Posted on 02/15/2012 4:02:32 AM PST by Kaslin
The media have no bleepin' clue how to cover the death of Whitney Houston. That's because she was slowly dying for years and many in the press simply averted their eyes.
It was ultra-disturbing that a beautiful woman blessed with an extraordinary singing voice chose a self-destructive path in full view of the world. I mean, here is a person who signed a $100 million recording contract, actually sold 170 million albums and commanded high six figures to deliver a 90-minute concert. Houston was a genuine international star, and yet she often was seen in public disheveled and confused, her substance addiction apparent. The media simply did not know what to say.
We live in a time in which addiction is categorized as a disease, and to do what Nancy Reagan once did and urge people to reject narcotics is considered uncool. How many young performers do we see doing public service announcements warning children to avoid intoxication? Right now, I can't think of one.
The national media pride themselves on being non-judgmental unless you are against abortion. Then you are dismissed as "anti-woman" or as a religious zealot. But in the arena of personal behavior, there's an excuse for just about every nonviolent activity and bad decision.
There is no question that some of us have a history of addiction in our families. There are folks who can use drugs casually and avoid dependence, but they are the exception. Once a person decides to dabble in cocaine, or opiates such as heroin and OxyContin, they are putting themselves at grave risk. And they know it. There are legions of famous people who wound up dead just like Houston. From Elvis Presley to Michael Jackson, the signposts are impossible to miss. No matter how rich and powerful you are, drugs can and will destroy you.
The current medical marijuana ruse is a great example of a society walking away from a responsible position. Ask any drug rehab counselor, and he or she will tell you that pot often leads a person to harder drug use and is mentally addictive itself. Yes, most people can function while stoned. But the more you alter your mind the more your perspective on life changes. Believe me, I know people who get stoned or drunk every day. They become incredibly desensitized to those around them.
On the kid front, the situation is dire. Once a child enters the world of intoxication, their childhood is gone. Presto, they are jaded. That's how dangerous drugs and alcohol are to immature minds. Society has an obligation to protect its children, not to tacitly accept or embrace mind-altering agents such as marijuana.
Houston, however, was an adult who made a decision to embrace the drug life. Reports say she tried to rehabilitate herself a few times, but you know how that goes. Once a person enters the hell of addiction, there is no easy way out.
And that's how the Whitney Houston story should be covered. As a cautionary tale. Another life vanquished by substance abuse.
I know where you’re coming from.
I tried pot four times over the course of several years and nothing much happened. The fifth time it blew my head off and I got the fear big time. Never touched it since.
I tried acid ONCE. It had it’s interesting aspects but it lasted way too long and I was terrified it would never let go of me (nine hours or so). No thanks!
And now you know the rest of the story...
Jeepers! She must have been truly awful if your friend’s son dumped a hot piece like her.
I don’t remember that one
Punch it up on YouTube.com
If you can’t discuss the article then don’t say nothing at all
I heard she was a heavy smoker and that probably destroyed her vocals.
Bobby Brown seemed to take all the blame for Whitney's descent into addiction, as though she was some innocent angel before he ever walked into her life. Truth is, Whitney's public image was carefully tended and those who knew her know that she was dabbling in drugs long before Bobby Brown came into the picture.
Dolly Parton I will Always Love You Background and composition
Personally, Dolly Parton's version is my favorite. Not that there is anything wrong with Houston's version
Now you are speculating too, of what she died
Is that why they play it on Armed Forces Network at the close of the day every day?
Blame that on Jose Feliciano at the 68 World Series.
“She must have been truly awful if your friend’s son dumped a hot piece like her.”
If by “hot” you mean a ghetto born and raised crack whore, well then, you’re right.
Piss off, punk.
A couple of Bill O’Reilly derangement sufferers, don’t think so. They only read who the author was and then started bashing him without reading the article
A couple of Bill O’Reilly derangement sufferers, don’t think so. They only read who the author was and then started bashing him without reading the article
I read the article and then bashed it (post #74). I will say I was less than flabbergasted to see O’Reilly write such twaddle.
I thought Tom Sullivan's rendition at Super Bowl X was the best. And unlike Whitney, he performed it live.
I did, but I still don’t remember it
It was the first thing they put on the screen when my unit redeployed back home from the Gulf in May 1991. First bit of TV, movie, etc. we'd seen since we left the States. I don't think there was anyone in my battery that wasn't choked up wahtching/hearing it.
So regardless of how may people want to mock it, it meant a whole lot for some of us.
It was the first thing they put on the screen when my unit redeployed back home from the Gulf in May 1991. First bit of TV, movie, etc. we'd seen since we left the States. I don't think there was anyone in my battery that wasn't choked up wahtching/hearing it.
So regardless of how may people want to mock it, it meant a whole lot for some of us.
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