of celebrities on youths to engage in drug habits. Modern society’s acceptance of drugs, legal tolerance, and increasing numbers of individuals using drugs are factors that are analyzed by Vistabay. Vistabay is an institution that researches and provides information on the history and current issues presented by drug abuse, and why people choose to do drugs.
Different types of drugs are analyzed, including the five most popular drugs that this generation has proven to abuse the most. Crack-cocaine is one of the seemingly most popular drugs included in this study, and is said to have been at its most popular in the late 1990’s: “‘crack cocaine’ – sold primarily to poorer, inner city neighborhoods.” People living in poverty who resort to drug use are not likely to be aspiring to be the next Britney Spears, but have grown up in an environment deprived of funds and use drugs to escape the reality of their poverty, and any potential abuse that occurs within their households and communities. Hmmm...

'Crack is Whack'

‘Crack is Whack’ is an account of currently popular and notorious celebrities with drug addictions. This article helps to answer the question of why celebrities do drugs in the first place. “The pressure, constant scrutiny, and insecurities that come with stardom have caused many celebrities to turn to substance abuse for comfort.” If people choose to directly blame celebrity influence for youth drug habits, and we base celebrity drug use on reasons such as pressure and insecurities that are a result of their fame, can we not trace the blame back on the media itself for throwing stars into such a blinding spotlight? If society was not so obsessed with gossip, controversy, and scandals, then the paparazzi would not be inclined to catch stars in their falls from grace. However, due to popular culture’s thirst for change, and for something different and interesting, how easy it is to target stars as they are crashing down. The pressure to look perfect and talented at all times drives them to drugs to escape the stress of their stardom. Society is most entertained by such scandals, and this is what people want to hear about. If celebrities are considered to be bad influences based on their drug habits, then why is it that their indiscretions always make the front page? Hmmm…

And the WORST influence is...

Perez Hilton, “Queen of all Media,” has posted on his blog an entry detailing that Miley Cyrus is the “worst celebrity influence of 2009.” Cyrus, known for her career acting and singing for Disney programs, and her alter ego, Hannah Montana, has evidently been trying to break free from her innocent, children’s television portrayal. An online poll recorded this data, earning the young Cyrus 42% of the votes for the worst celebrity influence of the year. Hilton also notes that this percentage was higher than those of Britney Spears and Kanye West, even after Britney’s notorious downward spiral into drugs and depression. Having said that, Miley Cyrus has never been slandered or even accused of abusing illegal or legal drugs! She is a young, rising star in popular culture, and her squeaky clean image has only been soiled by her ‘overtly sexual’ nature during her musical performances. So, if celebrities are to blame for influencing youths to do drugs, how is it that parents voted Miley the worst celebrity influence of 2009, without photos of her stumbling down the red carpet with bulging eyes and a rehab story? Hmmm…

You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?

WHY DO PEOPLE DO DRUGS? This is a question that everyone seems to want answers to! I present you with WiseGEEK, an online ecology of information pertaining to the real reasons people choose to use drugs. A WiseGEEK article called Why Do People Do Drugs?, gives their explanation of peoples’ choice to pursue drug habits. “Some drugs help us heal, some help us think more clearly, and some alter our perceptions of the world radically, shifting our brain chemistry.” Who is to say that celebrities don’t do drugs for these reasons also? If escaping reality is an acceptable explanation as to why the average person abuses drugs, then how does that relate to celebrity influence? If people, particularly youths, are enduring such pain and trauma that they are resorting to using drugs as an escape to an illusory world, then it is not likely that they are paying attention to the real world around them, including the media and the stars that graze the covers of popular magazines. People who rely on drugs to perform their day-to-day functions are generally using drugs to battle some sort of internal pain, and therefore are consumed with their internal battles. To them, that prioritizes over knowing what celebrities are doing. Hmmm…